This week’s post is a journal entry I wrote as we were leaving Malawi and heading up to Kenya in August. I know that this short description doesn’t even begin to explain the complexity of life in Manyamula village, I’m just sharing my reflections on a few of the interesting experiences we had there.
– Tanya Cothran
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August 1, 2011
Lilongwe, Malawi
Lilian (left) and a friend pose in the cooking area behind her house.
Boyd and I had three days full of visiting, seeing, and learning. I took so many notes about the amazing progress people are making with the help of the Small Business Fund and the Manyamula Village Savings and Loans group (MAVISALO) there – it really was inspiring. But, in addition to that, it was also fascinating and special to stay with Canaan Gondwe, SIA SBF Coordinator, and his family for three nights.
Life in Manyamula is very different from what I am used to in Minnesota. Firstly, there is no electricity in Manyamula. When the sun goes down, around 6:30-7:00pm every night (they are not too far south of the equator), people sit in the dark or use candles or flashlights for light. The total lack of electricity means that the stars are absolutely amazing at night. They said that when there was a full moon you could walk to Mzimba (22km) just on the light of the moon!
I attempt to keep a basket on my head. The women laughed at my lack of balance!
There is also no plumbing. Canaan lived right next to a well borehole put in place by World Vision, so his family didn’t have to walk too far to get water. The women pump water before sun-up (and others do it throughout the day) and carry it to their houses on their heads. The water is treated with chlorine so it is safe to drink. Each family has an outhouse for using the latrine.
Each morning we got to take a bath with warm water, which always felt so refreshing and amazing. They heated up the water over an open fire in the back of the house then put it in a water basin with some cold water. There is a small cement room next to the cooking room where you can bathe and rinse.
Nsima, maize flour mixed with water, is the staple food and indeed we had it everyday for lunch and dinner. Boyd really took a liking to nsima! It’s served with chipies (French fried), relish dip (blended kale), soup (tomato, also for dipping), and some salad of cabbage and tomatoes. So, the meals are carbohydrate-heavy, but flavorful!
Our typical lunch meal at Canaan and Lilian's house.
We had the good fortune of having fried chicken from the MAVISALO coop that was established with a SIA grant. One of the SBF groups we visited gave us groundnuts (peanuts) and Lilian, Canaan’s wife, roasted and salted them for us. Yum! There is no refrigeration so nothing can be stored for long once it has been cooked.
The custom is to eat with your hands so at the beginning of each meal there is a hand washing ritual where one person pours water from a pitcher over a basin for each person to wash their hands.
Boyd and Canaan at the table with doughnuts and roasted peanuts for tea time.
Saturday was a busy day of visiting the market and all the Small Business Fund and MAVISALO beneficiaries and their projects. People were so proud of their accomplishments and they all had visions for more expansion and greater food security, health, and prosperity. They were pleased that someone had come all the way from America to document their testimony and take a picture to share with more people in the US. I was happy to be there to do that – to listen, record, and encourage.
What a life changing experience for you and Boyd – and for your hosts too! I’m so happy you were able to make this trip and see first hand the work that SIA is doing in Africa. Tell us more!
Wow Tanya, really enjoyed this entry. What a special visit you had. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you, Tanya, for your wonderful descriptions and the great photos. I feel like I’m there! Interesting to see the bookshelf full of books. I imagine that Canaan and Lillian are an unusual family in their community. I’d like to hear about their family sometime.
I wonder what their daily meals are like when there aren’t special guests present. The meal picture looked VERY delicious and special.
I can’t wait to share together with you in person.
Love,
Marsha
Great to hear of your visit Tanya… my daughter just spent a month in Gautamala in language and culture immersion. She stayed most of the time in homes of the natives… an enriching and life changing time for her. Would love to hear more of your story…
Blessings, Charly
Thank you all for your comments! I’ll post more about my time in the village in the coming weeks.
Marsha, I know that we had special food when we were there and so I only know what it’s like to be a guest there. Canaan is also an elder at his church and so I believe he has some books from that and from his work with World Vision.
Dear Tanya,
I am loving hearing about the trip. Reminded me so much of my time in Eldoret at Samuel and Rhoda’s. I noticed the fancy doilies on the couch in the picture with Canaan. I was so impressed with all the handwork the women displayed in their homes. the meal looks delicious. You will never forget this trip.
Blessings,
Lana
Hi Lana,
I loved the doilies as well! They had special furniture decorations for Sunday too, which were beautiful. I think Lilian said she bought to doilies in the market.
Best, Tanya
I loved your notes about Lilongwe and the smaller town of Manyamula. Are the two close to one another? How fortunate we are in SIA to be working with people like Canaan and Lillian!! I am so glad you and Boyd were able to make the trip. Maggie
Hi Maggie,
Lilongwe and Manyamula are at quite a distance! I think it took us about 6 hours by bus, maybe more. The closest city to Manyamula is Mzimba, which is 22km away. Manyamula is really far out there – only about 20km from the border with Zambia. The roads between Mzimba are all dirt with many potholes and so cars have to go pretty slow. I think it took about 1 hour to get to Mzima from Manyamula.