It’s hard to sum up Malawi in a phrase, but if I had to choose one it would be “joy amidst hardship.” Malawi is the poorest country in the world. Natural resources are scare and the infrastructure is unreliable: we went nearly a week without water and the electricity went down nearly every night. Yet amidst the dusty, trash-strewn roads and empty fields there is an unmistakable beauty to Malawi. The countryside is peppered with massive, deep-rooted trees that silently carpet the dirt with purple blossoms and amongst the dry flatness, massive mountains jut skyward.
Cooking rice and beans for the kid’s lunch – our host Jarvis said that this is the only meal some of the kid’s eat all day. It sounds dramatic to hear but living in it felt like we were just playing with normal kids – I wouldn’t have guessed if he hadn’t told us.
The people imitate the landscape. Amidst the physical challenges of carrying water long-distances and mostly eating nsima and beans, the people of Malawi have an unmistakable joy. Yes, the finances are in shambles, education is complicated by a lack of Internet, transportation is difficult, healthcare quality is poor – yet the people laugh often, smile more, are hungry for knowledge, and trust in the Lord.
Here is a menagerie of snippets from this month:
• Only the wealthy have cars – most people get around via minibus. Most busses are not well-kept – nearly every single one has a cracked windshield. One time a guy was opening the door to his bus for us and the door literally fell off. They pack ‘em in tight – imagine five rows in a minivan with four people across. A lot of the busses have stickers on the back or dashboard that say things like “God is the driver” or “God is with us” or “God is good, all the time.”
• We crashed a Malawian wedding. Instead of buying gifts for the newlyweds, people throw money on the couple. They call up different groups of people (friends of the groom, friends from church, friends from work, family, etc.) to the sound of African party music and each group dances up to the front and showers the couple with money. Then people sweep the money into big baskets and count it at a table on the side. They also have an exchange table where you can exchange large bills for smaller ones so you can throw money for longer. When Josh and I went up we drew the groom’s attention (“Azungo!”) and each got to personally dance with him. Congrats Charles and Mary!
• Power tools aren’t common – we used the afternoons to build a playground for the preschool with mostly pocket knife tools.
• My friend Johnston was impressed with the detailed records we keep in America: “You guys are amazing. No really, you guys keep track of everything: blood type, height, weight. A Malawian could be born and die without ever knowing their blood type.”
• To travel between cities we rode a bigger bus (think “ultra-low-end coach bus – five seats across – with people standing and sitting in the aisles”). When we would stop at towns the bus was swarmed but people who raised platters of “chips” (which are actually French fries), sodas, and assorted junk foods (and other oddities – I saw cooked mice and what looked like grilled jellyfish…) and people would purchase out of the bus windows.
• Speaking of these bigger busses, oftentimes a preacher will stand in the aisle and give a unsolicited sermon (ours lasted over 30 min – not sure the topic because it was in Chichewa) and then get off at the next stop, walk back to the bus station, and do it again.
• Getting sick in Malawi is not fun but healthcare costs are far lower than in the US. I came down with a debilitating bacterial infection and went to the Malawian version of the ER at 3:30 in the morning. In total, the doctor’s fee, the lab tests (for malaria antigen, white blood cell count, etc.), and the antibiotics/rehydration salts only cost about 40 USD.
• Many Malawians have beautiful names, like Justice and Wonderful and Truth and Precious
• It can get cold in Africa! We came in the Spring time but for several days it was in the 50s and I was wearing a sweatshirt.
We are back together as a squad for Leadership Development Weekend and leave for Zambia tomorrow!
Zach
P.S. I can’t wait to share pictures once I get to faster internet.
