In the midst of various training sessions, we have been fortunate to get a glimpse into Malawian culture. Our first venture out of our training bubble was to Kumbali Cultural Village. We had our very first Chichewa lesson in which we learned a few simple greetings, and most importantly, the word
zikomo (thank you).
Zikomo appears to be used in a variety of ways- I am still trying to suss this one out. After a brief and informative introduction to cultural practices in Malawi, we were served a traditional Malawian meal. The staple of the Malawian diet is
nsima- a polenta like starchy paste made from maize.
Nsima is supposed to be eaten with your hands (I was 50% successful at that feat), and is typically served with a few side dishes. I enjoyed the
nsima, and actually prefer it to taro (sorry Samoa). After indulging in the Malawian delicacies, we were charged with the feat of learning a few Malawian dances. That's right, dancing!! I think I was the one in our group who was most excited to participate (not surprising!). After a brief
demonstration, we were invited to join our instructors to learn three
separate dances. Set to drums and singing, the dances are very rhythmic
and involve a lot of hip movements, which is right up my alley. At one
point, the main instructor pulled me to the front row with the
experienced dancers- apparently, I was doing something right.
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| Learning the Malawian dances |
After our lesson, we were given the privilege of a performance by the dancers who were teaching us. Their body movement is amazing. And, they do it all while singing. It was quite an inspiring experience.
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| Our instructors performing |
At the end of the performance, we were invited to join in on the festivities and display our new skills. I would love to continue to learn the dances of Malawi- would make for a great workshop back in the US (talk about the 3rd goal of Peace Corps).
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| Showing off our moves |
After another week of training including a PEPFAR meeting and a session with the ambassador (amazing!), we set off on our weekend cultural excursion at the beach. On our way to Salima, we visited a health volunteer at Nathenje Health Centre outside of Lilongwe. This was our first glimpse into the healthcare system in Malawi. When we arrived at the health center, there were numerous (probably around 30-40) patients lined up for services, and this was the "slow" day. The Medical Assistant (aka Clinical Officer- equivalent to a PA in the US) is the solo practitioner at the health center- he sees patients all day and is on-call all night and weekend. There are 7 nurses at the health center that rotate between the maternity ward (labor and delivery/postpartum), antenatal clinic, and ART clinic. They did have a lab at the clinic, but are only able to do TB smears (when the microscope works) and rapid malaria tests. It was amazing to see the dedication of the healthcare providers despite limited resources.
We bid farewell to the health volunteer and set off for Salima. The picturesque drive was dotted with rolling hills, smiling faces, selling of produce and products, and honking at goats/cows/people on bikes. In my mind, I was contrasting this with the numerous drives in a wooden bus I experienced in Samoa. Sights, sounds, and smells were easily recalled.
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| The scenery |
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| Traffic jam |
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| Adorable and smiling faces |
Our nearly two hour trip culminated in our arrival at the Sunbird Livingstonia Hotel, and our first glimpse of Lake Malawi. What an amazingly beautiful and calming body of water. Fun facts: Lake Malawi is approximately 360 miles long and 47 miles wide; was formerly called Lake Nyasa, which translates to Lake Lake; and has more species of fish than any other lake.
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| Lake Malawi |
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The next day we ventured to Kungoni Centre at Mua Mission. The center celebrates the cultural and artistic traditions of Malawi. The focus of the center is on the three main ethnic groups of Malawi (Chewa, Ngoni, and Yao). Depicted through art and photography, we learned about the major traditions of each of these groups including birth, initiation, marriage, and death.
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| Mask at Kumbali- used by the Chewa |
Before heading back to Lilongwe the next day, we stopped by Kuti Wildlife Reserve to visit an environmental volunteer and see some animals. The volunteer works closely with Kuti and the surrounding villages to educate about conservation. Deforestation and poaching are still issues in Malawi. Our environmental volunteers are paramount in promoting awareness of these issues, and educating their communities on how to use resources sustainably.
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| Zebras |
The volunteer and a Malawian guide accompanied us on our game drive; and thankfully, we had the guide with us or we would have missed most of the animals. The reserve has numerous mammals including multiple varieties of antelope (sable, kudu, waterbuck, reebuck, nyala, bushbuck, impala, oribi, duiker, and grysbok),
wildebeast, zebras, primates, and a giraffe. We were fortunate to see several varieties of antelope (even the illusive kudu), the giraffe, the zebras, and a few monkeys. It was an amazing experience and I cannot wait to enjoy more!
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| Kudu |
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| Giraffe |
This weekend I was able to check off "seeing a giraffe" on my list of "must sees" in Africa. After such rich cultural experiences, I feel like I've finally scratched the surface of Malawi.
