Zikomo kwambile Malawi (thank you malawi!)

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We loved Malawi -the people most of all. Interaction was still fairly limited as we were there a week at the max but the village walk, eating cassava and beans in the village one evening, chatting to the local beach vendors and visiting the local school and clinic gave us a flavour of how the country and people are. Talking to people and then seeing how they live with no electricity or running water - not even corregated iron for their roof just straw which contributes to the malaria problem. How they dealt with this was eye opening. On some level we found we'd always assumed there is something different between 'us' and 'them' (people living at subsistence level) but we realised people don't get used to poverty they just make do because they have to.
Our next stop after Kande (Chitimba) was run by a Dutch woman who had lots of thoughts on selling up the resort and starting projects in Malawi. She pointed out that malaria and HIV/Aids in Malawi are a real problem (infant mortality is around 9 per cent, HIV/Aids infection rate over 15 per cent). Life expectancy is very low - around 40, the country recently (in 2006) came close to a major disaster due to famine, education and schooling are out of reach of many (secondary school is paid for). We're sure we are going to be back (in fact are already planning our 2010 trip....(because by then the two of us will probably be living at subsistence level)

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Photos

banjo demonstrating grinding cassava
(men don't do this in malawi - women do all the work)

hospital with only 8 beds
we had only $20 to donate on us