With only five days left at the orphanage before I leave, and back to full strength, I'm keen to do as much as I can and tie up all the things I've started. Before going into the orphanage after the new year break, I need to get my 30 day permit extended at the Immigration office for my last week in the country. Like most of the office set ups I've seen - the administration system is slow and disorderly. Looking through the bars to the desks behind there are papers and files everywhere. Something I have seen in every office [View Full Entry]

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As I'm getting used to solids again and tucking into my breakfast toast, I am delighted to see a lovely couple I met on my first night at the hostel. They are from the UK but work here for an NGO making education more accessible in the Mulanje district. The couple arrive wanting to see if they can book a room for the night to go out in Blantyre to celebrate new year's eve. They kindly ask if I want to join them, and as I have no plans, I quickly accept! Later that evening we meet up and head off [View Full Entry]

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Well it had to happen at least once! ...Sadly it was when I had booked to stay up at Lake Malawi and had to cancel the trip. They say until you visit the lake you haven't been to Malawi; I guess that means I'll have to come back! I was fortunate to speak with a med student friend from London, who was able to diagnose me on the phone and advise me what to do. I'm pretty sure it was the orphanage food that made me ill, as I noticed my health getting progressively worse after the last two meals there. [View Full Entry]

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The last two UK volunteers at the orphanage before me had bought paint and created a wonderful underwater scene along the longest wall in the hall. It is on the wall opposite the entrance so as you walk in it really lifts the environment, and stimulates the children. Painted on the wall are sharks, fish, an octopus and even a mermaid. On one notable occasion I observed one of the primary school boys, called Blessings, quietly sitting by the wall and copying some fish into his exercise book. During a previous meeting with the Reverend he had said it would be [View Full Entry]

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Christmas Eve Early on Christmas eve a taxi takes me to the local mountain - Mount Mulanje, which is about an hour's drive out of Blantyre. As we drive away from the town and the scenery becomes more rural - I see how spaced out and separated the rural dwellings are from each other. Children play and adults sit outside at the front of their thatched houses. Life in the countryside looks isolated. The road to Mulanje is long and straight and as with every other road here, there is a constant stream of people walking on both sides. The driver [View Full Entry]

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I want to experience the Reverend's church service so have arranged for the orphanage driver to take me with him. The service is meant to start at 9.30am but when we arrive at 10am things are just getting going. It is raining outside (again) so we rush into the small church with its rows of plastic chairs and stage at the front. I am ushered to the third row at the front and sit there alone until other staff from the orphanage join me. Seven singers with mics are on stage with three musicians on keyboard, guitar and drums - there's [View Full Entry]

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When I arrive at the orphanage I discover that no children are here and that today is for the staff to complete things before the holiday. Communication has been tricky at times especially in regard to which days the orphanage will be fully open, closed, and half open with the feeding programme (now that the fund has paid for bags of maize). Skills for work Centre I take the opportunity of this quiet day to visit another project within the Orphan Care Malawi NGO work: a Vocational Skills Training Centre just down the road from the orphanage. As I walk down [View Full Entry]

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The project manager had written up a neatly timed programme, but I'm learning that everything here runs to its own drum beat. Just as I thought we were about to start, a bigger music system is suddenly hauled in and the men get busy setting it up and pushing bare wires into wall sockets! Two mics are positioned at the front of the now beautifully decorated hall, the primary+ children are ready in their chairs with the infants on a mat at the front, and now we can start. The project manager who was meant to introduce the day has had [View Full Entry]

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Once we had finished making up the school bags with the Christmas goods. We started decorating the hall. Tinsel, balloons, crape papers twisted together, steamers and even toilet paper was strung about over string tied across the room. The primary+ kids sat on the stage area watching everything being put up. I was keen to get the children involved in the preparations, and as it's a Christian orphanage, had decided to get them to make a large picture of the nativity scene. A few days ago I had cut out some silver stars with some of the infants (although the safety [View Full Entry]

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Lazy Sunday Sunday afternoon was my first feeling of being on holiday as I sat by the bright green hostel pool reading my novel and sunbathing. Yes finally a day of complete sunshine and no rain - what bliss! At the hostel there is a craft stall with beautiful wooden carvings created by a guy called Godfrey. I met him earlier on in the week when I bought a few pieces of his work. He trained for three years to learn his trade and he's very good. As I sat in the sun Godfrey mentioned he'd like to teach me to [View Full Entry]

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