Working and Living in Lilongwe

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I will be living in Lilongwe for almost 3 months working for a research organization, Innovations for Poverty Action, on a project in partnership with the World Bank, University of Michigan and Opportunity International on micro-credit and savings.

Housing in Lilongwe
Arriving to the Lilongwe airport after 2 days of travel was a relief as everyone greeted you with a smile and welcomed you to Malawi. My first cab drive revealed that Lilongwe is not much of a city, but instead more like a sprawling suburb; trying to find housing for the summer confirmed this revelation. The lodges that exist are expensive (I calculated that renting a gross room at an Asian hotel would be more expensive in terms of square feet than NYC), and local transport is limited as all buses lead to Old Town and do not run after dark (which in the Malawian winter occurs around 5pm).

Looking to rent a house is surprisingly difficult since nothing is online. There are bulletin boards located at main junctions around town (such as outside markets), which advertises houses for let and everything ranging from cars to sewing machines for sale. Even more, public transportation is not excellent and renting a car each month is extremely expensive ($50 per day), so my choices are limited. After days of looking at full lodges and every house for rent in Malawi, we settle with Annie's Lodge in Area 47- a 30 minute walk from the IPA house (we wanted to minimize our morning commute to Area 47, Sector 2). It had reliable hot water, TVs in the room and newly installed high-speed internet (excellent by Malawian standards). The only downside of the place is the carpet in the rooms.

Technology in Lilongwe
Setting up my cell phone, on the other hand, was simple. Though I had brought a cell phone, you can buy phones for about MWK2,000 (about $12). There are two mobile carriers here and I chose Zain because of its mobile money product offering. You cannot go far without seeing signs to “Top Off” your Zain minutes (it is best to use the same carrier as your friends b/c calls between carriers are cheaper - a local call can cost up to $0.30 per minute). This greatly inhibits cell phone adoption in the villages where I learned that only a couple of people typically have phones and people follow an informal version of the village phone model (though it is typically for emergencies and people can use at cost). In addition, internet access is shockingly expensive. It can cost up to $800 per month for dial-up speed internet for a house in Lilongwe (but, most buy the $200 per month plan which has ultra-slow connection from 9am-5pm and moderately slow connection the rest of the time).

Expats in Lilongwe
The ex-pat community in Lilongwe is remarkably vibrant. From volleyball on Wednesdays, ultimate frisbee on Thursdays and Sundays, running clubs and google group-coordinated social outings (you can join the Lilongwe Chat Google Group), it seems everywhere you turn, there's a sign for an international organization office. Most ex-pats live in Area 3 or Area 9 as those areas are next to Old Town (and all the minibuses leave from Shop Rite in Old Town).

Disturbing Practices in Lilongwe
One of the most disturbing experiences in Lilongwe occurred at an ex-pat-owned restaurant. The food was good, the waiters were nice and the ambiance was homey. However, at the end of the meal, the waiter quietly told us not to put the tip with the rest of the bill because the foreign owner steals all the waiters’ tips. Though it was confirmed this particular owner was notorious for his horrendous treatment of his employees, this was not an uncommon practice in Lilongwe - employers essentially stealing money from their employees because they can.

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