Day 5 - let there be light!

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Back in wifi territory. Apologies for the absence. I'm going to share two more blogs - one from Thursday and one from Friday. This one is Thursday's. It's very early in Blantyre on Sunday morning now (we spent yesterday relaxing, doing a quick safari - yep, that was unexpected!) and then travelling back via a quick stop at the markets). I'll hopefully finish this blog here and the final one at Johannesburg airport. After that, hello Sydney!

So, here's what happened on Thursday.

After an early start in the morning, we travelled to Majete 1. Thats different to Majete 5, which was the village that hadn't had thp involvement, and was where I met Charles and his mother. Majete is a large area with a game reserve seemingly in the middle of it. The villages surrounding the reserve are referred to by thp as majetes 1 through 5. Majete 1 is the first village thp went into - they've been working with them for about 6 years and they're about 18 months away from self reliance.

Majete is hot. The average temps we experienced were in the 40s - and that's what it's like day in day out. Seriously - we bought an airconditioner after I had a melt down in a summer where we had a few days of 40 degree temps - so you can imagine how unused to this kind of weather we all were! I've drunk more water in the last week than it feels like I've drunk in the last two months! Yet, for these people, they walk to get water each day or a few times a day. Women, children and i did occasionally see a man carrying buckets full of water on their heads To their homes. Majete 1 has a number of pumps around the villages where people gather to get water - but they're pretty isolated. And really old school - big handles that you pump to get water to run. But, having access to these puts them way ahead of Majete 5!

Despite the heat, the kids run and play just like any other kids And a lot of them run along after the bus - laughing, waving and often barefoot. The people who live here have the toughest feet - even the kids. The dirt is hard and it's hot. Imagine walking on concrete that's been under the midday sun in the middle of summer at home without shoes.....and doing that every day.

We stopped at two houses and a business on the way to the epicentre. This time, two men spoke to us at the houses, one who was talking about how a Microfinance loan had helped him buy goats and start breeding and selling them and another man who thp had enabled to learn to read and do maths, and had helped learn a trade. He was a carpenter and was making frames for windows and general carpentry for houses. both were so grateful for the opportunities they'd been provided - which had enabled them to change their lives.

The man with the goats was also proud to tell us that he'd been able to help some neighbours out when they went through difficulties, giving them some goats to get started. Now, don't misinterpret the sense of pride here - he wasn't telling us to highlight his generosity, rather, he wanted us to know that he was so pleased to be in a position to be able to give back to his community. It's more than a little humbling to see someone who has a small hut for a house, no running water or electricity give away some of what he has earned to someone in greater need. He'd put that before doing improvements on his house or getting a tin roof (Although that was his next goal).

After those visits, we spent time with some local business owners at their shop. This was really interesting - a number of years prior, a group of six young people had got together to get a loan. They started small - needing to see if they could trust each other and make a business work. Once they'd established that they could, not much was going to be able to stop them!

The business they started was like a corner store. Groceries, some shoes and lots of other general items. This store had a motorbike out front - and one of the business owners who was there on the day told us that each of the six had bikes. You see, as their business had become more successful, they wanted to expand their reach and bikes helped them pick up items and deliver As well.

They started with one of the team buying a bike and they kept going until all six had bikes. Next on the list is a car for each partner - which will help them more with sourcing and transporting their goods. While we were talking with this group of entrepreneurs (what else could you call them!) the hunger project director asked them if they would consider mentoring other youth groups from other villages or areas who wanted to do the same thing. There was no hesitation - no 'I don't have time or I'm too busy' - which given they work seven days a week, you could kind of understand! No, the response was quick - that they would be honoured and that this would be good for their community - to see thsir success being shared with others And inspiring others to help themselves. the sense of community in Malawi is so remarkable! While these people want to better themselves, they want to do it in a way that it lifts up everyone else too. Pretty amazing!

We then headed on to the epicentre. And they were having a party to welcome us! And it was big! Men greeted us dressed in costumes with elaborate masks made of feathers and various other materials. One was even dancing on stilts! Think American Indian headdress but in a mask - the costumes were amazing (and a little scary too!) 45 degree heat - and they danced around for almost the entire time we were there. In masks. I think I would have lasted 5 minutes before I passed out from heatstroke!

They walked us up the centre building where we toured the centre - health facilities, food bank and sewing class (mixed too!) again, there were challenges raised in terms of health and access to transportation to a hospital. The nearest hospital was a good distance away and the medical staff were certainly concerned when serious cases came in. We did go into the maternity ward - and met a woman who had given birth the day before. Thankfully there were no complications. And the name shed called her daughter? Jane!

So many people had turned out to see us - and so many kids! Once we'd finished the tours, we watched the dancing and then, we were invited into a town hall meeting. You'll be relieved to know that there were no proposals (Well, even if you're not I certainly am!)

The village representative gave us an overview of Majete 1s achievements to date and talked about what they wanted to do next. both the rep and the chief spoke about their next goal being to get electricity to their epicentre (the big hall we were in had no lights). What they didn't know was that an investor had approved funding for just that purpose the day before. And, rather than the company director of thp make that announcement, he asked one of my fellow trippers to do it. You can't imagine the response! it was a privilege to be there for that. The chief was beside himself as were the other local dignitaries that attended. The meeting wrapped up soon after that.

I've spoken a bit about the kids here and how friendly they are. I'm not sure these kids had seen a lot of lighter skinned people or had the opportunity to interact with them. A number of kids were sitting in the front on the floor at the meeting, and we walked out of the hall at the same time as many of them were leaving. This cheeky little girl with a gorgeous smile, obviously dared you her friends, came up to me at one point and rubbed my very pale arm, giggled and then ran away, followed by more giggling children who were in on the joke. They followed us outside, where two oversized, open air jeeps waited for us To take us to our accommodation for the next few nights. This included a three hour drive through the game reserve to reach our destination....we were going on safari!

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