Final Leg

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Well I landed in Ethiopia.  What a beautiful country.  I have not even made it to Malawi yet but know this is going to be such an exciting adventure.

When I arrived at Addis Ababa International Airport, I asked the attendant where I would be getting my flight to Lilongwe, Malawi.  She told me to just hold tight for a bit.  The rest of those on my flight headed to customs and I and a few others were directed up to the holding area for those on the flight to Malawi.  

I asked the lady standing next to me what to do because the airport was not anything like the USA.  She told me she had not been to Addis before either.  We managed to keep talking and soon we were talking about what was bringing us each to Malawi.  She works for the World Bank in Washington, D.C. and will be traveling to Lilongwe to meet with one of her partners in a public works project going on there.  She asked me about my trip and why I was going to Malawi.  We started talking more and I soon learned she was from Italy and studied economic development at Boston College and Boston University.  She told me how amazed she was at what I was doing and wished me so much luck.  She told me Africa is growing so quickly and it is a very exciting time to be on the continent!

We followed one another to the bus that would drop us off on the tarmac for our next flight to Lilongwe!  

While on the flight two American women were sitting in front of me and talking so as I read my book I listed in on their conversation about the health work they were both doing in Malawi.  I heard the one lady mention a group, "Partners in Health" and immediately chimed in.  I said, "Did you just say Partners in Health" and she replied, "Yes."  I said, "Wow, I am going to Malawi to work on a project with MicroLoan Foundation and my good friend Lauren Galinsky works for Partners in Health."  She said, "Oh I know Lauren, she does lots of work for us."  Lauren used to work as the full time volunteer for MicroLoan Foundation USA and worked closely with me and many others helping implement microfinance clubs in high schools across Massachusetts.  Lauren also served as the President of the Boston College Microfinance Initiative while she was a student their.  I hope your reading this Lauren!  Her name was Annemarie Ackerman and from her business card, she is the Project Manager for Partners in Health here in Malawi.  

Also, a family friend from Medway works for Partners in Health and this was something we learned just a few days ago when my parents had mentioned that I was going to Malawi for the summer to him.  He gave me his international phone and also a flip video camera to get some good footage while I am in Malawi.  Thanks again Usef Karguola.  

Two more hours and I will be in Lilongwe looking for Paolo, who I will be working with the next two months.  

Looking forward to all the people I will meet and relationships I will build!

All the best!

Jimmy

One thing I forgot to mention was my flight from Ethiopia to Malawi had a stop which I did not realize and because the flight attendants had very broken english I did not realize we stopped in the Congo.  I got off the plane thinking it was Malawi and soon realized none of the Americans got off so I asked we were in Malawi and they said no!  Good thing I asked!