Nkhata Bay

On Friday morning I left Maggie's without breakfast, it was that early.  Well bad idea because there was no bus at the station anyways, but I waited because I wanted a seat.  I waited, and waited, and still no bus.  I killed time taking pictures, giving babies lollypops, and talking with villagers.  I ran into Bob, a Malawian man I had hitchhiked with about two weeks ago when I was stuck in Jenda so we caught up!  Small world I guess!

The bus arrived at 10:00 AM after waiting more than three hours.  Patience is key in Malawi!  Every person in the station seemed to be waiting for the bus I wanted too.  It was crazy, everyone jumped up and ran to the pull in so I joined in.  Remember I wanted a seat!  The bus was already packed because it was coming from Lilongwe so tickets were scarce as were busses because of the nation wide fuel shortages.  We all piled next to the bus door as some passengers were getting off.  I just crossed my fingers I would get a ticket.  There must have been 50 people all pushing and holding up their 500 Kwacha bills trying to get the ticket masters attention.  The pushing was unbearable, I said stop pushing but no one seemed to know what I was saying.  Chichewa please.  

I managed to get a ticket on the bus after fighting all the pushing and just doing it back, but a seat was impossible.  I was in the isle with my backpack and travel bag.  I need to start packing lighter for these trips I guess!  I was also dripping sweat and everyone seemed to be looking at it pour out underneath my hat onto my face.  I knew this would be an adventure for sure.  I stood for about three hours holding on for dear life as the bus turned this way and that and people got off and on.  I put on my thinking cap and turned my bag into a seat and placed it in the isle to sit.  Good idea for awhile until people kept getting off from the back and I had to move here and there to get through.  When we got to our next stop at the bus check point I asked a lady if she would not mind waking up her daughter and putting her on her lap so I could have a seat.  She agreed!  I even paid 500 Kwacha, I was that desperate.  

Well Brenda was with her sister and two daughters.  She works for the Japanese Embassy in Lilongwe and was taking a trip with her family to see her mother and father.  The kids were so cute.  We played the entire ride!  Brenda even gave me her business card as she plans on driving me to the airport when I leave!  The girls can see the airplane and I can get a free ride to the airport.  Not bad.  The younger child got a bit antsy before arriving to Mzuzu so I got lots of scratches on my face and sharp pains every time she pulled my leg hair.  

When I got to Mzuzu I then hopped on a mini bus to Nkhata Bay.  It was a two hour ride from there.  I was so close, I could smell Lake Malawi!  I purchased some bananas and oranges at a market stall we stopped at along the way for the weekend.  We arrived in Nkhata Bay at 5:30 PM.  The sun was just going down and the night life was just picking up.  I was staying at Mayoka Village Lodge just a few minutes from the center of town.  They have a car that picks up guests from town and transports them too the lodge so no walking was involved.  I already knew I was going to like this place.  They must have know I was coming and was very tired!  

I asked some people in the shops where the car to Mayoka was and some men came along and said 'my friend this way' and began grabbing my backs, directing me to the cars location.  I told them I could carry the bags and would follow.  They brought me to a car which had no sign saying Mayoka Village so I was a bit skeptical about getting in, but did anyways.  I had my hand on the door the entire time if something were to go wrong and I needed to bail.  The drivers name was James so we bonded right from the start.  He had not met a James before so I told him all the nicknames I have, Jimmy, Jim, Jimbo, and Jimbosnake!  He was laughing with his other friend in the front seat.

I arrived at Mayoka tired and in need of a drink and food.  I was quickly introduced to Impatso who works at Mayoka.  She welcomed me and carried my bags to my room.  The room was spectacular.  It was so I almost broke my ankle walking up the steep flight of stairs.  The sitting all day definitely got to me.

View from Chalet

Friday night they have a buffet for 1,300 Kwacha so I signed up for that!  They served honey garlic chicken, rump beef kebabs, german potato salad, steamed broccoli, crumbled egg plant fingers, garlic and herbed bread, chili bites, garden salad, and cashew nut and herb rissoles.  I was in heaven, I think I had three helpings!  

Japanese Women Working for JICA (Japanese International Cooperation Agency)

Special and I

I stayed up for awhile with a bunch of Canadians celebrating their Independence Day and then made it off to bed around 3 AM!

Internet is very low in the office.  So I am going to post what I have typed now!

To be continued.

Lilongwe Client Visits on June 27th and 28th

Hello

I apologize for no recent posts.  Internet connection was so awful in the office this past week and the place I was staying on the lake did not seem to be any better.

As mentioned a few posts ago, I was planning on doing the value chain analysis with the Business Innovation Facility last week week but due to fuel shortages it was canceled.

I decided to head to Mabuya last weekend!  It was packed!  The owners, Tom and Janie had said it seemed as if it was already July because that is their busiest month of the year!  

On Monday the 27th and Tuesday the 28th I met at MicroLoan Foundation's Lilongwe Office where I did field visits with out loan officers there!  I wanted to continue my work for Linda Thomson on collection of pictures and interviews of clients for fundraising efforts in the US.

I met at the branch early on Monday morning where I was introduced to Readson, the Office Assistant.  Pictures covered the walls of  the branch office of our client loan groups.  Evita and Glad later arrived.  They are both Loan Officers!  I was later greeted by the Branch Manger, Menace.  He checked the group meeting schedule and sent me out with Glad. 

Glad was already in the field seeing groups so Menace said he would get me there.  We took the motor bike to a mini bus stop where he gave the driver specific directions in Chichewa as to where to drop me.  I got an awful gash on my leg as I was entering the car that bleed the rest of the day.  Every fly in the village was attacking it.  Not fun!  When I arrived at the petrol station Glad was there waiting for me.  We introduced and then headed through Lilongwe till we arrived at our first client group.  The roads were not typical pavement, something I assumed being in the capital, so the ride was very bumpy and thrilling!  Every person did a double take as they saw a muzungu riding on the back of a motor bike! 

We arrived at the first group and a sudden uproar of singing and dancing began.  I hopped off the motor bike, began videoing, and soon realized I was dancing along with all of the clients.  I then sat down with Glad and introduced myself to all of the women as Glad translated.  They greeted me with open arms.  It was a bi-weekly repayment meeting so all their money was laid out on plates for me to see.  They women even insisted when I took their group picture that the money be in the front showing how they all work hard to repay their loan.  After a quick visit we were back on the motor bike and traveling a long distance to the next group. 

Women of Tibwenze Loan Group Singing

The next group of women we saw were so energetic!  They sang a song with a very catchy tune.  I replayed the video all week in the office so the lyrics have begun to stick.  I mean I guess I can say my Chichewa has improved!  The group was also one of the biggest I had seen.  Glad explained that lots of women in their village wanted to get involved but due to the group size restrictions some women had to wait till they had others to form another loan group.  That explains the group of women sitting under a tree not part of the meeting!  They were there to support their friends, see a muzungu, and listen. 

Women of Mkwelera Loan Group Singing

While the meeting progressed a young village boy came over to the group and started making noises.  I asked "how are you," in Chichewa but did not get an answer.  The clients laughed and one lady spoke up.  Glad explained that the boy had problems.  He was born with a disability.  That did not prevent me from shaking his hand and letting him sit next to me.  I did not have much in my bag because my lollypop collection was dispersed on the bus to Lilongwe, but I managed to give him an empty water bottle I had.  He came back 20 minutes later and game me some sugar cane.  An act of kindness that was so unselfish and did not go unnoticed.   

After the repayment, some of the clients walked with Glad and I to the village headman's house where we would conduct interviews.  On the way we stopped at their individual houses and the ladies showed me their crops.  We picked up many village children along the way and when we finally arrived at the headman's house there must have been 30 of them cackling and laughing as they all whispered "muzungu."

Afterwards Glad and I hopped on the motor bike for the long journey home.  We stopped at one of our clients takeaways.  Lucy was on of MicroLoan's bridging loan clients.  The bridging loans are much larger than the standard loans offered and allow women to fun larger business models.  The food was so good, cucumber salad, rice, and chicken stew!

I returned to Mabuya and then woke up early the following day and did group visits with our other loan officer in Lilongwe, Evita.  The first group of women we met with were so welcoming.  Many of the clients were at a funeral and some were sick so we began the repayment meeting anyways.  Two women brought Evita and I tea and potatoes.  It was very refreshing!  Another lady also returned with a huge bag of groundnuts, a loaf of bread, and powdered milk for me.  It was so nice!  After repayment we went to one of the clients houses with the others.  The lady had a coop of some sort in the back of her house so I asked what it was.  Evita told me it was a pigeon coop.  The client opened the door and out came the pigeons into their holding pen.  I got closer to take a picture and out flew all the pigeons into the sky.  I screamed and panicked because I thought they were going to fly away and it would have been all my fault.  Evita explained they all come back and all the ladies were roaring with laughter.

Afterwards one of the clients prepared Evita and I a great lunch in the village headman's house.  Nsima and pumpkin leaves with groundnuts and tomatoes.  I think it was the best I have had since in Malawi.  I even managed to drink the village water.  I am still alive so I don't think it had much of an effect on my system!  Following the meeting we went into the market where we interviewed three of our clients.  Our first interview was with a lady selling nsima and vegetables at an open air eatery.  The next was with a client who ran her own tea room.  I purchased a round of tea for everyone and we all had a bread biscuit to go a long with it before we interviewed the next client.  Lastly, we interviewed a client selling irish potatoes.  We then took the long drive back to the branch.  Most of the journey was on the intercity road so we were going 80kph and big buses, cars, and trucks still managed to pass us.  We then were held up by a police man and were told the President of Malawi, Bingu Wa Muthalika's convoy would be coming through and that we would need to pull over and wait till they passed.  What a sight, I managed to get a picture even though Evita advised against it.  She said it was illegal and I confirmed that in the office on Wednesday when I returned.  There were about 15 cars in the convoy and they all speed by at 150kph!

When we returned to Lilongwe Evita and I stopped at the office and then she drove me back to Mabuya.  I was a mess.  I had no shower in four days due to water and power shortages.  The filling station we passed on the way was packed.  That was a sign that getting back to Kasungu tomorrow morning would be tough.  

I was right!  We stopped for about two hours along the side of the road to wait for black market fuel. 

Best

Jimmy