A chitenge is a piece of colorful cloth that is used for everything. It's about 2 meters long and 1 meter wide (I don't know the dimensions for sure, but this seems about right) and it typically has some repeating design on the material, something very colorful (The chitenges in the North have really great designs, I think).
Uses of a chitenge (this is a not an exhausted list - I was just giving examples of the most common uses. Really, when all else fails, use your chitenge. I never leave my house without one!) :
-Bopping babies or pets (this is where someone ties a baby [or pet, if you are a Peace Corps volunteer] to their back - typically a mother, sometimes an older sibling - and by older, it could be only by a few years. Babies bop babies here)
-Apron (Typically you wear a chitenge around your waist while you are working in your house or yard. It protects your clothes)
-Towel (I did not bring a towel to country, I used my chitenge to dry off)
-Pot holder (I can't lift hot pots off burning coals, like Malawian women can)
-Clothing (you can get your chitenge tailored into just about anything)
-Bag (you can tie a chitenge around anything that you need to carry and then go ahead and hoist it on your head...or, if you're a weirdo, carry it by hand, I guess)
-Parachute (this one has not yet been proven, but it's quite possible)
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