Operation Send Me Postcards!

I have a huge favor - please humor me - I want to show my students the U.S. (yes, all of it) but pulling up pictures from Google and projecting them on a large screen is not something easily done here. So, if you are feeling bored, generous, spunky or just want to show some sweet Malawian kids a little slice of America, please send me a post card (either from your town or a city you are visiting or whatever) to:

Kathi Ackerman

P.O. Box 99

Chintheche

Malawi

Central Africa

Thanks, I really appreciate it. This should be a fun project and I will definitely let you know how it goes!

Oh, and p.s. – please send the post card in an envelope. I know, it defeats the purpose of a post card, but many people have found post cards from home hung up on the walls of the post office because they find the cards to be fun, beautiful and exotic and they definitely spice up décor in the post office

No Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

I made these with Clarissa one lazy Sunday afternoon. We didn't actually get the cookies into the shape of cookies, we just ate this mixture out of the pan with our fingers.

3 tbs cocoa

1/4 cup of milk

2 tbs oil

1 1/2 cup oats

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla (we substituted cinnamon)

Boil cocoa, sugar, milk, salt and oil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in oats and vanilla (This is where we stopped following directions and instead ate our way through the cookie mixture).Drop spoonfuls on a plate in a cookie shape. Let them cool and harden.

Veggie Bobby

I met him on my way to GAD Camp with Robert. We were in a relatively slow-moving semi truck that continued to break down every 15 minutes. The price was right, so we didn’t hop on other transport. Rob and I sat in the front of the cab with the driver and a handful of brave souls sat in the darkness of the truck. The driver wasn’t hauling anything yet, so it was relatively safe for them to be in the back?

Every time the truck broke down, everyone hopped out of the truck and milled around as the driver fiddled with the engine and belts and bolts. He knew what he was doing, this must happen a lot.

Bobby approached me with a smile. I smiled back, but mostly did not want to chat. It was taking an unreasonably long time to get to Mzuzu. He struck up a conversation, telling me he had a vegetable business that he has been developing for the past ten years. He started off as a vegetable stand owner in the Mzuzu market and expanded to a small shop in the center of town. He now delivers vegetables all along the lakeshore to many of the lodges and touristy spots. He goes as far as Dwangwa.

My ears perked up. Dwangwa, eh? That is just south of Dwambazi. Now it was my turn to talk. I told Bobby about the lack of vegetables in Dwambazi. I told him how we can only get tomatoes, onions and greens in my trading center. He shared in my horror at the lack of nutritious veggies and promised to let me know the next time he was traveling to Dwangwa. He would bring me a bag of fresh vegetables and meet me at the road. Brilliant! My diet just improved immensely and vegetables delivered to my doorstep?! I usually have to go to Mzuzu (about 3 hours away) to get the produce I want.

We exchanged numbers. I saved him in my phone as Veggie Bobby. I laughed at my habit of instantly giving everybody a nickname upon meeting them. I showed Veggie Bobby later. He said it suits him. I think so, too.

Camp Glow

Camp GLOW (Girls Leading Our World) is a program that was developed by Peace Corps years ago and is used in many countries around the world to empower young women. Malawi started Camp GLOW in 2003 and it has been held annually by the Health Sector of Peace Corps. I was one of the lucky few from this year’s Health Sector able to attend. It was a privilege and honor being among Malawi’s brightest students. These young women inspired me and it was truly the best two days of my service so far.

I was there Friday night, which was the evening of the Talent Show. The girls went on stage – where they were the stars – and showed off their dances, dramatic skits, singing abilities – it was so moving. Their smiles never faded. Their energy was contagious and could have lasted all night long. It was beautiful.

The next day Her Excellency, the First Lady of Malawi, Callista Mutharika came to speak to the girls. 

Callista has proposed several campaigns supporting women and child health. She told the girls about her successes and gave advice to continue their education and to be the best people they can be. The girls sang songs to welcome the First Lady and got their photo taken with her.

That night we had a bonfire and held a candle-lighting ceremony where each girl could take turns saying what she learned from Camp Glow. It was very moving. The girls were insightful and grateful and I knew they were inspired to go back home and make a difference in their community, but also sad to be saying good-bye

It was a truly awesome experience.

However, it wasn’t all roses and butterflies. At a few points, reality struck.

One girl stepped forward and shared that she was HIV-positive. She was born with it and her parents were 

both gone. She lived with her extended family, who treats her poorly. They continually tell her that she is not one of them and she should be grateful that they took her in when no one else would. She knows her life will be cut short, but she still smiles and she still strives to be a strong woman. It’s heartbreaking to see a young girl with so much potential, yet her life is cut short by a stigmatized disease she was born into. She is making the most of the life she has been given and I wish her the best. I know the week she spent at Camp Glow was one of the best she has ever had.

Another girl admitted to a counselor that she had not menstruated in a month. She had some concerns and so we got her a pregnancy test. The test was positive – she was pregnant. She fell the ground in tears and said her family will not support this, they will be so disappointed. She admitted that she had been dating a boy for several years, but they had never slept together. He had been helping her with her school fees. When she completed her final year of secondary school, he felt that he was owed something in return for paying her school fees. He gave her some Sobo (a syrupy-sweet beverage in Malawi) that she said tasted a little funny and soon after, she felt sleepy. He proceeded to pressure her to sleep with him, but she didn’t have the energy to stop him. Her whole future was ahead of her. It tore me up to think this girl lost so much in just one moment of another person’s selfishness. I can only hope she will find the support from her family and raise this child to be a strong individual just like she is and maybe she can continue her schooling after the birth.

Reality hits hard sometimes. But I am happy to be a part of an organization that promotes women’s empowerment the way that it does. These girls would not have similar opportunities otherwise. I hope that this program continues to grow and we can inspire more girls to continue to strive to be the best that they can be.

Basic Cake

I made this! Over a fire, no less!

1 cup flour
1/2 cup margarine
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar

Combine dry ingredients in a bowl. In another bowl, cream margarine and sugar. Beat in eggs. Stire in flour mixture. Pour into a greased pan and bake at 175 degrees for 30 minutes (or, in my case, heat over hot coals with a thin metal sheet over top of pan, checking occasionally at the progress and adding or eliminating heat when necessary).

Transport

So how do I get around?! Things have changed. I don’t have my [somewhat] reliable Saab waiting in the driveway. I can’t just go places on a whim anymore. I always have to calculate time for transport and usually I calculate for worst-case scenario.

My patience is incredible. It grows steadily with each hour that I wait, standing on the side of the road for a ride. And with this fuel crisis, I am only growing more patient. With the exception of riding my bike, transport usually consists of me walking to the road (hopefully it’s a busy one) and waving my arm up and down to let someone know that I’m looking for a ride.

So, this is how I get around.

My sweet Peace Corps-issued Gary Fisher

This is actually my second bike. If you remember, my first bike lost a pedal 15 kilometers from my house mid-pedal to Clarissa’s site. This Gary Fisher is much more reliable. It’s got two pedals! I really only ride to visit my site mates or outreach clinics. I have big plans to ride to Dwangwa (the nearest town with a real grocery store) but it might be a long ride. I could do it. I will do it before my service is over. Plan.

Mini Bus

Probably my least favorite option and usually overlooked unless I am completely desperate. Mini buses should seat 18, but there are typically more crammed in. When it comes to transport in Malawi, there is always room for one more. It’s the size of a large mini van with bench seats. The mini bus stops often. Sometimes it also only goes half-way to your destination and makes you get off and get on a different mini-bus. They never tell you when they are doing this. Sometimes when they stop at a trading center, they will sit and wait for 20-30 minutes. I don’t know what they are waiting for – more patrons? Maybe. Or maybe they just want to irritate me. It is not uncommon to have someone’s elbow in your side, a baby on your lap and a rooster giving you the evil eye. Uncomfortable, hot and smelly. No fixed prices, but you can bargain down. Honestly though, no fun.

Coaster

A slightly better option than the mini-bus. But only slightly. It’s the size of a “short-bus” from the school days. The seats are somewhat roomier and you can cram more people in. It’s mostly just slightly easier to get in and out of a Coaster. Coasters are not as common as mini-buses.

Bus

A bus – a real bus – is a nice option. Sometimes. It’s usually reasonably cheap since the prices are fixed.. However, they stop often. And when they stop at roadblocks in the road, usually the passengers have to get off the bus. There are some early options that leave my village (at 4am) so you can get to your destination relatively quickly. If you get a seat, lucky you. There is standing room, but they tend to cram a lot of standers if possible. Dogs are not allowed on a big bus, though. However, roosters, goats, and chickens are allowed. I asked a conductor why this is and he said it was because you can’t eat dog. I told him I ate dog, but he dismissed me.

Matola

Not a bad option – you ride in the bed of a truck and there is no fixed rate. A man sits in the bed of the truck collecting money. Sometimes they haggle you because they know you are a forgeiner and think you have money. Sometimes matolas can get loaded (this is actually preferable for the matola driver because he wants money) – I’ve had to stand in the bed of a truck before. Just the other day there were 25 people in the back of my matola with me. They can pack on luggage and people like you wouldn’t believe. It’s preferred over a mini bus because even if you have someone’s elbow in your side and a baby on your lap, you have the breeze. Excellent during the hot season.

Bike Taxi

Sometimes frightening, but sometimes necessary – you ride on the back of someone’s bike. There’s a padded cushion, which is classy. Usually relatively cheap and sometimes a beautiful way to go when you are on your way to the bank through the Dwangwa sugar plantation. But, you are riding behind someone on a bike. The roads can be bumpy, sometimes the pedaler will make you get off to walk the bike up a hill, and sometimes sitting behind someone in the heat of the day can result in a smelly and sweaty interaction. Slightly unpleasant, but not always horrible.

Hitch

The all-time, preferred way to go. It’s free, sometimes there is air conditioning, you meet really interesting people (sometimes you network a little) and you get there fast. Hitching is not a negative thing in Malawi. It’s pretty safe (probably safer than a matola – I’ve had plenty of friends almost fall out of those things) and usually the driver speaks English so the conversation is pretty good.

That’s how I get places. I’m actually going to miss being able to flag somebody down when I need a ride someplace. But I won’t miss the waiting part.