Makwawa river is full, rain water is gushing down and for the first time I can hear the river from the house. Southern Malawi just had four days of heavy rainfall brought in by a cyclone off the Indian Ocean, across Mozambique, which then ground to a halt overhead (5th-8th March inclusive). And the forecast is for another this weekend (15th-17th March). The lowlands have been devastated by floods. Lake Chilwa to the east of Zomba city, has grown to twice its size. Great for the birds but not so good for the villages on the plains and around its shore, where people eek out a living from fishing its muddy waters and growing rice. Rice fields and maize crops will have been lost. Some houses made of mud bricks have collapsed in our neighbouring villages. Two children lost their lives and their father lost his legs when their bedroom wall fell on them in the night. Many families ended up in the mosque, schools and churches to find respite from the rains and their ruined homes. ‘This is the life’ is a saying I hear from Malawians, who continue about their daily lives, grateful for what they have, which is not much. There are few jobs here in Malawi, very little money and everyone hoping for their share. There are prospects only for the educated and the brave. Survival is the name of the game. ‘Only God knows’ what the future will bring. I have had no electricity for a week. Relying on power from generators, I manage to get my computer and phone charged in a local shop, whose wiring system would amaze you, charging at least 300 devices at once. The mobile phone has become an essential item alongside pots, pans and food, of course. We are lucky though, living up on the mountain side. The rainwater swiftly runs off into streams and rivers. Although the maize is not yet fully ripe, we are eating ‘green maize’ - a whiter version of corn on the cob, not so sweet but very tasty – and boiled pumpkins. Freshly grown rice is available now, if you can afford it but for many there are only cooked pumpkin leaves to eat. Some grow beans, bananas, guava, pineapple and avocados, which are now in season, unless the monkeys get them first. Tomatoes and onions are becoming plentiful again. But most people here rely on maize for their main food ‘nsima’, made from maize flour. It is the end of the ‘hungry months’ coinciding with the busiest time in the fields as rainy season is the growing season. As soon as the maize is ripe there will be plenty to eat. Last year’s crop ran out in November so Makwawa Malawi Charity was called upon to provide food aid. We purchased 37 sacks of maize in December which was distributed to 150 households in Mponda village, just a short downhill walk from Makwawa. So far this has been required in December, January and February. I am waiting for a report from the Chief of Mponda village to see if any will be needed for March. This time there was no surplus to share with other nearby villages, as has happened in the past. This might be because of a growing population in the village and a larger number of old people unable to tend their fields. And yet Malawi is at its most beautiful. Lush and green from the rains, grasses, green trees and flowers, with swollen rivers and streams. Butterflies, insects and birds are in abundance. Children are always out playing and people gather to go to church or to chat, share stories and laugh. The contrasts of life here are forever beguiling. I am bound by a tight budget and therefore have no vehicle. Instead I walk down the mountain road to Songani trading centre and catch a minibus to Zomba for some supplies and a bit of social time. Either a taxi will bring me back to Makwawa or a motorbike will bring me up the road from the bus stop. At first I was nervous of the motorbike ride but now it is such a fun way to travel, often without a helmet! Going into Cape Maclear to visit friends and swim in Lake Malawi’s clear blue waters, through the National Park’s mountains and forest is a major highlight of my stay here in Malawi. Jaine Raine, March 2019 Visit Malawi:
I would be so excited to welcome guests to Makwawa to visit all these projects and do some gardening or teaching English at the local schools. And then there are Wildlife Safaris, snorkeling or scuba diving in Lake Malawi, trekking up Zomba or Mulanji Mountains, visiting tea plantations, waterfalls, permaculture projects and seeing the Rift valley from the top of the mountains near Livingstonia. Car hire or buses, we can arrange a tour to fit your budget. For more information contact me on [email protected]
5 Comments
Jan
3/16/2019 11:12:39 pm
I wish I could come visit, would love to see all the luscious greens and flowers.
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AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
November 2019
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Charity Number: 1096827
Where is Makwawa Village?Domasi is the closest town, Makwawa and Mponda village lie roughly 5km west from Domasi
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Photography by Jya Raine
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