St. Peter's Primary

St. Peter’s Primary has had links with St. Mary’s Primary for several years now.  St. Peter’s has so many pupils (around 1, 800 pupils) that it operates a 2 shift system – shift a and shift b. Each shift has its own head and depute, however Mr Ghambi is overall head of the school ie. both shifts. Pupils and staff attend school mornings only one week then next week afternoons.  Classes are very crowded and it becomes extremely hot in the afternoons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Staff and pupils have welcomed our visits.  They particularly enjoyed it when Tom allowed them to try on his kilt.  Now every pupil is sitting end of term exams in every subject, even Standard One.  Paul and I have been assisting Mr Ghambi and the head of shifts in setting up email accounts and training them in creating and sending emails. Several training sessions are planned.  There is an ICT club in the school which is commendable however, you will be amazed when I tell you that only 2 school laptops (previously gifted by St. Mary’s) are able to cope with the internet and the club is using to obsolete desktop computers.  Staff members are keen to be trained in ICT as they wish to assist learners in this area.  Despite the lack of resources, there is certainly a strong commitment from staff and pupils to learn and to develop.  It is also good to see the school library which was a development involving all of St. Mary's community is still the hub of the school.

 

 

 

 

On one of our visits student nurses were carry out school medicals; weighing and checking the children's appearance.  They will make referrals to the hospital if required.  I could not help thinking how fortunate we are to have access to our school nurses to assist in a variety of ways.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Observing classes at Lunyangwa Primary for girls

Tom and I spent a morning in classes at Lunyangwa as we were keen to see the learning experiences of the pupils here.  Some things mirrored Scottish schools.  We saw pupils working in groups.  In Standard 7 the girls sat on the floor then sat a circle for their group work. They were obviously used to doing this.  We were impressed by how well the pupils worked together then feedback information to the class.  

 

In another class we observed a science lesson where pupils were looking at model fish and handling real fish.  Once again the girls worked in groups.  This class were sitting on plastic stools but Tom and felt we would be uncomfortable sitting on them for a long time.

 

 

 

In Standard 3 there were around 70 pupils present with the majority of them sitting on the floor.  It looked very crowded and uncomfortable.  Certainly we were beginning to get very hot inside the classroom.  The class was working on English – answering questions from the teacher then completing an exercise from the board in a jotter.  The pupils are expected to bring their own pencil etc. with them to school.  If they forget, it is not automatic they will receive one from the teacher.  Compared with Scotland, staff and pupils are working with very limited resources.

 

 

Standard 1 and 2 classes are very fortunate to have desks which were funded by St. Mark’s Primary.  It is much more comfortable for pupils sitting at the desks and it provides more space in the class to move around. There are around 50 pupils today in these classes.  They were delighted to sing for us.  We also tried singing “Head Shoulders, Knees and Toes” however the African children have a different rhythm from us…….but it was fun!

 

 

Despite the lack of resources teachers had made an effort to have displays about the learning on the class walls.

 

 

Tom and I had eaten breakfast at 7a.m. and by noon we were very hot and thirsty.  An invitation was extended to us to have a typical Malawian meal with the staff at 12.30p.m. Several of the staff had cooked the food in their own homes.  It was delightful – nsima, rice, beans, freshly made tomato sauce, greens, fish and meat cooked with bananas.  Once again we feel the warm heart of the people.

 

 

Katawa Primary and Nursery

Tom who is now back in Scotland will have good memories of visiting Katawa Primary.  We spent a morning filming some of the pupils.  We listened to the girls singing several songs and then Patience from Standard recited several passages from the Bible.  Tom had taken his kilt along and the Scottish Saltire to share with pupils.  Several enjoyed trying on the kilt and doing a twirl. 

We popped in to see the nursery class.  The nursery is now back in the original building because previously there had been problems with the roof. There are 32 children in the nursery.  Martina explained there were 3 workers over the period of the week.  A couple of the children were sleeping on a bed while the others were sitting on the floor.  Some of them were holding the little knitted teddies which had been sent from volunteer knitters abroad.  All the children were looking happy but they were very quiet compared to the children in our nurseries at home.  When I was there I could not help but compare the environment to our colourful nurseries with so many toys and bright things to explore.

 

 

 

I was delighted to receive a parcel for Caledonia Primary which Tom will take personally to the school.

 

 

 

 

Black outs!

We have had several days referred to as “black outs”.  These are power cuts – no electricity.  We normally expect these to happen on a Sunday and have to be prepared. However we have also experienced them at various times during the week without warning.  One morning, luckily I had just made it out the warm shower and all the shampoo was washed out my hair.  Another evening we were fortunate to have just finished cooking our dinner on the electric cooker so we were able to enjoy eating by candlelight.  Nevertheless on Tom’s last evening here we were in the middle of preparing omelette when suddenly the power went off.  You do not know how long the power will be off so we had cheese sandwiches and orange juice instead.

A big “thank you” to our friends for the solar powered radios.  We use them all the time!

 

Charging solar powered light (left) and 2 radios

 

Women’s Development Centre, St. Peter’s Parish

At the Women’s Development Centre we met Virginia(mum) and her triplets, Vincent, Victor and Veronica.  This family is supported by one of the Fathers thus the children attend Katawa nursery.  I do not see nurseries here in schools; this is the first one.  Normally children attend primary from the age of 6 years so the triplets have a couple of years yet at nursery hopefully.  Mum is supported by the ladies at the Women’s development Centre; they give the family some basic essentials at certain times eg. maize. Thanks to a donation from home, nursery uniforms are being now being made for the children.

Rosalee (left) and Modesta (right) from the W.D.C
Mum and triplets (centre)

Once again, we spent a lovely afternoon playing games with the children but eventually had to give up due to the scorching sun.  The children love the Frisbees.  Once again I am amazed at strength of the girls. They were moving heavy logs for the fire.  Life for many females here, I think is very demanding and physical.  I find even just buying the vegetables at the market, my shopping bag gets heavy quickly and I can only carry it a short distance.  Perhaps I should have attended the gym more regularly, prior to coming out here!

Activities at Lunyangwa Primary

We spent a wonderful Friday afternoon at Lunyangwa recently.  The entertainment was planned by the girls and staff so that we would become more aware of their culture.  Normally the girls go home early on a Friday but they stayed to join in the activities.  The sun was extremely hot but luckily we were given a shady spot to sit.  We watched several traditional dances from different classes.  I loved the homemade outfits, particularly the hats.  The girls led their own dances, with one of them being identified as the leader.  Poems were recited about topical issues and then some information was given about the school.  It was evident the girls are very proud of their school. A group performed a drama which demonstrated peer pressure ie. going off with friends when parents request girl stays at home to study

 

 

In school as part of the expressive arts, needlecraft and knitting are compulsory.  There is a clear teaching programme from Standard 3.  The girls showed us some of the bags and dolls they had sewn and knitted.

 

 

Sports were organised; a volleyball match and a netball match.  The supporters were great singers.  I watched in amazement as the girls lifted up the long wooden posts and stuck them down into the ground.  A couple moved large heavy boulders and threw away bricks from the pitch.  I had to smile – risk assessment – not a form in sight!  The volleyball and the netball matches were impressive (despite the heat).  The girls were pleased to receive the gift of a football.  Locally football is now being promoted for girls and there will be a league starting up for the primary schools.  All in all, it was a wonderful joyous afternoon.

 

Nkhata Bay

 

We love Nkhata Bay by the lakeside.  Here you meet many tourists, volunteers and backpackers looking for some rest and sunshine.  For us, we enjoy meeting and bargaining with the stall holders who have become our friends over the years. They greatly appreciate our support and the support from home.  Many of them use the funds to help pay for school fees for younger family members.  Tom was delighted with his raffia sun hats which he will turn into light shades at home.

Vizara Rubber Planation

 

When we went to Nkhata Bay for a few days with Father Phillip, he drove us to see the Vizara Rubber Plantation which was something I had wanted to see but never managed on past visits.  A car is essential.  I was not disappointed.  The planation covers a vast area of the land.  Plots are numbered and it is easy to distinguish the young tree sections from the mature ones.  It was great to stop and walk through the trees.  We loved it because it was very cool under the canopy of the tall trees, despite the temperature being recorded as 39 degrees Celsius.  Dry leaves were crunching underfoot, reminding me of autumn time at home.  We saw close up where the sap is tapped; black lateral markings are on the trunk and there’s a small plastic tub at the lower part of the trunk to collect the sap.  Although this is not the time to collect the sap, Tom scored a tree trunk and we saw the white liquid sap drip out.  The smell of it reminded us of the P.V.A. used at school.  In one plastic tub, the sap had solidified.

  

 

 

 

We drove through part of the plantation to the factory.  Although the factory was not operational, we were fortunate to be given a tour.  At this time of the year all the work has been completed and now the machines are overhauled.  It was interesting to have the process explained to us how the sap collecting eventually end up being a large block of rubber. The rubber is exported to South Africa to be remoulded to make tyres. 150 people work at the factory and there are seasonal workers out in the plantation.  The workers and their families live on the plantation; we saw the thatched houses, shops, chemist and a small building designated for nursery children.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Near the workers’ village there were rice fields.  Some adults and children were collecting the rice.  Many people also work at the wood factory nearby which makes pallets and crates for transporting the rubber blocks.

 

At the end of the day, Tom and I bought a couple of rubber balls from the boys selling at the roadside.  We got a good bargain at 500kw per ball; the balls bounce high.  However, what a smell in the car……reminded me of my inexpensive wellies.

 

Food

We have been enjoying the food here.  For most Malawians, the menu is very much nsima, eggs, chicken, greens (leafy vegetables) also a sauce made from tomatoes and onions.  Sometimes fish, rice and meat are taken depending as one Malawian said “on income capacity”.  Bananas are plentiful therefore they eaten almost daily.  Most people grow vegetables in their gardens so peas, onions, carrots and potatoes can be found.  For many people rice is taken at Christmas to celebrate this special event.

For us, we notice that we have a much greater variety of foods in our daily diet at home in Scotland. We have also noticed that we drink a lot more tea and coffee than the Malawians.  At the priests' house we tended to have porridge and eggs for breakfast with coffee or tea. For lunch, nsima, greens and chicken then for dinner, fish (chambo) or meat, Irish potatoes, peas and carrots. Just now this is new to us but I wonder how we view this daily menu after a year or two. Compared with Scotland, Malawians do not appear to snack like we do.  Meal times are very leisurely with plenty of chat around the table.

 

 

 

When we first moved, we were very fortunate to be staying at the Priests' house so our food was prepared by the cooks.  For our housewarming I was very lucky to have James the cook demonstrating how to cook nsima which is maize flour and water.  You need to be patient, constantly stirring and beating it.  He also prepared a local chicken which would have been roaming around freely hours beforehand.  It is customary to offer chicken to guests as a sign of welcome.  Tobias the assistant cook prepared some meat and chips cooked in the chip pan.  I got shivers down my spine when I saw him lifting hot pans (no handles) with his bare hands.

Now that we are living in our own house we have to plan ahead and think about power cuts. It is not so easy just to pop out to the shops if you forget something. Cooking is very much slower here than at home.  I love the beans in a tomato sauce, but I am told they need to cook for 4 hours if you wish to produce a really nice dish.  Perhaps I'll get round to this in the near future but for now it is just too hot to think about the cooker being on this length of time. 

We have managed to cook a couple of meals on our electric cooker.  Thanks to the new Shoprite (South African Company) we have been able to buy some familiar foods to give a more varied diet.   Tom and I both love cheese.  It is very expensive here but we did make macaroni and cheese and we had toasted cheese with Heinz tomato sauce – delicious!

 

Purchasing Bicycle

 

We went with Rodrick Kavuta to town to purchase a bicycle to be paid from donations from friends.   Rodrick who runs Mary Martha Orphan Care Centre with his wife, Martha, explained it was necessary for them to obtain another cycle because of the number of people with HIV in the area needing to go to Mzuzu to collect medicines.   Since they live in the bush, several kilometres away from Mzuzu city, it is far too expensive to travel by taxi; they just do not have the money.  Walking would also be too arduous, although some people may try.  By obtaining more bicycles at Mary Martha, people would only have a relatively short walk to borrow the bicycle then they would be able to cycle over the rough tracks and tarmac road to Mzuzu Centre.  May I tell you that it is still quite a journey over the undulating landscape in the heat and also during the rains.

 
Rodrick told us the Centre had received a brand new bicycle but it only lasted 3 months.  He was looking for a sturdy second hand bicycle.  Would you believe it when I tell you that it cost more money for a second hand cycle than a brand new one?  I think this is a reminder, that we always need to see the needs of people through their eyes and not ours.

 


 

The cycle shop was very interesting.  It’s within the hardware market which is being rebuilt; small wooden huts like the Christmas Markets we see in Europe.  We wandered through what was basically a building site.  There were workers sawing wood, people carrying planks of wood coming in all directions, men drilling with cables trailing over the ground and we were stepping over various tools and rubble on the ground.  The cycle shop sold many cycle parts and accessories – tyres, chains, brake blocks, horns, cycle helmets ect.  Outside the shop, behind us in the open space there was a large mound covered in a blue tarpaulin.  The shop worker pulled off the blue cover to reveal stacks of old cycles with ripped saddles, rusty wheels, deflated tyres and some with bent spokes.  Nevertheless, Rodrick instructed them to “make a good bicycle with a strong saddle”.  A basket for putting the medicines in was also purchased.  The cycle would be assembled and ready the following day for collection.

At Mary Martha Centre everyone was overjoyed to receive the sturdy cycle which reminded me on the ones you see around the cities in Holland.  It had an excellent saddle! 

Women's Development Centre

We have visited the Women’s Development Centre on a few occasions.  The women here, several widows give their time freely to assist the orphans and need children within the community.  Any donations they receive are used for sewing uniforms, providing food at the Centre or basic provisions and blankets for the home. I was delighted to be able to give them a box of clothes and other materials which were shipped by container - thank you to everyone for their donation, much appreciated.

 

We enjoy our visits to the Centre.  The ladies provide a special meal to celebrate Mother’s Day here.  The meal consisted of meat, nsima, greens and rice.  Tom and I helped distribute the food.  It is always a worrying time for us.  Will there be enough food to go round?  Everyone enjoys the treat.

Just like children in Scotland, we have fun playing games.  We recognise some of the things we left on previous visits eg skittles.  It is great to hear the children laughing.  They were very pleased with the Frisbees and had great entertainment watching Tom and Paul successfully retrieve a frisbee from the roof. The children were delighted to receive the brand new football, balloons an other toys. Several of the girls were trying to assist me in learning Chitimbuka, the local language.  I have a lot to learn.

I am astounded at the work the girls do here; carrying logs, chopping wood, preparing food, carrying heavy buckets, assisting with the handwashing, dish washing ect. The work here is so demanding.

 

Tom bought beautiful material at the Tanzanian market in town.  Mr January, the tailor who trains the widows in sewing measured up and made Tom’s African shirt in a very short time.  Tom was delighted with the result