Long weekend in Lilongwe

Recently we travelled to the capital, Lilongwe which is south of Mzuzu in the Axa bus – fast coach.  When we left Mzuzu it was raining and a little cooler than usual.  Looking out of the coach window, some of the landscape here is similar to Scotland; it is very green with fir trees line certain sections of the road.  Certainly on this morning the mist was down.

As we headed further south the mist cleared and the hot sun returned.  I love the journey to Lilongwe even though it takes around 6 hours.  There is always something interesting to see;  sellers on their way to market, children playing, bullocks pulling the cart, sunflowers and various crops growing.

Although we enjoy the hot sun, sadly the maize crops nearing Lilongwe have wilted and dried up due to the lack of rain in the area.  Between this, and the floods at the very southern part of Malawi, people are very worried about food.  The harvest will be poor and there will not be enough maize to feed everyone.  Already maize prices are rising and some maize is coming from Tanzania.  Many people will not be able to afford the maize which is their staple food.  However, it seems the Government has started looking at how the country will cope so hopefully it will be able to put in place some support.  I think it is really difficult for some of us to understand and imagine how people rely solely on one crop for their diet.

Finally we arrived at Lilongwe, later than anticipated but we spent a few hot days there around the shops and stalls.  Would you believe me, if I tell you that we went to Ad Lib…..same chain as the one in Glasgow?  The Malawian manger here lived for 17 years in Paisley.  We had several pleasant evenings here.

 We had an appointment at the British Council to speak with Wilfred who is responsible for promoting school partnerships.  We wish to assist schools with their partnerships, especially with improving communication which requires ICT to be developed.