Our New Community

Our town is medium-small border community right next to Malawi. We can walk across town in 20 minutes, unless we get lost, which happens frequenly as most of the footpaths wind crookedly around the abnormally shaped living compounds. There is a small stream through town with several precarious tree trunk foot bridges. We are surrounded by several large granite monuments (think mini-Half Domes!) that jut up in an otherwise rolling-hill countryside. There are lots of small farm plots in the outlying areas, which grow mostly corn, with some beans, manioca and lots of fruit trees, especially mangos. Our town has one medium-sized market and another selling area under a large acacia tree along the highway. We can get most of what we need for daily eating here: beans, rice, potatoes, tomatoes, cabbage, onions, garlic, bananas, greens, oil, eggs, salt, margerine, pasta, flour, tea, lettuce somtimes and more occasional items. We have delicious fresh bread every day, which is especially good when Janet transforms it into garlic toast in our small electric toaster oven. We live less than three minutes from our school, which is made up of two buildings with three classrooms each, plus a computer lab, courtesy of previous volunteers and the US government. Our school director took us around town to introduce us to the local officials, such as the administrator, police chief, immigration, head of the politial party, Frelimo, and the director of the health clinic. The school is on summer vacation right now and the school year will resume January 15.

Even though it is the rainy season, the weather has been dry and hot this first week. While the countryside is still very green, people are getting worried about their mashambas (farm fields). The predominant ethnic group here is the Chewa, as in many parts of Malawi. Within the Chewa culture there exists a secret society, like a brotherhood, called the Nyau. Men are introduced into the group in their youth and they serve as spirit forces in the community, donning elaborate masks and costumes like animals. When you see a Nyau, you are expected to run away in fear and hide, as they are scary animals, usually brandishing machetes. They have been out and about lately to scare away the crazy people who are making the rains stay away. Last night on our evening run/walk in the fields we had to hide from two marauding Nyau, out to help the rains come. And today... we have rain! Way to go Nyau. Our neighbors are very happy because they will have a good corn crop this season, if we continue to get rain. We are happy because the rain has cooled things off. On the negative side, the power is usually out when it rains, meaning cooking is more of a challenge. Last night we were about to light our coal barbeque to cook our dinner, when we heard cheers in the distance and music, a sure sign that electricity has been restored. We had a much easier time making our spaghetti using our electric stove than stoking the flames of our little barbeque!