Reflections of an Adventure in Malawi
By Jillian Nichols
Jillian Nichols was one of three U of M students who spent six weeks in Malawi in 2010 as part of the CPAR Africa Village Tour and also a Communications Training Program.
The last thing that I expected to be harder than going to Africa was coming home. Here I am, back in Winnipeg, Manitoba, trying to figure out what to make of it all. I could tell you that my experience in Malawi was life-changing, but I believe that experiences are only truly life-changing in retrospect- months, if not years, down the road. It's the decisions that you make, bearing in mind the people you met and places you visited, that ultimately change the outcomes in your life and qualify an experience as life-changing.
I went to Malawi expecting to come home with an appreciation for my Westernized, overly-convenient lifestyle. While my arrival at home was marked by joyous reunions with my hair straightener and a reliable power supply, the lessons learned go much deeper.
Selecting the most memorable moments of our experience is a daunting task. Each day was filled with adventure, wonder, challenge and opportunity. When I reflect back on the experience in its entirety, there are certain small moments that stand out: having lunch in a village chief's hut on our first day in the field; dancing our hearts out at an all-locals club; enjoying family BBQs on lazy Saturday afternoons; showering newlyweds with kwatcha to the beat of popular Zambian music at a wedding; watching the cows cross the beach each morning at the Flame Tree Lodge; playing volleyball with locals at Kande Beach; an afternoon cooking lesson on how to prepare traditional dishes. There are so many wonderful memories to choose from, and I owe many of them to the CPAR-Malawi staff who welcomed us into the warm heart of Africa.
Through our day to day work, we were able to experience the devastating impact of HIV&AIDS on local communities. We first visited Partners for Hope, and AIDS clinic in Lilongwe. If I hadn't known any better, I would have thought I was in a fairly modern hospital. It was shocking to see a facility of that size devoted entirely to the management of the disease, and to understand that every person in there was somehow affected by HIV&AIDS. During our placement, many scheduled community visits were cancelled due to funerals.
One day in Chintheche we went to visit a school garden, only to find the school completely deserted. All of the children were attending the funeral of their teacher, a thirty-year-old widow who had left three children of her own orphaned. While this was a difficult reality to confront, we were able to see the positive effects that CPAR's programs have had on communities in terms of HIV&AIDS management and support. We visited many community-based childcare centers that care for orphaned and vulnerable children, as well as community home-based care groups, which provide local support to community members suffering from or burdened by the effects of the disease.
One of the things that struck me most about Malawi was the great contrast between sickness and health. HIV&AIDS has ravished the country, and greater access to healthcare is a huge concern. However, through small holes in the heavy blanket that HIV&AIDS has laid over the country are streams of radiant light. When we went back to the same school where the teacher passed away from AIDS, we learned about a garden project that has nourished children and increased enrolment. Another inspirational visit was to Takwonda Freedom Garden, where in almost 30 years, 10 square meters of "useless" land has been transformed into a 10 hectare, entirely organic and self-sustaining farm with aquaculture.
Malawi taught me a lot about life. The whole experience felt very...organic. When it comes to development (and life), it's the simple stuff that counts. In a place where everyone grows a garden, I began to appreciate where my food was coming from and how it was prepared. I marvelled at the earth's capacity to produce nourishment. I learned how to relax in the evening in the company of friends, without a computer or a cell phone.
Malawi breathed new life into me. It has given me a deeper understanding of the things in which I am abundant as well as those that I lack. While I can't say that my time in Malawi was life-changing, it did give me roots. I hope that in the future, with a little thought and effort, the seeds that were planted in my mind grow to expand and nourish my life. Someday, I hope that I can give something back to the place that taught me more than I ever thought I would learn about a little place called earth. To CPAR and Malawi- thank you for an unforgettable journey.