Good Thoughts

I’ve been in town the past few days going to meetings and sending out fundraising emails to Malawian businesses to try and raise money for Camp Sky, our large “summer” camp in December. I needed some motivation and looked again at the evaluations from my science mini-camp to keep me going.

Here are some of my favorite comments from the evaluations, in case you too, need to brighten up your day:

“I thank Madam Kelly and Mike and all invited teachers for the recommendable job you done. It is unusual thing in our country and this has assist me to know where I am going and God may bless you all.”

“I can see that my brain is now working as electricity…SO FAST…and as well am not seeing any reason I can fail to speak english because now I am intelligent in speaking english because of you teachers.”

“I really appreciate for the good you did to us. This is not what I was expecting to happen. I really cherish you and this is not for granted and you need to continue this to assist others.”

“I have noticed that the Peace Corps are doing a big job in our country. So there is a need to thank you all our teacher. You taught us like your children, kindly which is lacking among only the malawians. You were our source of comfort.”

“I have learned many things during this camp which I have never learned before and because of this now I have a key to go to university and I will still work hard on my MSCE Exams in order to become a successful woman.”

I arrived in Malawi exactly one year ago, today.

Love and Good Thoughts,
Kelly

Kitchen Project

The Gwangwa CDSS Kitchen Project is in full swing! I’ve been meeting with a group of PTA members, teachers and chiefs from my area in order to design and plan to build a kitchen at my school. We started a boarding program last term, which has been quite successful. Next year, I’d like to see it expand to a lunch only option, so students if they are able, can pay to have a meal cooked for them at mid-day. Right now we are using a small, roofless, open building as a kitchen. It’s not really very hygienic, could certainly be more efficient with more space and definitely won’t hold up in the rainy season.

I submitted a proposal to Peace Corps Washington to get a space on their website in order to raise donations and money from back home to build the kitchen. The site has been posted today, so you can click below for more information and to donate to the project.

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.donors.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=614-214

The kitchen is going to be an 11 x 6 meter building, divided into three spaces for food/materials storage, food preparation and cooking. The cooking and food preparation area will have a roof, but will have half-open walls that are enclosed by a screen to prevent flies from entering but will allow smoke from the fires to exit. The cooking area will have three large places for very large pots for cooking and space below for firewood. I hope I’m describing it well, but soon enough (hopefully!) the plans will turn into an actual kitchen and I’ll be able to share photos of it online.
Once the money is raised through the Peace Corps website, it will go to my account and I along with the committee will be in charge of purchasing materials and ensuring that the building is constructed in a timely manner according to the budget. Hopefully we can raise the money and build the kitchen before the beginning of next school year.

If you or any group, school, church, organization you know of are interested in helping me raise funds. I’d be happy to share more information about the project, my school and Peace Corps Malawi.

Thanks for Your Continued Support!

I'm coming close to my one year mark in Malawi and as I'm looking back on my work, I have to stop and thank everyone who has been so supportive to me throughout the year.

Thank you to everyone who keeps both my mailbox and inbox full of emails, facebook messges, letters and packages from home.

Thank you to those who have donated to my projects like the Camp Sky Summer School fund on the Friends of Malawi Website. This includes a long list of friends, relatives and even the Northern Illinois Poker Tournament who raised $300 at their last event, thanks Dad and Friends!

Last nut not least, thanks to all those who periodically check in on me and read my blog!

Zikomo Kwambiri!
Kelly

Wedding at the Boma

Well I don’t personally know either Doreen or Lawrence, but I was sure happy to attend their wedding a few Saturdays ago at Ntchisi Boma. Mr Zimba, one of the teachers at my school is an uncle to Lawrence and as such was the chairperson of their wedding committee. Lots of important things are planned by committees in Malawi and weddings are no exception. As the chairperson, Mr. Zimba was in charge of all of the organizing of the ceremony and reception. He handles the program, the invitations, everything or at least delegated to others on the committee. He invited me to attend so that I could view a Malawian wedding, especially one at a boma (city, main trading center) because they are quite different from those in the village. This was also a good chance for me to meet Mr. Zimba’s entire family. He lives in Ntchisi Boma near the secondary school he used to teach at, so I had yet to visit his home.

I set off on Saturday morning to wait for a bus or hitch to the boma. I arrived still early in the morning and was welcomed by Mr. Zimba’s wife, four (out of five) daughters and 10 month-old son. Mr. Zimba was of course busy somewhere preparing for the day. I chatted with the girls and waited until Mr. Zimba arrived and asked me to follow him to the parade of cars going to the church. I got to ride in the front seat of one of the pick-ups carrying guests, behind those carrying the bride, groom and wedding party.

We waited for a while for the ceremony to begin as another wedding was taking place beforehand. The ceremony was performed in a CCAP, Central Church of Africa Presbyterian, church and though I’d never been to this particular building, I’ve attended CCAP services many times before.

The ceremony was much the same as any American wedding ceremony I’d been to before. The only markable difference was in the way the bridal party walked, or should I say danced, down the aisle. There’s no solemn step-together-step to the wedding march, but instead a lively dance to the sounds of an upbeat keyboard. I took some videos with my camera and one day when I’m home I’ll have to post them here so you can really see what I mean. It was really cool, a tradition I think we should take up in American wedding ceremonies. The whole groups, bridal party, pastor, witnesses was dancing. It was certainly more fun than any wedding march I’ve witnessed thus far.

After the ceremony, the bride and groom were taken away in the back of their pickup truck and paraded with the rest of their entourage to have lunch in someone’s home. I had lunch with Mr. Zimba and the organizing committee, chicken, beef, cabbage and rice aplenty!

After lunch we all headed to an outdoor football pitch (soccer field) where the stage, DJ and tent were awaiting us. I sat with Mr. Zimba and his wife throughout the reception. It was much the same as any American reception, with lots of dancing by all. The difference being that in Malawi, you don’t give wedding gifts in the form of kitchen appliances or checks, instead you quite literally throw money at the bride and groom while dancing. The MC called different groups of people through the entire reception to “Perekani Perekani” “Please Give Please Give”. This is something that happens at a lot of events in Malawi. At first I was uncomfortable with the idea of people throwing their money to the ground and showing off how much or little they have to give, but after attending many of these events, I’ve grown accustomed to it. There really isn’t any harm and it’s actually a bit fun to Perekani Perekani, so of course I did my share during the reception.

Unfortunately I had to leave before what quite possibly would have been the best part, the cutting of the wedding cake. As you can see by the pictures it was beautiful and likely very delicious. It however had been a long day and I aimed to be home before dark as it’s unsafe for me to walk to my home from the main road after sunset.

I had a really great day celebrating with Doreen and Lawrence and all of their friends and family! I’m grateful for Mr. Zimba for letting me take part in all of the events and happy to have met his entire family. I’ve posted some pictures from the wedding on my “My Pictures” link for you to enjoy!