Christmas in the Village

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Gwangwa CDSS!

This year I decided to spend my holiday in my village with my sitemates and neighbors. Of course Malawians celebrate Christmas, but it's not nearly as extravagant or exciting as it is in America. Regardless, I had a really nice time and enjoyed good food and good company throughout the day.

On Christmas morning, I listened to Christmas music on my ipod while the neighborhood kids played in my backyard. I also made pancakes and coffee for breakfast and enjoyed the sunshine out on my back porch. Later in the morning, I delivered some childrens books, which had been donated to Malawi, to the other teachers in the area. I felt a little silly and like a Santa Claus impersonator going from house to house with my bag of books, but I know that the kids and their parents certainly appreciated it.

In the afternoon, my sitemates Chris and Erin Murphy came over for a delicious Christmas meal. We cooked bean burgers, mashed potatoes and indulged ourselves with peanut m and ms and delicious brownies which Erin had made. It was so nice to have company and to have great friends to share the day with.

That evening, after the Murphys had left, I went over to my headteacher's home to drink fantas (soft-drinks) and continue enjoying the holiday. I found Mrs. Kangulu and two of the children at home and attempted to teach Prisca, my baby sister, the concept of "Cheers". It was a wonderful way to end a great day.

Today I am in Mzuzu, the largest city in Northern Malawi, preparing for a New Year's trip to Zanzibar, an island off the coast of Tanzania. I'm so excited for a vacation and will definitely keep you updated with pictures from my adventure!

I hope that you had a wonderful holiday!

Love and Good Thoughts,

Kelly Susan (Mrs. Kangulu), Prisca and me.

Prica posing for a snap!
Mike, the Kangulu's second son, and Prisca playing.
Mike and Prisca, this time with a Fanta.
Yum!

Cheers!

These are the Chaseas, my wonderful neighbors. They have three young daughters and a niece who stays with them. Occasionally my cat, Mbirizi, is a part of their family too when I'm out of town. Very glad they moved in this year!
Gule wam kulu chasing kids on Christmas.
Me and Mr. Six, the crazy old man who is usually drunk and completely harmelss. He's a favorite member of our community, well liked by students and teachers.
My favorite tree along the walk to my house.

My wonderful sitemates, Chris and Erin Murphy. They live about 8km away at a nearby school.
Coloring at Madam Kelly's house on Christmas morning.
Inside my house, notice my Christmas decorations which are scraps of old wrapping paper leftover from gifts my aunts sent me two years ago.
Mbirizi guarding the tin of homemade Christmas cookies my mom sent.

A really cool bug I found on Christmas Eve.

The Rains Have Come

Last night I awoke to one of my favorite sounds, rain pouring on my tin roof. There is nothing quite like it and it makes me feel calm and at ease throughout the night. My kitten, Mbirizi, didn’t like it as much but I think she’s becoming used to it and anyhow found comfort by cozying up in one of my blankets.

Since the rains have come, people have started making ridges in their fields and even planting their crops for the season. In fact, Mr. Kasiya’s maize has already sprouted. I’m getting a bit of a late start with my own garden, but am planning on taking time to plant and prepare my land once school is over next week.

I have found three places where my roof leaks, which is an improvement from last year. Also, I’m having some boys from school build me a new fence in order to stand up against the strong winds and force of the rain.

This morning since it was cool, rainy and above all else a Saturday, I woke up, ate a mango (I love mangoes) and laid back down to read in bed. I’m currently reading A People’s History of the United States, so I could have spent all day reading if not for the 8am visitor I received. I heard “Hello Madam. Hello Madam,” the call of one of my neighbor’s children. Reluctantly, I woke up and preparing to pass out a coloring book and bag of crayons, opened the door. Instead of wanting to play or color the little girl was telling me she wanted to start a fire. I didn’t really understand what she was asking from me, but I decided finally she was asking for matches in order to start a fire. I assumed that perhaps the matches at her house were left out in the rain the night before. So, I handed her a lighter and told her to give it to her mother.

As she left, I wondered whether or not she had ever seen a lighter or knew how to use one. After all, she certainly appeared to be surprised when I handed it to her. So, I wrapped a chitenje (cloth) around my waist to cover my pajama pants and went two houses down to see what was going on.

At the Mpandagouta home, I found five of my little neighbor friends trying to use the lighter. I realized then that their moms and dads were out, probably at their fields planting. They’d probably been there since the first break of daylight, maybe since 430am. The kids were hungry and trying to cook porridge. So I started their fire and went back about ten minutes later just to ensure that they were cooking their breakfast.

I love the rainy season, but I am reminded that its novelty will soon ware off. Life is harder when water and mud are everywhere. It is more difficult to travel, to cook and to stay healthy especially form waterborne and mosquito carried diseases.

However, despite these trials we are all very thankful that the rains have come and hope they will continue to water the fields. Those kids would not have had maize flour to make their porridge this morning, if not for the rains which watered their family’s fields at this time last year.

Here are a few photos which I’ve taken this week of Mbirizi, the boys fixing my fence, my neighbors and the girls who help me with housework.

Love and Good Thoughts.
Kelly

Goats. One the main reasons I need a new fence.
Emmanuel, a Form Four student helping to fix my fence.

Happy, also a Form Four.
Rabson (behind) and Yotamu. Rabson is the HeadBoy and reminds me a lot of my brother Bobby.

My tree, which according to Yotamu, there is a large green poisonous snake living in. Yikes.
Using pieces of my tree for the fence.
Look how fierce Mbirizi is! Look out mice!
Just kidding, most of the time she looks like this.

Neighbor kids behind my house in my yet to be planted fields.
Near my house. An oxcart carries firewood.

Harris, opne of my neighbors, climbing the tree behind my field. It has these strange little fruits, which do not taste great, but the kids chew on them like gum. Ellen.

Sharon and the twins.
This is Delia and Mtisunge, both Form Four students. Delia's parents could not afford school fees this term so she asked me for assistance. I pay her school and boarding fees (~$60) each term and in exchange she comes over with her best friend, Mtisunge to help me with housework. Here they are washing my clothes.

Updates

November already! Hard to believe! Here are a few mid-month updates:

School: Things are moving along as usual, we have about two more weeks of teaching this term, followed by a week of examinations. This term I have been teaching all four levels of Biology and Physical Science and have introduced Computer Studies to the upper-level courses as well. This is not to say I'm teaching 150 kids how to use a computer, but I am teaching them the basics, history of and uses of a computer so that I an give them an exam at the end of the term and determine who actually gets to do practical work. As usual, my students are working just as hard as I am, which makes it hard to complain about my work load. Tomorrow we have a football and netball match in Ntchisi Boma, it should be the final one of the term, I'll try to take some pictures!

Home: I have a new addition to my cozy little house, I was given a small kitten in order to combat my compounding rat problem. She's soooo tiny and quite adorable. I've never had a cat before, but I sure do love Mbirizi. Her name is a Chichewa word that can be translated into Champion.


Teacher Housing Project: Things are under way for this project which aims to bring two new teachers two Gwangwa by providing them with housing. Local leaders are continuing to bring their contributions and all of the bricks have been collected. I'm trying to raise funds for this project from back home and have recently started sending letters to local businesses and organizations back in my home town and surrounding area. If you have any ideas about where letters can be sent or would like to make a donation to the project, please email me or go to the link below. All donations are made to the US Peace Corps and are completely tax deductible. Updates to follow!!

https://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=donate.contribute.projDetail&projdesc=614-223

Pictures

Terence, Bryan and I welcoming Jen and Kris's friends at the airport!
The students I brought to Camp Sky, at the Malawi Parliament Building: Telinah, Rosemary and Ackson. Campers and counsellors at Camp GLOW

Singing and dancing with the girls, following Camp GLOW's motto "I'm gonna stand! I'm gonna soar! We are women hear us roar!!"
Camp GLOW included lots of classroom and outdoor activities.

So much singing and dancing!!