We first visited Malawi last year on honeymoon and the thing that struck me the most during that trip was how the children epitomised joy. The children are happiness transmitters and their delight is infectious. It’s no surprise people come here to adopt.
Everyone had told us previously that there is a lot of need* in Malawi and the only sign of this on our last trip was the plethora of NGOs and charities on Likoma Island. There was one cheeky café which, surrounded by international organisations, called itself The Hunger Clinic. I like Malawian humour. This trip we camped and the best part about camping in Malawi is that your neighbours come up to say hello or have a yarn. They also come to see if you are interested in buying something or providing a small contract such as guiding.
There are two seasons in Malawi, the rainy season and the hungry season. In 2015 the weather was harsher than usual and within the first 6 months Malawi had experienced both a drought and a flood. A qualified guide explained that he could not fix a hole in his roof from January because his crops had failed and the price of corn was higher than before so all of his income went to food. It says a lot that despite all this hardship no one asked for anything but work.
In comparison to Mozambique, which has a reputation for rural poverty, the children in the southern villages of Malawi certainly seem smaller, thinner and the women look more haggard. Malnutrition isn’t a problem everywhere, at the Benga village the community hospital has been undertaking nutrition education programs for years and their results are positive. From an outsider’s perspective there was a noticeable difference in the appearance of the children and adults when we visited.
Malawi is expensive. Fuel costs almost double what it does in South Africa and with so much imported into the country the cost of many items is significantly higher than in neighbouring countries. On our first visit to a supermarket we left empty-handed. It’s also an expensive place to set up a business. It is difficult to get loans here and to start a business. A commercial loan has 40% interest p.a. A micro loan from a commercial financial institution has a 200% p.a. interest rate.
On the positive side an N.G.O, Renew’N’Able, has trialled financial cooperatives who provide interest free loans and to date they have received 100% repayments. We listened to this news with relief, as it was sounding rather dire for the average Malawian to improve their circumstances – without necessarily changing the circumstances. Being someone who has benefitted from emigration to three different countries over possibly five generations (no one’s counting) I am all for migration but there are plenty in South Africa, and sadly Australia, who victimise migrants and unwelcome refugees.
It’s an attitude that contrasts sharply with the warmth visitors encounter in Malawi, which aptly promotes itself as the warm heart of Africa. In our month here we were invited to a cooking exchange (thank you Australian Master Chef for providing a new stereotype that all Australians are excellent cooks), to have tea and cake with a nun, visit someone’s future house and of course to play with kids. Who often invite you to play ‘photographer’ while they play ‘catwalk’ or ‘Kung Fu’. Their hospitality seems grossly generous considering the xenophobia abroad, but I have an inkling their friendliness has helped secure long-term foreign aid, which is prevalent in all parts of the country we visited. It also attracts many tourists, especially on the backpacker level, who cannot help but completely relax in such a welcoming, beautiful environment. The hospitality of the expats here is also something to write home about and we were treated to home cooked dinners, a much treasured treat after several months on the road now. A few of the wazungu we met first came to Malawi as visitors and loved it so much they moved here, job or otherwise. A cautionary tale, perhaps?
* Paul Theroux’s eloquent article, The Malawi I Loved, reminds us that Malawi wasn’t always needy and that the present circumstances are a hangover from the Banda dictatorship which caused many of the educated Malawians, capable of strengthening the country, to flee. I really enjoyed this nostalgic article with its first-hand perspective of Malawi 50 years ago, full of hope.
