Safety First

While preparing to leave, one of the things I heard most often as I said farewell to people was, “be safe”. To this I would always respond, “thank you, I will”. I thought now would be a good chance to show everyone what steps I have taken here in Malawi in order to fulfill this promise.

Malawi is not necessarily an unsafe place to live, however, being too casual about safety is not wise. Because we are white, people here automatically think we have money. Which, generally speaking, compared to a large portion of Malawi, we do have a lot of money. But because of this assumption we are often targets for theft. To reduce this risk we take the following steps:

We have metal gates that have been built across both of the doors of our house. We close these gates at night and when we leave and lock them with pad locks. There are also metal bars across all of the windows of our home for safety. At night we have hired guards that walk around our house to ensure its safety. We avoid walking and driving around at night, just because the threat of something happening greatly increases once the sun goes down.

The final and newest addition to our security system for our home is the addition of Remus, our new German Sheppard “Guard Puppy”. Remus is 7 weeks old right now so we will train him to guard us and our house from a young age! Guard dogs are very common here, and we are thrilled to have this little ferocious fur ball’s companionship. 

The threat of being robbed isn’t the only thing we have to be mindful of here. We also have to take steps in order to prevent diseases. Before I left I consulted with my primary care physician and she and I decided on the right malaria medication for me to take for the year. Luckily the pill is only once a week and I am able to get refills of it here.  Also to help prevent malaria, Lauren and I each sleep under a mosquito net every night. As we get into the hot summer months of the Malawian climate this can be frustrating at times, but I know that it is an important step in preventing this disease.  We are also excited because we have just hired a carpenter to come install screen doors and windows throughout the house so we can be mosquito free, but still get a nice breeze during the day.

Other ways besides medication that I am avoiding the threat of getting sick here is being smart about what I am eating and drinking. Because Malawi is so hot, I am forced to drink a large amount of water daily. Before the water is consumed, it must first be boiled to eliminate any of the foreign bacteria my system may not be used to. Having enough water that has been boiled can sometimes be tricky if we have been without power for an extended period of time. We are also mindful of illnesses that can travel through the food we eat, so we are diligent about washing all the vegetables we get from the markets before we eat them, and making sure meat we consume is cooked properly.

I appreciate your continued prayers of safety and good health during my year here, and ask that you also pray for the people who are so desperate they are forced to resort to stealing, for the people infected and suffering from malaria, and for the people without access to a clean water source. Those are the people that need your thoughts and prayers. Lauren, Remus and I feel safe and at home here, but I promise, I will continue to be careful.

In the Market for Learning to Cook

Grocery shopping, meal planning and cooking were a common Sunday afternoon activity for Heather and I over the past few years. We would often debate who had to do the shopping and who would cook what meals. After a month of living in Malawi I can easily say, Heather, when I come home I will happily do it all.

I will be the first to admit that I am not the best home chef. I have learned many tricks of the trade from experts like my Mom, but I certainly still have a lot to learn. Since being here in Malawi my culinary, shopping, and creativity skills have certainly been put to the test.

There are grocery stores here in Malawi, however the items in the stores tend to be expensive and there is nowhere near as much variety as there is available in the States. The bigger grocery stores that carry more items are located in Blantyre (an hour drive away from our house), so when we go into the city, we are mindful to get all the staples we will need to tide us over until we are planning on going back into the city. We have now stocked our pantry with rice, flour, sugar, snacks, and many other things we might need.

Besides the grocery stores in town, the other place we are able to get food is at our local market. Because of Malawi’s year-round warm climate we are able to get fresh produce all year round. Lately we have been able to get tomatoes, cabbages, potatoes, onions, oranges, and bananas all locally grown. We can also get eggs that are local! Since this amazing fresh produce is available and very reasonably priced, this is what we have been eating most of the time.

I have been coming up with as many different ways to use these ingredients as I possibly can. With added challenges such as limited spices, power that is not constant (which sometimes requires us to cook on a single small charcoal stove outside), lack of access to good meat, etc., this has been quite a challenge. Luckily both Lauren and I are not picky and we are willing to try new foods and make the best of the items we have available to us! If you have any suggestions for meals that would be easy for us to make here, I would love to hear from you!

Along with cooking for ourselves, we have also been enjoying some of the local recipes that our Malawian friends have been preparing for us, such as nsima (ground corn maze) and Relish (stewed cabbage and tomatoes). In a country that has such food security issues, I find myself being extra thankful for the food we have, even with the challenges that come with it. Please continue to pray for those who are struggling with food security. 

Back to School

I can officially say that I have survived my first ever week of teaching, and prior to that my first ever training as a new teacher! I am now the Biology teacher of the Form 1 (9th grade) students at St. Andrews Mission Secondary School (SAMSS) in Mulanje, Malawi! Throughout the year I am sure I will have more stories than I could ever write about, but here is an introduction to what my new school and life as a teacher is like.

St. Andrews Mission Secondary School has just begun its sixth school year. When the school was first built it was only the classrooms and the teachers’ prep rooms. Since that time it has expanded into what it is today: a block of classrooms, a building that houses the science and computer labs, the teachers’ prep block, two hostels (dormitories) that house 60 people each (one for boys and one for girls), bathrooms, showers and wash rooms that support the school and the hostels, and a large gathering hall (Southminster Hall) where students can eat and where meetings can be held. The school is beautiful and very well maintained.

Days start early here in Malawi; we gather as a school at 6:45 a.m. in the Church’s sanctuary for chapel. The students file in wearing their school uniforms (blue pants and a white or blue button up shirt for boys, and a blue skirt and a white or blue button up shirt for girls). Our Chaplain shares a short sermon; this week he talked about how we have to work hard in order to succeed and encouraged both students and staff to put in the work they need to in order to make this year successful. After the sermon school announcements are made and Chapel ends with everyone singing the Malawian National Anthem followed with a benediction, and then it’s time for everyone to head to class!

Each Form (grade) has one classroom, so instead of them switching classrooms for different subjects like we do in the U.S. the teachers are the ones that switch classrooms depending on which Forms/Subjects they are teaching. I am teaching Form 1, which is a good thing. They are just as new to the school as I am so we can grow and learn together! Currently my class has 45 students; however that number will vary throughout the first few weeks of school as more students register. Sometimes students have to delay starting school until they are able to collect enough funds for tuition. Each Form has a few hours of classes then we all stop for a 30 minute “tea break” (so British). After our morning tea break it is back to classes until we break for lunch at noon. 

Lunch is prepared for all the students that board at the school in an outdoor kitchen right near our house. Hunger in classrooms is an issue all over Malawi. In any country, if a student is hungry, they are not going to be at their best for learning, so I’m happy that the students staying at SAMSS are able to be fed daily. After lunch it is a few more hours of classes before things wrap up at 3:30.

The students here are offered a wide variety of classes including: English, Chichewa (I’m not sure why I haven’t been asked to teach this class yet), Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math, Agriculture, Life Skills, Social Studies, Computers, and Bible Knowledge. I have been welcome and guided into the school by all of my now fellow teachers. The people I now work alongside are skilled and loving individuals who work hard to make sure the students in their classrooms succeed. I am excited to continue to work and learn from them throughout the year. Please continue to pray for the students and staff of this beautiful school throughout the school year.