Mixed Emotions

Written on 2008-12-26

I safely arrived home on Dec 23. I have to admit when the plane touched down at Pearson airport I felt much trepidation. Of course it was nice to be seeing my family for Christmas, but looking out at the modern developed city, the lights, traffic, snow and ice, so many emotions came over me. I’m not sure I really wanted to be in Toronto. A part of me really wanted to be back in Africa. I wished I were in Zanzibar for the reunion party or back in Malawi working with my fish farmers or anywhere where the weather was warmer. Going back to my parents in Mississauga in the middle of winter between jobs was not where I wanted to be at the moment. I’m aware that I’m feeling reverse culture shock, which I expected, but it still feels unsettling all the same. And it never gets any easier after each overseas assignment (this being my third).

While on the airport runway I struggled with anxious emotions about being home, another side of me was glad to be back. This is difficult to admit (especially on my blog for all to read) but the thing that I am most happy to return to is not my family, nor the Christmas holiday, it’s my wardrobe. I know it sounds awful but its true. I am so happy to be surrounded by my closets of clothes, shoes and jewelery boxes. A guilty indulgence of mine, like sex or chocolate. It’s really nice to have more than a few basic outfits and two pairs of shoes (sandals or sneakers) to wear.

(On a side note this also set me thinking about my double standard for clothing depending on the country. I went to Malawi thinking that work attire would be casual because I perceived the environment to be too rugged and the staff poor. But my co-workers at the office dressed quite well. The ladies were in suits and high heels, even though there were no paved sidewalks in town. I feel like I had not respected their workplace by treating each day like casual Friday. (Of course my target beneficiaries were dressed quite differently, often lacking shoes entirely.) My friend Anna who was in Malawi with me also had the same wardrobe issue but had the sense enough to get her parents to send over her business suits, although I think it was more of an issue for her as she was in the city and I was in a smaller town. I’m grateful to her for lending me high heels whenever I came into Lilongwe!)

After all my work with the poverty stricken beneficiaries, I’m a little ashamed to admit that I’ve spent most of Boxing Day watching the ‘What Not to Wear’ marathon on TLC. I realized it was necessary when I was getting dressed for a Xmas eve party and I had no idea what to wear because I haven’t seen any fashion articles in 6 months. I didn’t think my chitenje would cut it.

I am torn about these thoughts. Part of me wants to be back working in Africa or SE Asia but another part of me enjoys going out in Toronto all dressed up again. Isn’t it selfish and shallow to want all these things? I went out shopping for the Boxing Day sales and dropped $200 at the mall and all I was thinking about was what that money could have been put towards in my projects back in Dedza and Ntcheu. It’s the same feeling I had when I was going to get my pedicure in Lilongwe and passed by the beggar. Is it enough to do some humanitarian work and then return to my self-indulgence? Struggling with these thoughts can drive you a mad if you let them. I suppose the route I’ve decided to take is to move my career in a humanitarian/ethical direction but to maintain a certain level of luxury for myself at the same time. I’m not prepared to give up these little things so I just have to deal with it. Sometimes it feels like I live a double life. During one part of the year I am bathing with a scoop and bucket by candlelight, and a few months later I’m taking long hot showers with deep moisturizing conditioners before going out to dinner parties in my high heels and jewelery. I know I really shouldn’t feel guilty about this. Most people want this life. If you gave any person the option for this luxury I’d say 99% would say yes so I shouldn’t feel bad about giving into creature comforts. I know that by giving up those things I still couldn’t solve all the worlds’ problems so why shouldn’t I enjoy this?
(I am looking down my nose at Homer’s crayon once again.)

Besides being confused about returning to my typical Canadian life I am also unsure of how to answer peoples questions about my work and travel in Malawi and Kenya. When I am asked the inevitable question – How was Africa? I respond simply with – Incredible! A one-word answer to a question people are expecting a speech. If people want me to talk about my time there they need to ask me specific questions or I have no idea what to say because there is just too much. It’s like being asked How’s Life? You’d respond by saying Good or Alright. But that person would like to know a bit more about how your life is going than just that one word, so they’ll go on and ask the more detailed questions. I want to talk about my experience, and tell people in North America how understood Africa is, but it is such a huge topic. So as an advance notice for those of you I have yet to talk with please ask the question as specific as you want the answer to be. I hope what I’ve just written doesn’t make me sound agitated, because I’m not at all – it’s good to talk to people from home. It’s just a recurring conversational issue and nobody seems to realize that they are asking vague questions expecting exact answers.

To sum up this blog – I’ve been 3 days home and how do I feel? Mixed emotions and a loss of what to say to people. Hopefully it will get easier as I continue my transition. It always does.

Nemos

On the lighter side of my trip to Kenya, I have finally dove in the Indian Ocean!! Here in Malindi there is a Marine Nature Reserve which is home to Kenya's best diving. I did two dives this morning, 15m and 10m depth respectively.
The fish life was fabulous and a huge difference to the fishes I've seen in Canada where I've done most of my diving, as well as Lake Malawi where I've dove most recently, which is of course freshwater and completely different from the marine environment.
I've finally seen anemone fish (or Nemo's for you non-fisheries people). They have eluded me for some time as they only exist in the Indian and Pacific Oceans (is the Gulf of Thailand in the Indian or Pacific Ocean?). I also saw octopus, 2 octopuses actually, who were mating in their den. Which was very special and rude of me to interrupt but you know... I saw so many creatures but the anemone fish and octopus really were the highlight of my dives and worth writing home about.

On a more serious note, I think the marine park was established to prevent further degradation to the environment. There has been alot of damage to the coral - from poor diving technique (those who kick and crack the coral reef), overfishing and El Nino events (which bleach and kill the coral due to higher temperatures). I was amazed that the divemasters there actually grabbed onto the Elkhorn coral to hold their place. Of all the people who should know better its them. I mentioned it to the dive shop owner (an Italian) and he just shrugged. He said that since they are local guys (Kenyan) they just won't change their behaviour. This ignorance and apathy put a damper on what should have been a super-duper day.

Honestly, sometimes I wonder if I would be a happier person if I was more ignorant or dumb. I find there are times when I know too much about a situation or topic and it makes me see such negative things occurring that it can get me down. Like that old saying 'ignorance is bliss'. But if I had to choose between knowledge or ignorance I'd have to go with knowledge.

It reminds me of that Simpson's episode where Homer realized he had a crayon stuck up his nose into his brain and upon removal it made him smart, and he could finally relate to his daughter, Lisa. However that higher IQ came with consequences, it made him see all the negatives in life. Homer realized that he didn't want to live with insight and he decided to have the crayon reinserted (by Moe) so he could live in ignorant bliss again. That was a good episode.
I haven't seen the Simpson's in 6 months now. Its strange to think that in a few days time I'll be home and can watch 3 episodes a day if I want.
OK I'm getting out of the internet cafe and going to make the most of my time in Kenya. Might go for a Kenyan pizza tonight. What is that you ask? Imagine pizza with no cheese or tomatoes, instead it has ground beef and onion baked inside the crust, and cucumber, cabbage and carrot grated on top. Interesting.

Muslim Ninjas

I am still in Lamu. I've decided to stay put for a little while, its nice here. The people here are different from most I've met before. I had a really great experience with some Swahili Muslim girls a few days ago that I felt like writing about.



I went to have my hands pico'ed (a black dye similar to henna is applied to the skin on the hands/feet which lasts for about 3 weeks). Sofia, the woman who did my hands, was really nice. All the female members of her family where in her house where I had my treatment done, there were quite a few of them there. She told me she was 20 and she had 3 kids. She couldn't believe that I had no husband or children yet and I was already 30. Her cousin and 2 of her babies were there and she asked me if I wanted one of hers. She pointed to her 2yr old daughter in a pink dress. The toddler looked up to me with big blank eyes. She said she had too many and she didn't want them all. The sad thing was that I really think she was serious. I tried to laugh it off and told her that I could barely take care of myself. Looking closer at the women they all looked tired and many years older than they actually were.

Her younger sisters and cousins were really curious to talk to me about family planning. They wanted to know how western women prevent pregnancies. So I told them about birth control pills, IUD, depo-provera, tube tying and vasectomy. The women had never heard of any of this before and I spent the next hour explaining how the pill works and how you needed to see a doctor to get a prescription. There is a hospital, clinic and several pharmacies on the island so its possible the pill may be available here. I don't know. I know you can get in it Nairobi, but its a little more rural here... As I spoke their eyes grew wide and they leaned in closer to me. They all wanted to get on the pill. Adamantly. None of them wanted to have 10 kids like their mothers. They wanted kids, but only 2. I really felt bad for them but all I could do was to educate them and make them aware of their options. I have no idea what medicines they have access to, but at least they know there are drugs out there that could help them control their reproductive rights.

There was so much they wanted to learn about their bodies and reproduction. After the pill chat they asked me how they could prevent becoming fat after pregnancy. So we talked about diet and exercise. This is another cultural problem for the women because they primarily cook by frying everything in large amounts of oil; as well women do not play sports or exercise when they mature. When they reach puberty the girls here wear burquas - black scarves covering their entire body only showing their eyes - when they go outside, so its hard to play ultimate or tennis...(sorry tasteless sarcasm here).

A 15yr old girl made a good joke though: although we look like ninja's we're not as fit as them! They all cracked up laughing. It was a good one. Now when I see them walking down the street I think of ninjas and I have to try not to laugh lest I offend someone.

Something unusual about the burquas here is that they all have sparkles sewn along their hems and seams. Glittering rhinestones that shine in the light. Its quite pretty actually, although I have to admit I find it a little confusing. Most Muslim girls I've met have tried to decorate themselves in some fashion no matter how modest they are expected to be. I suppose the strange thing is what certain cultural groups of Muslims deem acceptable and others not.

Lamu Island is a mix of many religions and cultures. Swahili Muslims, Christians, Rastafarian and Maasai warriors. Very interesting just to watch people walking down the waterfront. I walked back from the beach with 2 Maasai warriors yesterday, that was interesting. Here is a picture of Seremon, one of the Maasai.



The thing about my travels is that I just don't spend my time tanning on the beach and getting drunk. I really enjoy talking with the people who live there and getting to know the real place I am visiting - those impoverished or not. Most of the tourists I've met here on the island would not go into a local woman's house, share her homemade samosas and have a heart to heart with them (I'd also like to point out that the women brought up the topic of birth control and not me - I don't preach, only explain the best I can when asked). These are the moments I'll remember long after my tan fades and I'll carry with me the rest of my life. I'm not saying that its bad for people to numb themselves while on vacation, because I do that sometimes too, but I suppose I'm just trying to explain what motivates me and what I value.
Its amazing what happens when you leave yourself open, walk down a path not in the tourist guide, speak to a person who is not a tour guide, check your prejudice at the door.

Lobster Sex

After travelling for a few days I've made it out of the urban jungles of Nairobi and Mombasa and found myself on Lamu Island. It is wonderful here. A UNESCO world heritage site, a group of Swahili villages on an island in the Indian Ocean. It so nice here I am going to set down my bags for awhile. The island is heavily dependant on fishing and tourism for its livelihood, so I fit in naturally!

Yesterday was Kenya's Independence Day (Dec 12) and there were some great parties happening. I ended up taking a ferry to a floating bar about 15min off the coast. It was wonderful to be on the water chatting and drinking with a wonderful mix of locals and expats, which I really enjoyed because I get tired of the same old backpacker talk you have over and over again in the tourist traps.
Anyways, about 3am we all jump back onto the ferry to head home and upon reaching the wharf we come across the lobster fishermen hauling in their traps. It was a full moon so the catch was really good that night (the moon affects the tides and fish movements are influenced strongly on full moon nights).
I am really interested in lobster. One of my jobs as an undergrad was helping to set up a Marine Protected Area for lobsters back home in NL. So I learned alot of their conservation and biology. I have a habit of checking to see if any of the females are pregnant when they are caught (you can see black eggs along her tail) which is a really destructive practice. I didn't see any that night, I hope that the fishermen threw back the pregnant ones.

Anyway as I was checking the lobsters the local guys I was with asked me how I could tell the males and females apart. The guys who lived there on the ocean their whole lives had no idea. So I showed them how the males have extra claspers on their tails where the females didn't. Everyone circled around me to learn. Then one of the fisherman said something in Swahili and my friend translated it for me 'He's never seen a mzungu handle a lobster like that before!' I blushed. That's a compliment in my books. How silly is that?! It was fun though. I always seem to find myself giving fish sex lessons wherever I go...lol

One of the local guys who was walking me home (he also works at the hotel where I am staying) was particularly interested in learning more. He said that he had a book that said when the tides would be high and low, when the sun and moon would set, and when there would be eclipses. But he didn't understand how these happened or how they could be predicted. He asked me if I knew. So we stopped right there on the wharf at 3:30am and I gave him a science lesson. We collected rocks and coins and I built a model solar system. I showed him how the earth revolved around the sun and how the moon revolved around the earth. Then I showed him that when the sun, earth and moon aligned that the shadow could block the sun/moon out and it would disappear in an eclipse. I could see the proverbial light bulb click above his head, his expression was so great to see, he finally understood what was happening. Nature was such an important force in his livelihood but until then it was all a mystery.

Yes, I am fully aware that I am a science geek, but at that moment it felt so good to help explain this to someone who was so curious. Science is cool! I know Tim will back me up on this :)

This guy wasn't stupid by any means, but he never had the chance to go to school after the age of 12 (he's 32 now). He said that one day his father came to him and said that their family couldn't afford to fully educate all 8 children, and that if he wanted to finish school that meant that his younger siblings wouldn't be able to go at all. How hard is that decision?! Its so unfair that a 12 yr old has to be put in that position. But I could sympathize with him because I knew people from my parents generation back in NL who had similar situations. So I answered every science question he asked me. We were there for hours but it was time so well spent. I'd do it again tonight if someone asked. I love using science to help people improve their lives. Its become such a motivating force in my life.

After last night I'll never think of the old shoe box model universe the same way again. Maybe tonight I'll try to set up a volcano using baking soda...

Hello Kenya!

Jambo! (Hello in Swahili)
I arrived in Nairobi on Sunday and the first thing that struck me was that I was in a huge busy crowded noisy city again. I haven't been in a traffic jam since I left Toronto in the spring and I can't say I miss it one bit. The one thing that kept me amused during the traffic jams was that about 50% of the trucks, vans and matatu's all have pictures of Barak Obama on them. They're covered in slogans like 'God Praises Obama!' Or the word 'Hope' is simply written under his picture across the rear window. Its not hard to see how proud Kenyan's are of their grandson. I can't imagine anybody back home driving around with a picture of Stephen Harper or Danny Williams on the back of their truck. lol!!



I decided to get out of Nairobi asap because my priority was to get to the ocean and out of the megacity of 10M people. I took the overnight train from Nairobi to Mombasa Monday night-Tuesday morn. It was lovely. I like riding the train because it is something I never get to do. When I was a young child the railways in Newfoundland were closed down (the old Newfie Bullet). But I have a few memories of placing coins on the tracks and having the train flatten them unrecognizable. It was amusing for a 5yr old at least. So ever since trains have been a novelty for me. When I first traveled Europe I was so excited to ride on a Eurail pass, and now that I had the chance to ride the Rift Valley Railway I seized the moment. It sure as hell beats the bus!
In the morning I was gazing out the window looking at the scenery drifting past my window. Adults and children stopped working in the fields to smile and wave. It was at that moment that I had to stop and think about what I was doing. It was such a great moment to realize that I was taking the old colonial train route across Africa to the coast of the Indian Ocean. The same line as the one in the movie 'Out of Africa'. It puts things in perspective. I am on such an incredible journey!





Mombasa is an interesting city. While Nairobi is a modern bustling city, Mombasa (although still a city) feels different with its older traditional atmosphere. It has a strong maritime influence with Arab-Muslim, Portuguese-Christian and traditional Kenyan cultures intermingling. It is also much hotter than Nairobi. Its about 35C here all the time, while Nairobi was about 25C day/15C night. I am sweating when I wake up in the morning under the fan and mosquito net.
Wandering through Old Town and the Market is a feast for the senses. Mombasa is a major sea-trade route through Africa for things South Asian. Spices, textiles and fruits are abundant here. I picked up Masala spice for tea/coffees, brass bangles and a Pashmina (for only $3!!). Maybe I should go and get some more...



But with the good comes the frustrating. The power has failed 3 times while I've been writing this blog in an internet cafe in Mombasa, so its time to cut my losses and sign off for now.
I'm hoping to head up the coast to Malindi and Lamu soon to get out of the cities and onto more chilled seashore. Cheers!

Good bye Malawi

Tomorrow is my last day in Malawi. It's sad to leave but I am also looking forward to the next leg of my journey through Kenya before heading home for the holidays.
I've spent the weekend saying good bye to my friends and my Malawian family - Anna, Christine, Franscesca, the Wusc staff, and Catherine and her niece Thoko who was like a cousin to me the whole time I was here.

Although my official work ended for me 3 weeks ago, I am only today sending off the final proposal to Irish Aid. If it gets approval my aquaculture project will continue next year and it may be a job for me in the works - but as with any proposal I am not holding my breath.

I haven't really digested all my feelings about my time in Malawi and my work. I think that will come to me when I return home and reflect upon my time here.

But I know for sure that I'll miss Malawi, the warm heart of Africa!

PADI DiveMaster

I am now a DiveMaster!! I finished my course at Aqua Africa yesterday, and I have to admit it was extremely challenging. Nick (a friend who also took the DM course) and I gave ourselves 3 weeks out of our work/travel schedule to do a course that most people take at least 5 weeks to do, so needless to say it was full on.
The course was a real mix of everything I’ve done in scuba diving to date but this time all the: 1) diving skills must be demonstrated perfectly, 2) theoretical knowledge of diving physics, physiology, environment, equipment, decompression theory and tables must be completely thorough, 3) first aid and CPR training updated, 4) swimming endurance up to par, and 5) a high standard of leadership and responsibility must also be demonstrated.
They also threw in some dive stress tests some mandatory and some for ‘fun’ (which I think I mentioned in my last blog).

I went through a wide range of emotions during this course that made me aware of what I wanted to do, what I was afraid of and what I was able to do. The 1st week I was full of doubt, I wasn’t sure I had the swimming endurance that PADI wanted. I had only 5 of the 12 pts on the swim tests that I needed to pass. But I decided that I would train everyday to get my swim times up. I swam across the Bay from my campsite to the dive shop (500m) each morning and evening. This helped tremendously. I realized that it wasn’t that I couldn’t do it, it was that I had not been training or swimming in months (I was up in the Dedza mountains afterall). So by the 2nd week I had gained a lot of confidence in all my skills both in and out of the water again. In the classroom I had aced my first 3 exams (of 8) and although there was so much to do I felt that I actually could tackle it. Finally in the 3rd week I just felt exhausted. I redid all my swim tests and did great. However, 2 days before I had to re-do my rescue tow I broke 2 toes in my left foot. I was so disappointed. But after we looked over my scores I realized I had enough points that I didn’t have to retake that one to gain enough overall points. Although it was intense, and by the 3rd week I was a little tired of gearing up everyday for the water and the drills, I loved it and I rose to each challenge.

It’s been great filling out my log book fill over the years. I passed my 150th dive this month and am now sitting at 160. Pretty cool.

Everybody asks me now what am I going to do with my Divemaster certification. This is the first professional level of diver and now I can legally lead dives, work at diveshops, assist instructors and teach certain courses. But that wasn’t my motivation. It was a personal challenge for me. I wanted to know if I could do it and it feels incredible that I did it. I remember the turning point for me in this course was when I doing a gear ditch and recovery drill. I had to ditch all my scuba gear (including air and mask) at 5m depth swim to a surface buoy and go back down to retrieve and replace it (and turn the air back on as well). Doing this blind and without air was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do. There was one point where I was came so close to just quitting work on the tank to get the air flowing and instead just swim to the surface but I just couldn’t give in. I finished the test. I was exhilarating. I’m also proud to say that Nick and I also completed the scuba exchange while buddy breathing drill. It took a lot of practice and a couple near drownings but we did it!!

So now I can actually say that I am on vacation. I have graduated from my post grad program at Humber College, my internship of 4 months is over, and my DiveMaster course is completed as well. What to do next…
My flight leaves Lilongwe on Dec 7 (next Sunday) so I have one week left in Malawi before heading to Kenya for 2 weeks, then back home for xmas on Dec 23. My original plan was to leave Nkhata Bay on the Ilala ferry Monday night and take the slow cruise down Lake Malawi. However, I had an interesting offer last night at dinner. Gary, the owner of Mayoka Village, where I am staying, came up to me and congratulated me on finishing my course. He said that he was impressed I worked so hard at it, all the while living out of my small tent. Then he offered me a chalet to stay in for the rest of the time I was planning on staying in Nkhata Bay free of charge!! soooo…this offer was hard to refuse, so I’m not sure if I’m as eager to leave Nkhata Bay yet. If I can stay here for free then I’m, not in such a rush to head back to Lilongwe. The lake is lovely, the waters are warm, the mangos are ripe and there’s a hammock with my name on it. Maybe I’ll stay here until Wed?

Divemaster training in Nkhata Bay

I've been in Nkhata Bay for a week now. Its incredibly hot here at the lake shore, as compared to the mountains of Dedza where I've been working the past 4 months. It's about 35C every day. hot hot hot!! Thankfully I am in the water all day, everyday.
I'm staying at a travellers hostel called Mayoka Village. A really neat place that offers a wide range of accommodation from campsites to en-suite chalets. Being the budget traveller that I am, I've thrown up my tent on the beach for MK500/night (about $4). I adore my site. I am right on the beach, I have a shaded gazebo under which to pitch my tent, and there is a hammock and benches just to the left. I wake up each morning at 6am (without an alarm clock - imagine) to the sound of waves lapping at the shore just metres from my bed. Its great.

The main reason I have returned to Nkhata Bay at this time is to do my Divemaster (DM) course. I've wanted to do this for 8 years now but I've never had the time to committ to it like I do at the moment, so when the opportunity presented itself I siezed it. Carpe diem.
I have to admit though, it is a very challenging course, moreso that I expected. Unlike other recreational courses that teach you skills to enjoy your dives and practice safe diving, this DM course is the first on the professional ladder and takes a different approach. This is where it becomes work and responsibility. A big part of the course is testing our endurance, stress levels, personal limits and academic diving theory.

First off I had to do several endurance swims - freestyle, snorkelling, tows, hands-free watertreading. I passed them but my times were not great and I need to improve (I missed going to the gym in Dedza!!). So I've started swimming across the bay from my tent to the dive shop (500m) each morning and evening. One of the diving instructors (who is also my neighbour in the chalet next door at Mayoka) has given me good advice to improve my breaststroke technique.

Besides the endurance swims, I have also taken several stress tests, including gear recovery at depth. I'll tell you about what I did yesterday afternoon. I was diving with my DM instructor, Andy, and another DM student, Nick. Andy told us that as DM's we'll often be faced with difficult tasks that may include aiding and recovery at depths so we should practice drills under those conditions. Our drill: at 5m depth we had to take off our BCDs and tanks, turn off the air and purge the line so no air remains in out regulators, take off our masks and attach them to the BCD, then swim up a line to the surface. After catching our breath we had to go back down the line, find the tank, turn on the air, replace our regulators, then replace and clear our masks. Holy geez, that was hard!!! One of the most challenging things I've done. Its a strange feeling. The whole time you're doing it your body is telling you that this is wrong and to stop and get air. But you have to put it out of your mind and just focus on completing the task. You can get the air, just finish the task. Needless to say it was exhilariting. Although scared I am so happy to know what I am capable of doing under stress and I feel better for it.

Another drill we did yesterday was the gear exchange at depth. Me and Nick had to change our fins, BCDs, tanks and masks at 5m depth - all while buddy breathing simulating that one of us (e.g. me) was out of air. Changing the fins and removing the BCDs went OK but the rest we kept messing up and I think I almost drowned Nick in the process...oh my...so sorry about that one Nick! We're still working on the finer points...

On Wednesday we did a less stressful diving practical. We learn how to make underwater maps using a compass, our kick cycle counts and underwater writing slates. We mapped depth contours and points of interest like wrecks and rock formations, which could be used for dive planning.
On Monday and Tuesday I also completed my CPR/First Aid training which was outdated.

There are other parts of the course as well. There are marketing components for other diving courses and misc. dive shop work. There is also a huge component on diving theory - such as the physics and physiology of diving and how it affects your body.

I'm working very hard at this, probably as hard as I did at IPMP, and harder than my recent internship at CADECOM-Dedza. Part of this is a personal challenge. I'm not sure if I want to go on to become a scuba diving instructor or not at this point in my career path, but I know I want to reach this level at least.
So I'm 1 week down and 2 more to go. Here's hoping for smooth work this coming week!!


P.S. some diving terms I mentioned that you may not be familiar with: regulator - the mouthpiece and hose that connets to the air tank/cylinder that you breathe from; BCD - buoyancy control device - like an undewater lifejacket that you control; kickcycle - how many fin kicks you make underwater over a distance, like using footsteps to mark distance but underwater.

Harvest time, end of my time

The past week has found me cluing up my internship and my International Project Management Program post-grad certificate. It has been exciting, challenging and a little sad, but all in a good way.

As I mentioned before I arranged for the donor site visit to coincide with the harvest – a double whammy event. The coordinating went fairly well, even though the fisheries officer had to attend a funeral in Mzuzu and only returned the evening beforehand. Which left me to do all the groundwork, including going to the jail to get the fishing net. I’ve never been to a jail before in Canada (unless you count the jailhouse hostel in Ottawa), let alone one in a developing country. As a young azungu woman, it was awkward to walk up to the warden’s office amongst the chain gang that were being led by a guard who was holding a really big gun (I don’t know the difference between AK47s and other types). But it was OK. Chao bwino. The warden was really nice and did not have a problem loaning me their net. While I waited I played bawo with the prison guards and they were very impressed that I could play the game. Good times at the jail. Oh man.

It never fails to amaze me how strange the government works here. For example, our law-abiding poverty stricken beneficiaries do not get a fishing net. The govt fisheries dept does not have a fishing net. But the prison gets a net. Apparently the govt wants the jail to be self-sufficient so tax paying citizens don't have to pay money out to them. So they get all the necessary supplies to run a permaculture. They have a fishpond, rabbit hutch and veggie gardens. I mean, sure this is a great idea but why do only the criminals get this support??
Anyway, moving on...

The donor was supposed to meet with us at 9am however they called twice as they were delayed and didn’t arrive until 11:30am. By the time we got to the first site, Luweya, it was 12:30pm, the hottest time of the day. And only one of the two sites we had to harvest. Sigh. In Malawi I'm constantly finding myself 'hurrying up and waiting’.

Besides all that, the visit went really well. Everybody was in high spirits. It seemed like the entire village came out to either participate or watch. The harvests didn’t produce as much fish as I would have liked, but that just goes to show how much my training workshops were needed here. Hopefully when the new skills are implemented over the coming months and years they will reap greater rewards.

Besides viewing the event, the donor wanted to see if their money (training workshops) was well spent. We all sat down to talk and Jacob, the director of Wusc-Malawi, asked the beneficiaries many questions regarding what they learned and what they planned to change in the future. I was really pleased that they could respond well. They were able to explain how they learned proper feeding technique (when to feed and what to feed) and now understood spawning (how could we ever forget my fish sex talk?!). All the stakeholders, myself especially, were so happy to see that the knowledge was retained and the villagers themselves outlined future plans. Yay!! Although it’s too early to tell if the project will be a success, all the signs thus far are encouraging.

Ending my work placement with the harvests at Luweya and Magunditsa villages was especially important to me personally. Of all villages I’ve worked with I’ve felt the strongest connection with these. They named me Najere, and have always warmly welcomed me with song and dance. I remember during my workshops I asked them if they really expected me to return after I did my initial needs assessment in July. The village head-lady said they didn’t expect to see me again. I was just another azungu blowing in and out. They were so happy when I returned for the workshops. They certainly didn’t expect me to visit again and bring them a harvesting net. It was a great feeling to have seen them through. As I’ve said so many times before, I only wish that I could be there to help guide them through the next production cycle and to share more meals of Nsima in their village. I already miss them. It makes me sad to think I won’t see them again. But who knows what the future holds?

This marks the end of my internship. My last day is Friday Nov 7. I’ve spent the last few days in wrap up meetings and writing final reports. I have now sent all the documents needed to finish my work placement. This also included my post-placement report for the IPMP certificate! Its strange - you work so hard to finish a course and a project, give it your all, and when you actually reach the end it feels both great and empty. The past year of my life has been so focused on the IPMP course that now that I’ve actually finished it and Rupen has put my certificate in the mail, I feel a little lost. I’ve reached that point where I’ve left the nest and I need to fly, fast!

It’s been a great experience working here in Malawi. The opportunities to further practice my aquaculture development skills, and the experience of working with my beneficiaries. I know its cliché to say how the people have changed me, but its true. I like to think it was a 2-way street.

So what’s next for Najere? There are a couple cool things on the horizon. I am heading up to Nkhata Bay (again) on Saturday to do my DiveMaster course. What better place then in Africa in the warm clear waters of Lake Malawi?! Beats freezing my butt off in Canada at the moment. This should keep me busy for the next few weeks. After that I fly up to Nairobi so that I can spend a couple weeks in Kenya before flying home for the holidays. What the New Year will bring for me, only time will tell. In the meantime I still plan blog and keep you in the loop about the next stage of my adventure. I’m off to the lake; anybody is welcome to meet me there!! Cheers.

Harvesting in Magunditsa

Hi everybody!!
I haven't had a chance to write up my experience with the fish harvest yet (I will soon). In the meantime here are some pics for your viewing pleasure. They were taken on Oct 31, 08 in the village of Magunditsa in Dedza District.

The Big 3-Oh!

It was 8am Saturday morning, Anna and I were sitting in the back of the pickup truck, Francesca and Rusty were riding in the coveted cab. We had just set off for a weekend at Senga Bay. Anna turns to me, the wind blowing her hair into a tangled mass, “Was this how you expected to spend your 30th birthday?” Here I was, ass bouncing on the hard bed of the truck, our hair completely windswept, knapsacks at our feet, driving down a dirt road somewhere in the middle of Africa. No, I didn’t expect to spend my 30th like this, but with that said, I honestly had no idea how I expected to spend this or any of my other birthdays for that matter.

I feel like I have lived the last decade as a transient, a proverbial jew lost in the desert. I think I know what I want but not quite sure where that end destination is. The longest plan I’ve had for the future was one year; most of my plans were for 6 months. Looking back at the last ten years, would I change anything? Maybe one or two things, but definitely none of my travels. I am so glad that I have been in every town and every country that I have set foot on. My transient nature doesn’t bother me in the least. Sure perhaps in the future I’d like to do the normal grown up things like buy a house, car, maybe start a family, but I feel happy experiencing the world. All through my childhood I have been fascinated with maps and books and different cultures (besides marine biology), now that I have seized the moment to actually go out and see and do it all I am so happy. There have been so many moments – all so beautiful, precious, scary, hilarious, unforgettable and amazing. It’s been one hell of a way to eek out a living, but I’m loving it.

The truck stopped at Senga Bay, we hopped out and made a beeline for the beach. I laid my chitenje over the sand and gazed out over the water. Although I was far from the ocean, the lake seemed so vast, with waves lapping the shore, you could almost fool yourself into thinking it was the ocean. The sunshine was hot, the water was cool and refreshing. I dropped my towel and dove into the lake. It was a perfect moment.
Later that night the four of us were sitting at the bar, looking out at the waters of Lake Malawi and sipping wine. Anna hands me a birthday gift. I was really touched. I hadn’t expected to receive anything material for my birthday this year. It was a home made card written on elephant dung paper, a Lilongwe Ultimate Club t-shirt and a princess tiara that I had to wear for the rest of the night. What a great present! I couldn’t think of a better way to spend my 30th birthday.

Food Security Through Aquaculture

Thought I would share this BBC news article with you - Fish Farming in Malawi's Dustbowl. This is similar to my own project with wusc-cadecom. It's just to give you an insight on my work and the good it can bring about. Also how this type of project is gaining widespread news coverage due to the potential it holds for food security. It even comments on how funerals affect daily routines, an aspect that I've simply just gotten used to.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/7683748.stm

Happy reading.

Out of the Office, into the Bar

Actually made it into work on time, 07h30, this Monday morning. And even though I had two long weekends in a row you would think that I might not have gotten much work done in the past 2 weeks. Well, yes and no. Ironically I think I may have done my best work yet on Friday night far from the office.
I went out to Chameleon (a bar in Lilongwe City Centre) just planning on chilling on the patio with a few drinks. The beauty about going out in a small city like Lilongwe is you never know whom you might bump into. So this night I found myself sitting across the table from the staff of Irish Aid (Ireland’s Development Agency). Irish Aid is a big development player in Malawi and funds several projects in Dedza, including various Food Security programmes and are also a significant donor of Concern Universal’s aquaculture projects. I was considering sending my proposal off to them unsolicited so this chance meeting was perfectly timed. Seeing as how they were Irish, I offered to buy a round (out of my meagre interns salary) and then moved in with my pitch. I think it was well received. Their program officer, Padraig, was receptive to my idea (and most importantly didn’t make an excuse to leave the table!). He seemed to speak bluntly and honest and advised me to submit in late Nov/early Dec to be considered for 2009 funding, as the project fit in with their priority areas. Sweet! I know I shouldn’t get too excited about this but you have to admit it’s encouraging nonetheless. I firmly believe that the best networking does not occur at the office, its best over beers. I think my faith-based NGO is missing a strategic networking avenue, one that I can easily fill – lol!!

Besides networking what else is left to do? The proposal is pretty much finished on my part, now I just need to get CADECOMs final review and approval before I can submit. The English to Chichewa translation of my training manual should be complete this week and hopefully printed and bound early next week. There’s not a lot I can do on this task, besides checking up on Spriano’s progress. Lastly, I am working on a follow up site visit for next week. This site visit will be another big event, as my current funder, WUSC, wants to do a site visit to see how I’ve been spending their money.

There are several things I want to coordinate for this site visit to impress them. The village of Luweya is planning on harvesting their fish very soon. The villages could not afford to buy a fish net so we had to find one for them. Mr Joshua, the fisheries officer (whom I strategically asked to co-facilitate my workshops in order to bring government into the play), came up big time here as he managed to borrow the fishing net from the prison to loan to the village so they could harvest their fish. Yes, apparently the government of Malawi will buy a fishnet for prisoners but not for law abiding poverty stricken citizens – go figure. I want to time Mr. Mapemba’s (the director of WUSC-Malawi) visit for the harvest in Luweya so that he can see the fruits of our labour. It will also be the perfect time for the villagers to tell him what they’ve learned in my workshops. It will take some coordinating as bringing together 4 different players (CADECOM, WUSC, govt and the village committee) on the same date will be challenging, not to mention the logistics of a harvest, but I think it can be done. Cross your fingers for me.

The beach, the lake and the zoo

As it pans out my workplace has taken care of the visa extension. All I did was leave it in their capable hands, I didn’t had to go to the immigration office or pay anything at all. This is great that I never had to deal with the hassle. Alas I never got my trip to Mozambique in (I’ve postponed that trip until after the end of my internship – Nov 7).

On the bright side I made a spur of the moment decision to take a trip up to Nkhata Bay. The 7hr bus ride up to Mzuzu was pretty awful (hot and slow) but the rest of the trip was terrific. I stayed 2 nights in Mzuzu at the Mzoozoozoo hostel. Highly recommended, the Swiss/American owner is hilarious. I think I paid for 1 drink the whole 2 nights I was there. I had whiskey coming at me from all directions. It was a nice change from the ubiquitous Malawian gin (I’m not really a gin and tonic kinda girl). So the Zoo is not really a place for the sober types. The expat crowd of South Africans and Zimbabweans were at first interesting and boisterous to talk to...although they were a very macho crowd of tobacco dealers, who enjoyed comparing off-road trucks. So during my second night I ended up watching Casino Royale with Charity (the Malawian girl who worked there) because earlier that day I managed to buy a DVD with the entire collection of James Bond movies on it for MK500 ($3.50) that afternoon!! Sweet!! (Well all the movies except for my fav ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’, you know the one where 007 poses as a marine biologist and has a car that turns into a sub and the villain has a tiger shark that he feeds his victims to, yeah, yeah go ahead and laugh I don’t care it was an awesome film).

Luckily enough, as I was talking to the locals at ‘the zoo’ they told me that Monday was a holiday for Mother’s Day. Which was awesome as it extended my trip a day longer!

The next morning I headed out to Nkhata Bay on the Lake to get some serious beach chilling time. It was sooooooo good. The first thing I did when I got in was made a beeline to the dive shop, even before I found my room for the weekend. I booked 2 dives for that day and the next. I wasn’t sure what freshwater diving would be like. I know in Canada the only freshwater dives that are done were for the wrecks – not much else to see in the Great Lakes. But Lake Malawi was awesome to dive in. Saw spectacular Cichlid fishes, tilapia and catfishes. Even got a close up view of the mouth brooding fish I mentioned in my ‘fish sex’ blog. Every time I came too close to mom and her babies she’d open her mouth and scoop them all inside - pretty cool to see in nature, especially after all my discussions on the topic. Besides the fish life, the rock formations were neat too. There were several rock arches and tunnels that you could penetrate and swim out the other side. Fun stuff for the adventurous types as is yours truly. I really needed to get wet and dive under the surface again. I haven’t been diving since May – much too long a surface interval. After seeing Nkhata Bay from below I enjoyed the rest of the afternoon chilling on the beach. It was hot hot hot! I’d tan for 15 min then have to dip into the lake, which I repeated for the rest of the day. When I started to get bored I chatted the local beach boys up and played some bao (an African board game). I’m going to catch up to Anna’s skill level soon. She may not win our next game.

On Monday I packed up, left the Bay and headed back to Dedza. I was lucky to catch a ride back with Lindsay, an American woman I met at the zoo, who interestingly enough was a research scientist studying climate change and also owned a coal mine. Talk about a make work project!! Lol!! Her research was really neat though, she studied climate change by taking core samples of Archea bacteria in the lake to obtain accurate records of temperature over time. The conversation during this ride was much better than the bus!! I don’t get to talk science as often as I’d like and her research was really fascinating. For those interested I can elaborate via email, as I fear I may be losing some of my readers with too much scien-terrific-talk.

Right so on with the trip. As it turns out the Mother’s Day holiday was not on Monday. Oops. Until this year the holiday was celebrated on the second Monday in Oct, but this year it was changed to the date Oct 15 regardless on what day of the week it falls on. So the holiday was officially Wed. Just to confuse me further my workplace decided to take the holiday on Friday instead (Oct 17) - as if things weren’t confusing enough here. Nobody was mad at me though, it was a little funny because some of them thought that my visa had not been renewed and I was actually gone home to Canada, lol. Pleasantly I have this Friday off which makes 2 long weekends in a row for me. Nice.

I suppose I really should get a move on with the jobs I was actually given my extension for. I’ll take care of that on Monday. What’s the rush? It’s Africa right. Chabwino

Contract Extension

Good news! I've been approved for a 1 month extension on my contract here in Malawi! This was in the works for the past week but I only found out the funding was confirmed today. So now I'll be working with cadecom until the second week in Nov. I'm really happy about this because it will give me an opportunity to finish 3 things that I was afraid I wouldn't have time to do:
1) Finish & submit the proposal I wrote
2) Translate my training manual into Chichewa
3) Do follow-up visits with the target villages

I knew I took on a large project for the 3 month timeframe but I really wanted to put into practice many of the skills I learned in the past year, and I wanted to do a real pro job on this internship as its a big stepping stone on my career path. I've been working full tilt on this project and I've only taken off 2days since I've been here. I suppose living in Dedza has contributed to my productivity as there is not much night life!!

So what have I accomplished so far? I completed needs assessments for 6 villages, composed a training manual for fish farming specifically tailored to the Dedza area (generic manuals don't tell you how to protect your fish from the nasty katumbu), held 5 training workshops and have completed a draft proposal for the NGO. Not too shabby.

But before I can move ahead and tie up these loose ends I need to figure out my visa situation. It expires on Saturday... I have 2 options. Go through the tedious government channels and pay a pile of cash for my second visa extension OR do a border hop into Mozambique for a few days and then re-enter Malawi and get a free no hassel one month visa. The choice is obvious to me, but I'd better run it by the boss first.

Awww, so much to do, so many paths to travel yet so little time.

Reconnected

A quick note to say that I caved and bought a new cell phone. +265 909 4300
It feels like the doctor has successfully reattached my right arm and I can now live a full and complete life again. Yay!

The good, the bad and the wild.

Everyday I experience a wide range of emotions here in Malawi. Days are either really great or frustratingly bad. When I go to bed at night I can feel so so happy and then other nights I am pissed right off at something. And its unfortunate that the bad feelings always outweigh the good, even if the good thing is disporportionally better than the bad. Why do we dwell on the crappy thing and not move on easily to the happy thing? I'm not sure. I remember reading an article once about a psychology experiment. It went something like this: a person was given a free $20 and then later was robbed $5. Then the person was asked to rate the emotion they experienced after each event. Even though the good thing was much better in value than the bad thing, the person let the bad thing outweigh the good thing.

So to get to the point of the story, although I had a wonderful week one crappy thing happened on Tuesday morning that ruined the whole week for me. As I was switching mini-buses in the Lilongwe market someone picked my pocket and stole my cell phone (only my phone and nothing else). This really bummed me out. I honestly don't want to buy another one, but on the other hand its a really important communication device here. No one has home phones and its isolated enough as is. Sigh. It really ruined my day and left me on a sour note after an awesome trip.

Anna, Christine, Lucas (Christine's friend in Blantyre) and I all went on a safari in Liwonde National Park. It was so good to see Christine again since IPMP ended in June. We had a blast hanging out at the camp, drinking wine and beer, checking out the wild animals (hippos, baboons, elephants, impala, sables, water & bushbucks, warthogs, etc.) on dawn safari and canoe safari. I even had a fish farming moment on the canoe trip. I was asking what kind of fish were in the river and I think I surprised the hell out of our guide, Eliam, when I spoke about the fish using their Malawian names (chambo, makumba, utaka, chilunguni, mlamba). As it turned out his village was in the process of building fish ponds so that evening we met so that I could give him some advice.

After our safari in Liwonde we headed down to Zomba where we did some hiking on the plateau. It was much cooler at the elevation (as compared to the heat of the park). Incidentally enough there was a trout farm on the plateau where you can stay in cottages while exploring the region! So of course that's where we shacked up for the night (I'd like to point out that I didn't even suggest the Zomba trip - it was Anna and Christines idea). One of the guides, Lovemore (what a fantastic name), took me fishing Malawi style. He made his own pole from a 8ft long tree branch, cut with a machete, cut a groove on the end to hold the twine and then tied a hook onto the string. He even made a bobber out of wood. Very primitive but it serves the purpose. I wish I could say I caught a big one but it was not my lucky day. I still had trout and chips for dinner though. :)

Besides fishing we went hiking on the plateau. The trail was spectacular, overlooking the town of Zomba, huge trees towering above us and a rushing river beside us. The best part of the hike for me was visiting the waterfalls. There were 2 - Williams falls and Mandala falls. Whenever I see a beautiful waterfall I have the urge to just dive in, so I did! I suspect my friends think I'm a little crazy but honestly I don't know why you wouldn't. The moment was so right. The rush of the water falling on my head with such a cool force beating down on me was exhilarating. Life is about these moments.

Alas all good things must come to an end. As I said at the beginning of this blog, despite the terrific week with good friends and good travel, I was too bummed to write a blog about it until now, when I have finally shook off the emotion and decided to get back to my writing. It feels nice to be writing again.

Fish Sex

I held the last of my workshops this week and things went so well. To be honest I am amazed that I did these 5 workshops on the days I scheduled. There were no mechanical breakdowns, nor fuel shortages (when I heard that a major transport route between Malawi and Tanzania closed for a few days last week I made a run to the filling station to fill the jerry cans with diesel just in case). There was only one funeral (sadly the accountant at work lost both his wife and baby in childbirth) but Spriano said that he wanted to do the workshops still (perhaps he was tired of going to funerals too). Also, I made of point of designing my workshops so that we did not need electricity. From my experience these are the 4 major factors that delay work here (mechanical, fuel, electricity, funerals), so I tried to mitigate them from the start.

I am happy to report that this week there were no bees. Both the extension officers in Ntcheu district (Steve and Joseph) did a great job organizing on their end - although Joseph was an hour late because his bicycle broke.

I ran these pretty much the same as I did last weeks – some hands on practical work combined with translation and lots of universally understood sketches. I did not realize how bad my artistic skills were until I tried to draw a goat with a magic marker. Its OK, at least I got them laughing.

For me the funniest part of the workshops was trying to explain fish sex. The beneficiaries only understand reproduction from a mammalian POV. They get humans, cows, goats but not fish. External fertilization just doesn’t make sense to them. All creatures they know has the male fertilize the female inside and then the baby grows in the female until she gives birth. Tilapia, however are very different. Here’s a quick rundown for the non-ichthyologists reading the blog. The male tilapia builds a nest in the bottom of the pond and brings the female fish to the nest. If she’s impressed she’ll spawn in it and then the male fertilizes her spawn thus creating a fertilized fish egg. The male leaves and the female protect the fish eggs in her mouth for 40 days (she won’t eat during this time). Then the fish leave her and go out on their own. I admit it’s a strange way of getting the job done, but I know how most animals mate so that doesn’t surprise me anymore. I suppose the Animal Channel has taken the mystery out of animal reproduction for most of us. The villagers however, had such a hard time grasping this concept. How can an animal go 40 days without eating!? Surely the female would starve to death!! If she keeps them in her mouth she’d have to eat them!! Could the fish babies survive in her stomach if she swallowed them by mistake? Why doesn’t she just keep the babies inside her instead of laying the eggs outside? If the female lays the eggs why does she need a male fish? How does the male find the females spawn if its outside her body? Etc. etc….
Not to sound condescending but it was like explaining sex to 7 yr olds. I know the beneficiaries have a limited education and I am teaching them some new concepts, but you have to admit its kind of funny to be teaching fish sex to a 50 year old village chief!

After I explained some facts to them, their faces would widen in surprise then burst out laughing. They were great about it though. I was glad that they were asking so many questions – it told me that they were listening and trying to understand. That was very important. They made a good effort to understand this material because they really wanted to know when and how fish spawned so they could take the new fish to grow another crop, or to pass the fish on to another village pond. Many of these community based fish ponds received their first fish fingerlings from CADECOMs Sustainable Agriculture pass-on project, and as a requirement of the project the beneficiaries have to pass on the fish fingerlings to the next group of beneficiaries. It’s a wonderful sustainable system, and with the addition of the training workshops future sustainability will be ensured.

I love that this project provides the beneficiaries with both the resources and knowledge they need to empower themselves. This way they can sustainably grow food and help others to as well.

Currently I am in the process of convincing the NGO that fish farming is a much better way to provide protein for the villages as opposed to goats. Their main pass-on project uses goats. Of course this is a nice idea. Give a goat to one family, then the first-born goes to another needy family and so on. Now here’s the thing – goats do not become sexually mature until they are 3yrs old. They’ll have one kid a year thereafter. Often the family does not want to eat the goat because they are status symbols. The goats seem to make their biggest contribution through the manure they provide. Now tilapia-fish on the other hand take 4 months to become sexually mature, and they spawn 3x a year. Most of these fishponds are community based – so many people benefit from the fish harvest (whereas the goat is owned by 1 family). If you invested your efforts into fish farming you would receive much more protein in return for your effort (a fish pond they are using could easily produce over 100kg fish each harvest no problem). You can have 3 harvests a year, feed more people and pass on the spawn in a matter of months. The fishpond can also produce fertilizer form the sediment on the pond bottom much like goat manure for the crops and veggies. Come on people!! How can you not see this??? Jesus used fish to feed the masses – not goats!! (Sorry the biblical reference comes from my time working with a catholic organization).

OK OK I know, I could go on and on. Sorry if I am rambling but this is what I’ve been doing for almost 3 months now. I am somewhat passionate about this.
Thankfully I am going on a safari with Anna and Christine in Liwonde National Park this weekend so I can talk about animals other than fish soon.

Adventures in fishpond training workshops

The past week has been busy, busy, busy for me. Hence the lack of blog updates. I’ve started my training workshops and there has been a lot of prep for them.

My first one was on Monday in Chamangwana. It got off to a bad start but it was not our fault, honestly. The extension worker, Ephraim, for that area is a lazy cocky idiot. He was appointed by a priest and is as secure in his job as a tenured professor. I’ve tried to keep an open mind about him, but now I’m convinced my gut feeling was true. To begin he promised us he’d have the beneficiaries there by 7:30am. Well when we got there at 8:30am none of the villagers were there. That’s ok, being late here is normal. So I went to check out the workspace. Although I asked for the church hall, he had taken it upon himself to change the location. OK sure, as long as I have a safe place to work I really don’t care. However, when I went inside I kept hearing this buzzing. When I went to find the source of the buzzing I realized that there was a HUGE beehive in the corner of the room. Like thousands of bees, buzzing around the place! I was astonished. This was not a safe place to work. Women would be coming here with babies on their backs. How could I give them my full attention when every minute I’d be looking over my shoulder?? I understand that conditions may not be ideal here, no electricity, lack of table, chairs, etc. But this was unacceptable. So I went to look for another place. About a 15 min walk down the road was the church where I had originally asked and received permission to hold the workshops – the safe, clean, empty church. So I packed everything up and moved down there. After that the workshop proceeded as normal and all went well, the beneficiaries were a pleasure to work with. They were attentive and so thankful to receive the training. But as we were wrapping up the day, the cocky extension worker came up to me and said, ‘The next time you do one of these things, try not to be late.’ Oh man – I was fuming on the inside but kept my composure. The whole reason we were late was because of his ridiculous choice in location which forced me to move everything. I know, I know, there will always be these kinds of people you have to work with, but it doesn’t make it any easier or right.

The workshops the following days were fabulous. The extension workers (Triphonia and Gabriel) for the communities I had targeted were great. So organized, efficient, easy to work with and appreciative. The day went as smoothly as possible, which just reconfirms my impression of Ephraim.

These workshops were not like the conventional ones I am used to, especially since most of them in the past were targeted to academia and govt. The key here was to be creative. How do I reach out to a group of villagers who only spoke Chichewa and many of who were illiterate? I needed a translator, my co-worker Spriano helped with that (he has been soooo helpful. I would be lost without him). I also decided to stay away from big words, powerpoint slides and overhead projectors (there was no electricity anyway). Instead I used a flipchart and markers to make drawing of the concepts I wanted to get across. I drew ponds, fish, arrows for water flow, sun and moon for time of day, bags of manure, etc. I wanted to use as little lecture style presentation as possible. I tried to be more practical so I brought props like pipes and mesh. I also made sure to include practical work. I took everybody outside to show how to test for soil conditions (e.g. digging holes in the soil to test permeability since the ponds here are earthen). They laughed so hard at me when I took the hoe and started digging. It was great. I think they appreciated the fact that I didn’t act to good to dig a hole or get my hands dirty. I’m doing all this in a chitenje-skirt too.

While the training was going well and everyone seemed attentive I wanted to make sure the ideas were really being understood. Many times where there is a language barrier or knowledge gap too wide people just nod, smile or say I know. So I used pop-quizes throughout the day to test their understanding. For the most part they were getting it and I was so happy for that. It was a big fear of mine that I would get up there, babble on and not really teach them anything they would retain. I hope that the knowledge is retained for more than one day though. The NGO and its extension workers have planned to visit the villages regularly to ensure the knowledge is being applied as best it can under the circumstances (resources are always limited). I am in the process of creating a very basic yet informative training manual to help them with this task.

At the end of the workshops (as with every training session or meeting here) there are always speeches from the representative of each group in attendance. When I did mine I started off with a question: I asked them if they expected me to come back after I did my needs assessment. The village headwoman answered that they didn’t expect to see me again. They were so happy that I had returned to keep my promise. I remember the first time I went to their village to assess the state of their pond projects, one of the women came running up to us and yelled ‘What are you doing you thieves?!’ Now as I was eating Nsima with them during lunch that same woman was dancing around and singing (in Chichewa) ‘I am so proud of Najere!’ (Najere was the name they gave me when I first visited them after Spriano said I needed a Malawian name). I was so touched. These folk are too often let down by empty promises.

I wish I could stay longer to see them through more of their fish farm development projects. At least the training sessions will help. They lacked such basic information like which fish to grow, when to feed them, what to feed them, how they reproduced… During one on the sessions a man asked ‘Why do they need a male fish if the female fish lays the eggs?’ I know most people wouldn’t know this info but since you can Google search anything these days this info is not really out of the reach of most people – except those living in poverty, without an education, electricity or certainly no internet access. A huge problem with poverty alleviation is access. Access to info, training, markets, education, healthcare – things we take for granted. These are the topics that many of my friends, colleagues and myself are working towards.

I have 2 more workshops this coming week. I hope they go as well as the last two. I’ll blog about it soon. Promise.

Beating my own path...to fish pond development work

Most of you know that my dream job (besides being a hostess for Pilot Guides) was/is to work for the WorldFish Centre to develop integrated aquaculture projects for developing countries. I was bummed when I didn't secure the internship with them this year but I had to move ahead regardless. Then I got to thinking...why did I want to work with WFC? To help poverty stricken people develop fish ponds to improve their livelihoods and have food security. Well I am doing that right now. I guess I just got caught up in their mission statement and it seemed like for the longest time WFC was the only NGO that was doing this work. But I've learned that its not the only way to do this development work. When I took this internship in Malawi I was supposed to be doing livelihood recovery project impact assessments but when my supervisor took one look at my cv they reassigned me right away to their fish pond projects (which is why I'm in Dedza and not Lilongwe, my original posting). So in the end, I got to do the work that I really wanted to do. I just went out there and beat my own path. So I'm pretty proud of myself for taking the plunge into the unknown, into Malawi on my own, and actually doing the internship that I really wanted.

So what have I do so far? 1) I've completed needs assessments of 6 villages. 2) Nearly finished a proposal hoping to secure future project funding to develop more aquaculture projects. 3) Designed a training manual tailored to the local environment. 4) Going to hold 5 workshops over the next 2 weeks. I have not wasted a single day. Honestly, I feel like I've accomplished alot (not to sound cocky or anything). I can attest this to my amazing IPMP training at Humber College, a really supportive NGO workplace and my own determination.

The next hurdle I must overcome is finding my next job. Sadly, this internship ends in October and this is soooo much more I could do. I'm working on a few leads...Uniterra positions are opening up in early 2009 and they do work in my area, and I am also working on a meeting with Concern International who have ongoing fish farm projects here. The district fisheries officer (who happens to be co-facilitating my workshops) works with them and he said he can arrange it. I'm pitching it as a info gathering meeting for lessons learned to be used in future training and my proposal - I just might also inquire about future work opportunities at this meeting. I have to go and beat some more paths for myself. I also know that my fab IPMP network will forward me any jobs they come across in my sector.

Although I'm not actually working for WFC, I wanted to post a link to a video they have on YouTube. Although my projects are not tailored specifically to HIV/AIDS orphans (mine are community based ponds for poverty stricken households), the people, the songs they're singing, the environment and settings are almost identical to my workplace here in Malawi. It will give you a view into my work here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XodkPRULvMU&eurl=http://www.worldfishcenter.org/v2/ourwork-health-hiv-aq.html

This however is a pic of me at work with local fishfarmers in the village of Chamangwana. It was taken during a needs assessment in July. I will be holding a workshop with these villagers on Monday:

And these are the beneficaries of my project in the village of Magunditsa. I'll be holding their training workshop on Wednesday. These are also the people who gave me my Malawian name - Najere.

Usman’s Lesson

Wednesday, 03 September 2008

I’m not a numbers person. I don’t care about accounts and purchase orders and T ledgers and all that other business accounting stuff. I’m here to build capacity for fish farms, not to balance books. Granted I’ve done up budgets. You have to for workshops and proposals. That’s not so bad, list the things you want, get quotes for their costs, pass in the paperwork to the boss and the treasurer and there you go. Done. That’s all the financial management I need.

After outlining a budget for the workshops I plan to hold in LESS THAN 2 WEEKS (OMG!) I was pleased to have found out to have been approved MK150,000 – a little less than I asked for but enough to get the job done. Today I went to the accountant to see how I would actually get the money so I could procure the supplies and arrange logistics (oh that sounds so IPMP!). When the accountant looked at the bank statement to confirm the MK150,000 deposit from my donor agency he said that ‘actually you only have MK147,800 to work with’. Que? What’s that? As it turns out the NGO I work for did not pay their monthly banking service fees of MK2200 and were in the red, as a result the bank took their service fee from my workshop funds (which were transferred via direct deposit between their bank accounts). Needless to say I was not impressed. The accountant was standing in front of me saying that ‘No sorry you have less money for your workshop now.’ I was ripping mad. I mean get your act together. Shouldn’t you have money allocated to pay your bills already? Your debts should not be paid from my funding, which is strictly allocated. Which I am responsible for and must show receipts for the total 150,000 as laid out in the itemized budget. I just can’t say oops I’m not sure where that 2200 went. So instead of getting mad at his incompetence I simply said that, ‘This is not good enough. Are you going to tell the beneficiaries that I have to cancel a workshop because you didn’t have the accounts in order?’

It was at this point that all Usman’s tips and tricks for account juggling came back to me. It was hard to follow most of the material in his financial management class last winter, but I do remember the cook the book section. So the accountant and me looked at the budget and tried to figure out where we could rearrange funding and switch costs to different accounts. In the end we reduced the fuel costs on my budget by the 2200 and I was assured that we could re-allocate that fuel cost from another pre-existing account. Whew! Who knew I’d be cooking the books in Malawi using Usman’s ‘under-the-table’ lessons?

After sorting the budget crisis out, I sat down and thought about the money that was re-allocated. At first when I heard that I would be short 2200 I was mad. Its sounded like a lot of money. However, when I converted the value I realized it was only $15. That’s a whole lotta fuss over a little money. But it’s the principle of the matter right? And to put it in perspective, the beneficiaries of these workshops are people who live on <$1/day, so yeah that $15 is important.

Driving from Dedza to Mtakataka

Saturday, Aug 30, 2008

The landscape of Malawi is beautiful. Of course the geography is vastly different from the land where I was born and bred (dear Newfoundland how I miss thee), but it has its own beauty and grace to be appreciated.

There are times when I am returning home from the day and as I stop to glance out the window, I find myself drinking it all in, filling myself with awe. Simple things like the sunsetting in the sky. Honestly, every sunset I’ve seen so far has been incredible. I've never seen such colours as these vibrant pinks, reds, oranges, yellows. The heavenly rays of light casting down from the clouds onto the ground; the contrast of the pinks and oranges of the sunset with the browns, blues, greens of the terrafirma paint the landscape into an image that cannot be captured on the tv screen. It is simply put - beautiful.

I find myself happiest when I get out of the office. The days when I travel to the villages or simply drive to another town and can thus take in the landscape, awakens a part of me that was asleep.

My favourite drive is the one from Dedza to Mtakataka. Its only 100km, but the change in scenery is incredibly dramatic. Malawi is in the Great Rift Valley of Africa. There are mountains along the western side, which lead down an escarpment to the valley floor where you have Lake Malawi and the Shiree River. Dedza is in the mountains (the second highest point in Malawi actually) and Mtakataka is on the shores of Lake Malawi at the bottom of the rift valley.

Come along with me for the drive! At the beginning breathe the crisp air of the mountains and pull on a warm sweater to keep out the chill of the air. Now hop into the truck and begin the descent. At first the grade is low, the descent barely noticeable (unless of course you are pedalling a bike back into Dedza!), but then you come out from the plateau and meet the winding road that leads down to the lake. The road is not long, but its steep and winding, a snake that is made of a dozen SSSSS climbing up the mountain from the lake. At the top, the trees are short, stunted, surrounded by boulders, hilltop peaks filling your view. Descending down the mountainside you leave the peaks behind and your vision is replaced with slopes, covered in waterfalls, rockslides, terraced farms where there is vegetation, precariously placed villages clinging to the hillside. The driver motions to a particularly dramatic drop off and says, ‘Don’t Talk’. Looking over to the left, just a few metres away, the road drops off from the mountain to the valley floor, a dangerously beautiful sight of cliff and waterfall in view. This section of the road is called Don’t Talk, Just Pray. The rest of the descent is done in silence, wonder and awe. Clearing your ears, you break from your descent down the mountainside and emerge onto the valley floor. Looking around, its as if a heavenly hand just swept away a pile of rocky debris to clear your path to the lake. The stark contrast from the vertical mountain to the horizontal valley floor, flat as a pancake. You could draw a line where the two meet. The temperature here is warmer and you need to pull off your sweater, letting the warmth of the sun and the thickness of the air surround your body and warm your soul. You can see the lake nearing as you drive through the flatlands, passing the green and orange mango trees and the burning red coloured flame trees. The villages are more spread out here than back on the mountains and children and dogs, less confined by gravity, chase after the trucks and each other. After a few moments the smell of moisture fills your nostrils, that same familiar smell you get when you reach a great body of water. But here it’s also mixed with the smell of markets, chambo and smoke from the cooking fires. It’s the warm moist smoky smell of Lake Malawi late in the afternoon. It was worth the drive.

Africa at a glance

Friday, Aug 29, 2008

After writing my last entry I feel I need to write a more positive letter. I don’t want to project the image that Africa is a land full of misery and suffering - because it is not. As I have tried to explain to many people (some successfully, others not so much), Africa is not just what you see on the news. We have to keep in mind that the majority of the newscasts and mass media only present negative stories. (Really think back to when a headline expressed good news or at least something not so pessimistic – go ahead read today’s headlines – I’ll wait, my blog will still be here when you finish). There is a whole other side to Africa that the average North American never sees. Its not because we are ignorant, its just that the average person has little control over what they see in the media, and have even lesser access to this information unless you really hunt for it.

I wanted to take some time to dispel some of the common myths people have about Africa. Or at least the comments people made to me before I left the ‘safety’ of Toronto.

1) It’s a jungle out there. Yes and No. There are so many different types of landscapes here. a) Deserts – the Sahara in the north and the Kalahari in the southeast. b) Savannahs (kind of like drier prairies). This is what its like here in Malawi at the moment. Dry, dispersed vegetation, tall grasses. c) Mountains with snow. Remember that it gets colder with elevation (the higher up you go). The Atlas Mountains in the NE, and the Great Rift Mountains in the west – home of Mt. Kilaminjaro - the 2nd highest mountain in the world. d) Jungles. Yes, lots of rain forest, just like you see on TV. Not so much here in Malawi though. e) Great Lakes – like the great lakes in Ontario, there are great lakes in Africa, very near where I am actually, e.g. Lake Malawi, Lake Victoria. The lakes are vast and fresh and full of fish. I might dare to say even better than the Great Lakes of Canada. In Sum, think about it this way – as you drive across Canada or the US how many different landscapes and temperatures will you encounter? Is Alberta the same as Newfoundland? Ontario the same as Nunavut? Africa is as wide and vast as Canada.

2) It’s hot, hot, hot! Yes and No. As with the varied landscape, there is varied climate. To be honest, I believed this myth too. When I packed my bag I threw in my jeans and fleece just in case I did some hiking in the mountains. But I was soooo glad I brought them. At night it really cools down. At the moment I sleep with 2 blankets on my bed and I wear a sweater to work. This is mostly because I am staying in a town at an elevation of 5300ft. People who live near Lake Malawi have it warmer. It’s also important to keep in mind that Malawi is in the Southern Hemisphere and its winter here now. While the daytime high is 15-20ºC and nighttime low 10ºC at the moment, in a couple months the temp will be sweltering, just like you thought it would be. But of course, we only hear limited information on Africa’s climate. Just remember one thing – just because you are closer to the equator doesn’t mean that it is hot hot hot!

3) Everybody is poor. Yes and No. While so many people live in extreme poverty there are also millions of people who live quite comfortably. For instance, the woman I live with has 2 degrees, a jeep, laptop, her own house, complete with furniture, electricity, plumbing and servant. Lilongwe has a city centre full of banks, hotels, shops, businesses all with people dressed in such sharp suits they would blend in easily on Front & Bay streets. The downtown section is alive with bars, restaurants, schools, markets, cafes, beauty parlours, etc. I go out for lunch with girlfriends and then have a mani-pedi on the weekend. In that same salon are Malawian women getting their nails done too. I suppose the big difference is that, while most of the western luxuries are available in Malawi and Africa in general, the majority of the population can not afford them.

4) Everybody is sick. No, not everybody. While it is a sad reality that many illnesses and disease are rampant in Africa not every person is sick. For example, the HIV prevalence rate in Malawi is 14% - that means 14% of the population has HIV, but that also means that 86% of the population does not have HIV. If you got a mark of 86% on a final exam you’d be pretty happy about that right? So let’s keep it in context. There are occasional disease outbreaks but how the media portrays them are another matter altogether. When a newscaster reports a story about an outbreak of… oh I don’t know… lets say… Ebola, its hard for the average person to grasp exactly where that outbreak is on a map of a place they barely recognize, so they associate the disease with the whole continent. Congo/Malawi its all Africa right? No! It’s the same as suggesting that an outbreak of meningitis in Vancouver is going affect New York. It’s all North America right? (Sigh)

5) Africa is at war. A few spots yes and but mostly no. A very short history is needed here to understand. There are ~50 countries in Africa; most of these were occupied by European colonists a century ago. They fought for their independence and won it (just like the US did). Its just that since it happened ~50 times and within the last century that’s why it seems like its been at war for so long. Today I’d guess that >80% of the continent is at peace. When I go outside there are no armies and guerrilla fighters roaming the streets. Only children running and playing, the parents walking to the shops or home from work. There are so many of smiling faces. I hear more laughter here than I do in Toronto. There is significantly less gun violence and gun-related death in Lilongwe than Toronto, although I think the numbers of street gangs may be the same. With all that said there are some wars/armed conflicts ongoing in Africa. The DR Congo, Sudan and Somalia are the 3 that come to mind. Again lets put this in perspective – 3 of out 50 countries in conflict (and lest we forget that Canada and the US are currently engaged in an armed conflict with Afghanistan). What I’m trying to get at here is that history weighs heavily on Africa. But the here and now is different, its just that most of us don’t know that and we can thank our education system and the media for this ignorance. Seriously, Malawi is very peaceful - poor but peaceful.

6) All the politicians are corrupt. This is a tough one. For sure there are some nutter dictator/self-proclaimed presidents-for-life in power here in Africa, but they are few. And the ones historically prominent (e.g. Idi Amin of Uganda) tend to stereotype our minds. While today we see images of presidents like Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe in the newscast he is only but one president. There are so many other countries that hold democratic elections and have legitimate government representation, like Malawi. As for corruption, that’s a harder issue to debate. It’s not so transparent. But I do think that it’s not only the countries of Africa that suffer from it but also countries all around the world. Do we believe in the integrity of the Bush Administration? The former Liberal party? Thoughts to ponder that’s all.

I don’t know if this has cleared up some of the misconceptions we’ve been struggling with. I wish I could just take you all along with me to show you what I mean, what I’ve learned. I know words on a screen only go so far. Just try to keep an open-mind about this place, put things is perspective and take what the nightly newscast says with a grain of salt.