This past week or so has been a real test of my perseverance and patience. I fear I am not passing with flying colours.

First, I NOTICED THAT CERTAIN KEYS ON THE KEYPAD WEREN’T WORKING.

Thinking it was cat hair or dust I was upset but not panicked. I took it to school 3 days after learning of the problem. The computer teacher could not fix it. I took it to town on Saturday. That in itself was an experience. I’ll write about that in a separate post.

Finally, a week after I first noticed the problem, a technician came to my house. He took the computer apart, cleaned, blew air in and it still didn’t work. He thinks it is a short in the wiring. I am upset but knowing I could get an external keyboard or Azikiwe’s computer if necessary made me feel better. I’ve been away from internet for 12 days. I now have this keyboard and hopefully tomorrow a dongo which will allow me to go on the net.

On Wednesday night I woke up to a strange gurgling sound coming from the toilet. The water had been off most of Wednesday and on and off on Tuesday so I assumed it was just the water turning on. Eventually I got up to find air blowing out of a pipe into the tank of the toilet making the small amount of water in there gurgle. I lifted the pipe so I only heard the hissing of air and went back to bed. This was at 3:45. At 5:15 the cat woke me, as usual. When I went to the bathroom the floor was covered in at least an inch of water. It was spraying out of the toilet. The water was going into the next room. I couldn’t find a tap to switch off the toilet so I had to go outside and switch off all water to the house. As I started to bathe, in a
basin, the power went off.

The toilet is not yet repaired. A plumber has been here three times.

Once he came just to look. The second time he came with a part but the part was too big so he came back with a smaller part the following day. I went to Ntcheu this weekend believing that the toilet was fixed.

When I came home noticed some small puddles of water lying around. A note from Pilirani, the girl who cleans my house said that she waited for the plumber to finish his work on Friday but then got a call from the housekeeper of the neighbouring house that water was coming out my door. She came back and mopped it up and switched off the main water supply again. Hopefully tomorrow a plumber will actually fix the problem. I hate being without running water. I have to get water from a bucket I keep outside. The good thing is that the floor is made of cement so any water that can’t be mopped up just soaks in.

Meanwhile I have an almost debilitating pain in my right shoulder and middle back. Last weekend it caused me such pain that while lying in my bed I couldn’t roll over without attempting the feat several times.

Most times my accomplishment was accompanied by a yelp of pain.

Moving from lying to sitting positions was equally painful and challenging. I couldn’t even reach over my head to hang clothes. Brushing my teeth and shampooing were almost unbearably painful. On Tuesday, after 3 days, I went to the clinic. By this time the pain was getting a bit better. The doctor told me I’d just slept on it wrong and gave me some painkillers which I was to take 3 times a day.

Out of desperation I took them even though the brand was unknown to me and there was no listing of how many mg of the drug each capsule contained. They did alleviate the pain a bit but the next day I was nauseous. I’ve stopped taking them. The pain is still there but atleast I can function without yelping.

So, all in all, a rough few days but I guess this is life no matter where I am.

Tags: itatu, itatu orphan care, jennifer douma, malawi

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Azikiwe and I traveled to Karonga over the Easter holiday. We decided to rent a car for the trip as the coach would be at least a 10 hour ride. I couldn’t face ten hours of loud, smelly crowded and hot buses. The rental and fuel cost a lot of money but it was worth it. We were able to really tour around.

Azikiwe’s home is Karonga. This is the area of Malawi recently hit by earthquakes. The damage done is quite noticeable. Many houses are without a roof. People were advised to remove the tin roofs for safety. The earthquakes began in December and continued into February. Tremors would last for a few seconds and would randomly come at any point during the day. On some days there were several tremors but then days would pass with nothing. Many people are still sleeping outside under makeshift tents made of grass, branches and bamboo. Karonga is along Lake Malawi and is a very hot area. The air is heavy with humidity. Azikiwe’s father lives among the rice paddies which means acres of still water. Mosquitoes are a real problem for these people. Sleeping outside poses a great risk of malaria.

The lake was rough but I managed to play among the waves a few times. It was a bit awkward since the locals are not used to seeing mzungus swimming. I got a lot of stares.

The most memorable site in Karonga, aside from the lush scenery, was a man riding a bicycle carrying a pig.

The pig was not at all happy.

In Karonga I saw a lot of livestock. Cows graze in front of banks, oxen pull carts through the streets of town and goats wander around eating whatever they can fine. Karonga is a good sized town and this mix of town and rural life was pretty surprising to me.

Tags: jennifer douma, Karonga, malawi

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From the mid-1960s until the mid-1990s Malawi was ruled by a dictator. He was known as a cruel man who would punish anyone he suspected of disrespecting him. He was fond of feeding people to the crocodiles if they crossed him. He did do many great things for Malawi but the people were never free.

Azikiwe’s father was one of Dr. Banda’s victims. In his early life Mr. Mwakayoka was a primary school teacher but he later worked in the government. He was working for the District Commisssioner and was called upon to settle a land dispute between members of two villages. Unbeknownst to him the person that he ruled again was a high ranking government official. This man went to the authorities telling them that Mr. Mwakayoka should be put in prison. The government needed no proof of the alleged crimes. Azikiwe’s father was taken from his home and put into a prison with horrible conditions. He stayed there for 2 years. One day, guards came and told him he was free to go. He has no idea why he was released. He told me he didn’t stop to ask questions.

Upon his release he lived in fear for his life. His friends and family also feared. Many of his old friends abandoned him and his family for fear of being put into prison just for associating with him. Finally he had to flee to Zambia.

Azikiwe was a young boy at this time. His mother had no source of income. She sent him to live with his grandfather in the north while she went to family in Zambia. She struggled constantly to get school fees for Azikiwe. Often Azikiwe would only attend school for a few weeks of a term. He was always sent home for unpaid fees. One year he was not able to attend school at all. There was just not enough money for fees.
People liked Azikiwe and wanted to assist him. Often at school friends would give him a few cents here and there so that he could get home when the term ended. He had to borrow soap and frequently bathed with only water. He had no shoes. He would scavenge flip-flops tossed away by his classmates. He would often be wearing an unmatched pair.

Through the kindness of teachers and classmates Azikiwe was able to complete secondary school. He then came to Lilongwe and got a job as a clerk in the government. This was still during the time of Dr. Banda. After a few months he decided to pursue his interest in engineering. He joined the communications branch of the government. He was sent to school and still works for Malawi Telecom as an engineer.

He tells me that if people who once knew him see him now they are surprised at his success. Because of his poverty many did not expect him to make it.

Neither Azikiwe nor his father are bitter or angry. They are two of the most considerate and honest men I’ve ever met. I am amazed at their strength and determination.

Azikiwe’s father is an amazing 80 year old man. Azikiwe kept telling me that his father lived in the paddies. I didn’t know what he meant until, on the morning of our intended visit, Azikiwe stopped to buy sandals to wear for the walk to his father’s house. I opted for my flip-flops which turned out to be a wise choice. To live among the paddies in this case means walking almost a kilometre along narrow, often muddy and uneven paths with rice growing on either side of you. The water for the rice is almost knee deep. At one point I had to wade through knee deep water for about 3 metres. My shoe fell off at one point. It was stuck in the mud. When it was found, it had broken. So, I showed up at Mr. Mwakayoka’s house barefoot and muddy.

I can see the appeal of where he lives. It is cool in the shade and very beautiful. The rice is green and lush and extends like a lake all around. His home is like an island in the middle of a green, waving sea. It is very peaceful.

Mr. Mwakayoka was very excited because Azikiwe was going to connect his solar panel for him. He told Azikiwe that it was only fair that he should use the panel before he dies. He is now famous all around because at night he can have a light on above his porch. There is no electricity in his area.

This man does not look or act his age. He rides his bicycle to town once a week. To get to town he first has to get out of the rice paddies then ride 7km along a dirt road until he reaches the tarmac. He then rides about 20km to town where he spends the day chatting, getting news and attending meetings. At the end of the day he rides home. The ride takes him about 2 ½ hours each way.

His radio no longer works. He is missing news from the world. I am planning to get him a new radio before I leave. I hope it isn’t too difficult to get it to him. I fell in love with this man. He is witty, intelligent and kind. I liked Azikiwe right from the start too. Obviously this is a good and unique family. I am lucky to know them and call them friends.

Tags: jennifer douma, malawi

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