One of Malawi’s major exports is tea. This past weekend I traveled with Azikiwe to the tea district, Mulanje. Mount Mulanje is the 3rd tallest mountain in Africa. The district is in the southern part of Malawi. I’ve often heard that the southern district is the poorest in this country.

The tea district is absolutely beautiful. Tea plants are really just bushes that stand about a metre high. The bushes are planted in rows but until you get right in the field you cannot see the distinction between the rows. From the road it just looks like a beautiful blanket of green. The leaves that are picked are just those at the top of the plant. They are a brighter, lighter green colour than those on the rest of the bush.

It takes about 2 weeks for a new set of leaves to grow and be picked.

The tea plantation workers live right on the plantation. The soil is quite red, full of iron. Their houses are painted a salmon colour so the dirt that blows up onto them doesn’t show as prominently as it would on a house of a different colour. At least once a week a market comes to the plantation so that workers can buy food, and goods. There are primary schools on the plantations.

Those who work at harvesting tea are paid by the amount of tea they pick each day. Tea is placed into large straw baskets which are carried like backpacks to a weighing station. From there tea is placed into sacks and carried to a factory for drying and grinding.

Unfortunately there is great poverty among the workers. None of them own or even rent their own plots of land. They are housed on the plantation property. They do not have their own gardens for growing maize. Even if a person could afford to rent a plot of land they could not find any. Every inch of land is occupied by tea plants. People are forced to buy their maize which is not as cost effective as growing their own. A worker on a tea plantation makes about $1.25 a day. We saw one sign that read, “This plantation is free from child labour.” Picking tea does not appear to be difficult work so one can almost understand, given the low wages, why a parent might bring their child along to help pick.

I met a lady who is working for the World Food Program. She said she helps to feed 2500 primary children each day in the tea growing area.

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

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As I look to the end of this adventure I feel the need to publicly thank some people. I hope this doesn’t sound like an acceptance speech at the Oscars but I believe in showing appreciation when people are generous with their time, love or finances.

First I’d like to thank Danielle who created and managed the website. I love it.

Thank you also for the packages you’ve sent and the money sent by Western Union. All are greatly appreciated.

Troy, thank you for the package you sent. I’m enjoying the fresh herbs now. Also thank you for the periodic emails to check upon me and make sure all is well.

To my parents, especially my dad, thanks for the emails each week. I say a special thanks to my dad because I know his feelings about computers and I am well aware of his not quite polished typing skills.

Thanks to Mary, Connie, Phyllis, Wendy, Erica, Mac, Robyn, Linda and Jill for the emails to inform me of what’s happening in my real life back home.

Thanks to Mary for taking care of my apartment and not embezzling my funds.

Thanks to Patrick and Mary for the FedEx package. I loved getting it. It was like Christmas in Malawi!

Thanks to all the generous donors who have shown their support by contributing a portion of their hard-earned salaries. A special thanks to the Elementary Teachers of Toronto and Phyllis, for their very generous donation. Also I’d like to extend my gratitude to the people of Port Rowan who have been so generous to my cause.

Thanks to Robyn and the rest of you who comment on my posts. It is motivating and encouraging to read your words. I feel as if people really care about what I’m doing when I know you’ve actually read what
I’ve written. Robyn and Cynthia you sometimes make me blush with your words of encouragement.

Thanks to Collin, Mom, Dad, Troy and Danielle for talking about what I do to your friends and co-workers.

My dreams for Itatu are growing and I feel confident in my future success because of your belief in what I am doing.

Thank you everyone for showing your support. I truly appreciate every gesture, word and donation.

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

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I have decided to hire a part-time teacher at the Orphan Care centre.

Working at Mount Sinai, I am very impressed by the English skills of my young students. In this country English is the official language, yet very few people speak it fluently. Even the teachers struggle with the language. Maggie, one of my children has been put back from Standard 5 to Standard 4 because of her poor English skills. This makes me especially sad since she had the best English of all the children when I first met her.

Originally I’d hoped that the caregivers I hired would be able to assist with English and other homework but it seems they have very limited skills themselves and are only really comfortable assisting with bible knowledge.

I will go to the Headmaster of Chitungu Primary School and ask his recommendation on a few suitable teachers who can work one hour a day with the children strictly on English. Next time I come or perhaps if I can use FedEx, I will send teaching materials that are appropriate for their level of English. The teacher will be offered a salary of k5000 a month (about $35) which will be a welcome addition to the no more than k20000 they earn now. I will interview candidates and assess their spoken and written English skills. I will also insist that Azikiwe communicate to this teacher only in English.

I want Itatu to have more of an educational focus. When we build our own building we will be sure to include a classroom with chalkboards and shelves for books. I want my children to be elevated above the rest. I think one day I would like to incorporate a nursery school into Itatu but that will require a great deal of funding as the locals can’t afford to pay much more than about $2.50/month for childcare.

I am very excited about this idea and am certain it will be a success.

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

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