September

We are back in the capitol city again. But let me update you on what we have been doing in Sharpvale the last month.

We went to see the Nanyango Irrigation Club’s gardens. It took us two days to walk it all. We met many of the farmers and even saw the treadle pumps in action! The most amazing thing is how much land the group is cultivating! One man in working 4 acres for his family! He already harvested two ox carts worth of dry maize (white corn) this dry season. When we saw the fields the new maize was waist high. This man and his family will have gotten two more planting seasons meaning he can plant three times a year.


This club is named after the river they are located along, here is a man using a treadle pump in the sandy river bed.


This picture shows the watered gardens compared to the surrounding land that is dry and dead.


Some different crops maize at two different stages and sugar beans


Fields… some of the furthest away


This is on a shoot off of the Nanyango river, it flows year round making it easier to utilize the water.

Bryan always asks the farmers what they plan on doing with all the crops from their gardens. Will they sell or eat? Most said some of both but some (those who had terrible crops last rainy season) said they would eat all! And they said it in a Praise God we aren’t going to starve this year fashion.


A family working in their garden


Mother with two of her children, look how happy she is!


All these kids help (try anyway) their parents in the gardens and fields.


I like this picture because of the completely grown maize and how the kids are just hanging out.

The man with the 4 acres Bryan asked what he planned on using the food for and he said “Eat it, eat it all.” I then promptly asked how many people in his family he has to feed? He replied looking off in the distance eyes glazed over as if picturing them, “Too many.” His crops did fail last rainy season and he and his family were worried about hunger this year. Now even as the days are getting hotter, he gladly spends his days tending to the fields.

The Man with some of his family

Our Agogo Wamuna (Grandpa) in the village has been gone for 3 weeks to Dedza Hospital. One of his sons works there. We were told he had an operation, but as best we can tell it was kidney related. This man is a trooper, he returned two days ago, the girls singing and people chatting! We went over to give a dozen eggs and see him, he had gone in but came out to greet us. He comes out greets us then says Tiowanana (see you later). We think he was exhausted from travel and excitement of getting home and he isn’t so young any more. Over all he is doing amazing and the Agogo Akazi (Grandma) is so happy and relieved to have him home.

As for the rest of our village family, they are well Loveness (one of the Grandparents granddaughter) has found her x-husband and sees him as a way out of the village. The x-husband and his family live in Blantyre. So he has re-proposed which entails paying the chief some moola. Sad thing is he did it behind the whole families back, he is not liked by the family or village for that mater. Even the chief said he was not welcome back to the area… he did some bad things, mainly steeling. So now Loveness has gone back to Blantyre. We do not really expect her to come back. I am sad because she and I chatted often, she speaks fluent English and she helped me connect with the women of our village.

Here are some pictures of our families kids:

Mary and Jenifer (Mr. Liwonde’s oldest and youngest 1st and 4th)


This is Loveness’s first Shalom


Mr. Liwonde’s 3rd (only boy) Charles


The kids love to hang out with us and play games, they really like Uno! From Left to Right: Memory, Shalom, Bryan, Charles, Mary holding jen and Lockylo.

Our well has dried up, so we have spent the last three weeks trying to get it fixed, but all that has happened is they,as Malawians say, crashed (broke and removed) the top of it. The women have to travel the 3 kilometers round trip again… needless to say the plants are suffering, but we reuse any and all water we can. We even bath standing in a basin to catch the water! Crazy… but it works!
Our other large problem is a stray male dog that has been hanging out around our ladies. This dog is sneaky and we have been trying to catch him and scare him off but he just won’t leave! This is one of the thorny traps we made for the hole in the fence. Thing is he is too smart.


Mr. Liwonde has three baby goats and he is expecting a few more. He has a set of twins and one other… They are fun to watch at such a young age they fall often but get right back up and bounce everywhere! The one other (not the twins) is very cute, he has huge floppy ears!


We have some pictures from last month…
Bryan working on wiring our village home thanks to Uncle Don who sent mass amounts of boxes and moola. We now have solar electricity! It rivals the electricity in the cities because the cities power is always going out! Ours does not!


Keah (Me) pitting masaw and cutting in half to dry… reminds me of pitting cherries at Grandma and Grandpas!


We distributed the last of the treadle pumps, 3 to a small group. I like this group a lot, they were very prepared and ready!




Last time we came into town we brought chicken to Peace Corps staff who wanted them, so this is how we transported them!



By the way Bryan is doing amazingly well and his head has healed up Great!