Dire Straits ..........not the group, but life in Malawi!

Hi Folks, my blog is supposed to be an update on the progress of the project but over the last few months the project has stagnated due to a number of factors - mainly due to a severe shortage of funds but we struggle on.
So for a change I thought perhaps an insight into daily life in and around Mzuzu might be of some interest.  This is the 'city' of the northern region and is surrounded by lush green forests due to the climate and the fact that there is generally more rainfall and indeed showers can come at anytime during the year with the exception of August to early November.  It is now winter and the mornings and evenings are cold, even for a mzungu like me!  This surprises local Malawians as they think since I'm from Scotland I should be used to this kind of weather but the body does adjust and when the temperature drops by 10 degrees or so you feel the difference so the winter woolies are now out of storage and the elcetric balnket will be going back on the bed.
I'm fortunate to live in a reasonable house in what is known as a low density area and I have a 2 metre high wall surrounding the property.  This is necessary for security and at night there is a security guard on duty as break ins are common place.  To an extent this is understandable given the deprivation suffered by the majority and the lack of work available.  Normal housing in and around Mzuzu varies from mud built structures to brick built as can be seen in the collage.


Houses around Mzuzu city





Typical toilets, shower rooms and kitchens



Facilites are basic with outside pit latrines (toilets) and bathing rooms (showers ie a bucket of water).  There is a communal tap for fresh water and most houses have no electricity but rely on paraffin lamps.  Kitchens are outbuildings with wood fires for cooking, meaning smoke filled, dangerous areas where accidents occur regularly especially with young children falling on the open fires.  Smoke inhalation is also a major health problem.  The table in the photograph is typical of that used to place dishes and cooking utensils on to dry once they have been washed.



Some local grocery shops



Travelling around is an experience in itself - for those of you not familiar with transport in Africa you take your life in your hands each time you use public transport.  According to figures there are more deaths on the roads of Malawi due to accidents than there are deaths from AIDS.  A minibus can crash and all the occupants killed, a lorry carrying 'matola' (that's people paying to ride in the back of an open truck) can often be so tightly packed its impossible to count the number of people on it - I've tried and there can be 60 or more packed like sardines in these trucks.  The road signs advise motorists to 'Arrive Alive - speed kills' or to 'Share the Roads with other users'.  What it doesn't tell you about the other users is that these can be people walking, young children, bicycles, goats, chickens, cattle, dogs etc.  Road sense or highway code as we know it is non existent.

In Mzuzu a popular form of transport is the Sacramento which is a bicycle with, if your lucky, a padded seat at the rear, but often just the wire seat.  These are very busy in the morning transporting people to town, women with babies tied to their backs, children going to school anyone who can afford to pay for the service.  Another form of transport is to take a taxi.  These taxis are mostly very old vehicles with smashed windscreens covered with sellotape, doors that don't always open because there is no handle on the inside, boot lids that rattle and shake and a strong smell of petrol from the plastic containers they carry in the boot in case they run out of fuel.  They never leave until the taxi is full and you can be sharing it with 3 or 4 other people, maybe someone with their live chicken at their feet.  My most frightening experience is when they travel down the hill from my house and they switch off the engine to save fuel.  Its a very steep hill and runs for about 2kms and I pray that we reach the bottom safely and that the vehicle I'm in doesn't have power assisted brakes or steering!  Fuel shortages are frequent and last week the taxi I was in ran out of fuel half way up the hill so it was 'sorry madam' and I had to get out and walk.  I have to say I don't mind the walk on the way down but on the way up its a different story all together.

Even with my own transport I've had my share of scary experiences.  I had borrowed a car from a Malawian friend while I was in my first year in Malawi.  While travelling from Nkhmenya to Mzuzu a tyre blew and the car rolled, ending upside down in a ditch......miraculously I walked away from this without a scratch.  I have to say since that incident I have been extremely particular regarding the quality and maintnenance of the tyres fitted to the Trust vehicles and no longer borrow cars.  At least our vehicle is looked after and  well maintained. Next time was last year after a visit to Kwik-fit to have new tyres fitted.  Job done I headed off for Lilongwe but had a feeling something was 'not right' with the steering so wasn't travelling too fast.  I was able to steer the car to the side of the road and stop safely but imagine my shock when I got out to see my rear wheel rolling off at speed into the forest.  Some little kids went running after it and found it and rolled it back out for me. When help arrived from Mzuzu they just looked at the vehicle and said 'God loves you madam'.  The nuts had not been tightened properly!  Kwik-fit accepted responsibiltiy for this and compensated us for the damage.  Worried, the Trust driver, now routinely checks the wheel nuts, tyre pressure etc prior to setting off on any journeys.



Lost my wheel !!!



As if that wasn't enough the last incident was when the brakes failed .....yes failed!  I was heading to the Lake for a quiet weekend and realised there was a problem with the brakes which I had to keep pumping to get them to work until finally even pumping them didn't work.  I had to do a handbrake stop as I approached the police road block but they didn't realise I had a problem so I passed through.  Once safely out of sight I stopped and called Mzuzu once again for help.  Worried arrived a couple of hours later and with help and a roadside repair was carried out, new brake pads fitted and I was on my way.  This was really my own fault as the brakes had been making a grinding noise and Worried wanted to have this checked out but I was so desperate to get away for the weekend I took the risk.  We have now sold this vehicle as it was becoming a liability with mounting garage bills and we are just waiting for our 'new' vehicle which has been recently imported from Japan to be released by the MRA.

At Chesney Trust, of course, we take road safetly serioulsy and we never take risks.  Our driver is qualified to drive public service vehicles and has completed a defensive driving course.  He drives safely and within the speed limits at all times.  The maximum speed on the roads of Malawi is 80kms per hour and now that the traffic police have speed cameras one can never be sure where they might pop up.  They are also all around the country doing spot checks on vehicles, and drivers in an effort to reduce the casualties on the road.

At the end of this month we have our 1st group of volunteers from Outlook Expeditions coming, students from Park Mains school in Renfrewshire so we should have some interesting news and photos for next time.

So, life is different ..........interesting, challenging but never boring!!!!