more travels............

Hello everyone,

Its been a great week in many ways, so many new experiences and a bit of travelling.  A few weeks ago, I was facilitating training for Mphatso Children's Foundation which is on the lakeshore near Kande.  Last Thursday I was invited to the main centre to witness the graduation of the participants for the second time.  The first time was in Mzuzu but this time in the village with some friends and families attending.  I went with Nicolas and its at the lake and guess what......we got stuck in the sand, but I will not bore you with another picture of the car being dug out!  I was thankful for so many of the participants pushing the car out!

Kamoza, our trainer from Bandawe Presbytery was with us - here you can see us as we listen to a speech.  It is boiling hot at the lake side and we were in a building with a tin roof so you can imagine!!

The guest of honour was the Village Headman and you can see him here giving out one of the certificates.  He made a very good speech where he said that he would inform all his fellow chiefs in the district to support the CBCC's (Community Based Childcare Centres) especially in sustainability.

The Village Headman, Nicolas, myself and Kamoza - I felt rather small!!

On the way back to Mzuzu, we took one of the participants Kankholosa with us.  He is a lovely man full of fun and I am sure the children in his centre really enjoy it.  Kankholosa wanted me to take some bananas from his home so while we waited for him to fetch them, Nicolas took the opportunity to collect some stones to use in the classroom!!

Kankholosa arriving with the bananas

The bananas are beginning to ripen and I had one for lunch - they are the small sweet bananas - delicious!!

Then on Sunday, I had to travel to Chitipa in the far north of Malawi to do interviews for three Presbyteries, Chitipa, Wenya and Misuku.  We are still interviewing for ToT's - Trainer of Trainers for each Presbytery.  On the way I planned to stop in Chilumba where 8 new nursery schools have just opened, to give them some advice on the way forward,  the next stop was Karonga where I was delivering some utensils to Lucy (our ToT in Karonga Presbytery) for some of the nursery schools for hygiene and feeding the children.  We have to thank God for the interest in Early Childhood Development in Malawi, and for the development that is happening.  Here you can see some of the utensils before they were packed in the car.

and when the car was packed......

As many of you know we have a fuel problem in Malawi, and poor Mr Singini had queued for 4 days to find enough fuel to go to Chitipa.  Here you can see him filling the car from a jerry can.  We also carried a jerry can with us so that we could get back home again.  And as I am supposed to travel tomorrow to Luwerezi, Mr Singini is again queueing at the petrol station - diesel arrived this morning but there is no guarantee that he will get any.  The Chitipa trip had been postponed twice due to lack of fuel and the trip to Luwerezi has also been postponed twice so I am hoping and praying that we find enough fuel so that we don't disappoint them again!

I have been to Chitipa many times and the thought of the journey does not fill me with joy!  The road is really bad and takes about two and a half hours to travel just over 100kms.  However, I got such a pleasant surprise on this trip.  The road is being constructed by the Chinese and they are really doing an amazing job. It has all been smoothed - rocks taken out and its a wide road now. The workers were busy making drains at the sides of the road and the last stage will be tar.  The road has also been shortened as many bridges have been constructed.

The view from the road is always amazing - its a hilly part of Malawi and very beautiful.  Its the dry season and many leaves are changing colour - much like autumn in UK without the rain and about 15 degrees hotter!!

As we approach Chitipa there are many palm trees and it was approaching dusk and it was beautiful.  This part of the road was terrible in the past but as you can see its a good dirt road!

People in Chitipa are so hospitable and friendly so I always enjoy my stay there.  I stay in the CCAP guest house which is basic but clean.  I thought I would let you see my accommodation.  This is the room where I like to stay.  You can see the firewood piled up outside!!

Here is the inside of my suite.......

The rooms are not en suite but there are communal toilets and bath rooms.  This is the hot water heater which is next to my room!

When you want a wash you mix hot water with cold water until its the right temperature...

and take it to your bathing room...  simple, but effective to wash off all the dust!

As I was there to conduct interviews, I was waiting early in the morning to start, when some children came around.  They ignored me and seemed to be on a mission very busy looking at the ground.  They went behind the car and I followed them and found them all looking for ants!!

The children were funny - one of them was carrying a backpack so I assumed he was going to the nursery school just across the compound in Chitipa, but when I asked them they said no they did not go to school.  A few minutes later the caregiver came looking for them - I think the ants were more fun than school!!

It is always a privilege to visit our trainers in their homes, and I had to go and see Foster's family and new baby.  I know that the teachers  team who came last year will be interested to know that Foster now has a baby girl called Favour.

It was a short visit, as soon as the interviews were over (we found two new ToT's, but still no one for Misuku Presbytery), we had to come back to Mzuzu as I have a full programme this week and had no time to waste!  On the way home again, the views were spectacular....... what a beautiful country this is!

When I got home (after a 5 hour journey) I was tired and hot, and so I opened the fridge to get some cold water and the fridge was overrun with these lovely creatures inside - can you imagine.  There were many dead and many living - I forgot about taking a picture before I had most of them removed!!  Ants get everywhere - I found today that they have eaten every scrap of my strawberry plants in the garden too!!

Just now as I was coming from the office I saw movement in front of me.  Mr Nyirenda who works in my garden had just cleaned the car (after the Chitipa trip) and so there was water on the ground.  Its dry these days and so birds take any opportunity to get some water when they can.  This is a Jameson's firefinch - its beautiful, brown and red and was taking the opportunity to have a drink!

In fact there were two of them but due to the light the camera did not pick them up with colour - I think this is a stunning picture anyway but then again, I am biased!

Wishing you all a week full of blessings,  

Diane


PS.........thanks for the comments - look forward to more this week!!


PPS............ just had a phone call from the petrol station - fuel has finished and we have none!!  Joy to the world!!