The Maloto Journal

Well, I’ve been back in the U.S. for a bit over a week now, although it feels like much longer. Malawi seems like it was a thousand years away - perhaps because it is such a different world there than the one I live in here. So much happened in the last month that I didn’t blog, but I will try to catch you up as best I can through pictures.

Some of my neighbors

We had the best class party ever

Some of the women from Kwithu came, too

Some of the girls

Faith all dressed up

Singing

Class photo

Emmanuel, Beckham, Isaac and Walani

Vitu, Emmanuel, Patience, Gomezgani and TanakaMe with Faith and the women (Faith loves my hair)

Boys in Luwinga

Me, Anna and Sophie at my good-bye dinner

Last week we had some lovely visitors come to Mzuzu. They were all a part of the Meredith Brokaw Trip, which we auctioned off during our fundraiser last fall. The visitors included Meredith herself, Millie Meyers, who works for the U.S. Mission to the U.N., Phlyp Koshland, an artist from Sydney, Australia, Gina Paoloni, the development director of Maloto, and Lisa Levart, a photographer from Nyack, NY. Here are some pictures from their visit.

Class picture (courtesy of Lisa)

We visited St. Augustine Primary School in Mzuzu, a government school which fits about 75 students into one classroom

Gina and Meredith at our dinner with the Mzuzu Academy Board of Directors

Me, Gina, and Lisa at dinner

Meredith and Harrison, Chairman of the Board

Mzuzu Academy Board of Directors and staff

Gina and Anna

These are some more photos of John and Marta McGuinness’ visit to Mzuzu last week. Also, last week marked the arrival of Jill Bennett as well, our educational coordinator. Jill will be here for the remainder of the trip helping us out with all the logistics going into the opening from the school. We’re very happy to have her!

This week marked the arrival of Mzuzu Academy’s flagship headmaster, John McGuinness, and his wife, Marta. John has extensive experience at international schools around the world, and is currently serving as Headmaster at an international school in Egypt. While in Mzuzu, our visitors worked out logistics and came up with some great ideas regarding the school, as well as visited the site numerous times, had lunch with the women and children at Kwithu, and got to know the city. John and Marta are lovely people and we very much enjoyed their visit. We’re looking forward to when they move to Mzuzu permantently in just two weeks.

New Mzuzu Academy Headmaster, John McGuinness

-Mandy

Hi everyone! I hope things are going well back in the States, the UK, or wherever else around the world you might be reading from. I’m still loving my time here in Mzuzu. Today marks a month since I’ve arrived in Malawi. I’ve been teaching the children from the Kwithu Center for four weeks now, preparing them for their entrance exams to Mzuzu Academy. I’ve also been able to travel to nearby Nkhata Bay for the past two weekends, which is a truly beautiful spot, as well as a fun place to meet fellow travelers. Here are some pictures from the past two weeks:

The market in Mzuzu

Mayoka Village, where I’ve stayed the past two weekends in Nkhata Bay

Swimming in the Bay

Cliff jumping

Sunset on the Bay

Teaching

Christina, Lusubiro, and Costance

Math class

As always, you can see all of my pictures on my Picasa Web Album, and read my other blog, Small Bright World, for more updates.

Thanks for reading! Hope to see you all soon in Malawi.

Mandy

Hi all, this is Mandy again updating from Mzuzu. I’ve begun teaching full-time now and it’s been awesome. The kids I’m teaching (they’re from the Kwithu Center) are all amazing - they work so hard and I can’t believe they come to me after a full day of school with that much energy and determination. It’s truly impressive, and I have to admit that I think some kids from the U.S. could take tips from these Malawian students on work ethic.

Our classes have been taking place at Mzuzu Academy, which is also great. The space is beautiful and the kids are really excited to be learning there.

Walani and Isaac doing some acrobatics at Kwithu

Me and Faith

On Sunday, Anna and I went to Lake Malawi, which is truly gorgeous. The drive through northern Malawi was breathtaking, and being be able to relax at the beach for a few hours was heaven.

Hi everyone,

My name is Mandy, and I’m a new volunteer here with Maloto.  I’ll be spending the next three months working with children from the Kwithu Feeding Center in Mzuzu and helping about fifteen of them prepare for their entrance exams into Mzuzu Academy.  As Anna says, I am only “four days old” in Mzuzu.  The people here have been so kind and welcoming, and I feel I’ve known many of them longer than four days.  In fact, everyone I meet in Mzuzu greets me with a handshake and welcomes me.  I am still adjusting to a lot - the smells, the food, the layout of the city, and probably most notably, the amount of poverty that surrounds us.  It’s hard to see children walking around with no shoes on, many of whom are dirty, or emaciated, or both.  But many of them are laughing and playing like any other children would.  Anna and I were saying today, children are children, no matter where you go.

Yesterday I harvested beans with the women and children of Kwithu.  They all work so hard; I am amazed at their ethic.  We had a fun (and tiring) day, and it was so nice to finally meet the people I will be working with.  Today, I met some of the women and children at the center, where we played some getting-to-know-you games and English games like Simon Says.  We are anxiously awaiting the teaching materials, and until then I am planning some of my own lessons and group activities.

Anna and I harvesting beans

The Kwithu Farm

Playing Simon Says at the center

You can see all of my pictures here and visit my personal blog, Small Bright World, for more updates.

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