Diary of an SOS Children volunteer in Malawi

Termites!! Amazing! What spead they operate with. Last monday we sowed sugar snap peas with the class after a lecture on legumes; we covered some of the new seed row with sticks against birds, but I had not counted on these industrious detrivores. Wednesday everything looked fine, Thursday the sticks were hardly detectable, covered in antcasts, I hope they haven’t eaten the peas too. These guys do double the amount worms do(although there are worms here too) with a side kick: if you don’t eat them, they will eat your house, trees, compost your heap, anything dead and if that not available start on diseased or weak.

Outdoor teaching area for Agriculture, Bricklaying, Carpentry.

 Last week we made a swale after a lesson on ‘Erosion’. A swale is a type of draining ditch on a contour to stop sheet erosion and catch water runoff; storing it in the ground (as ground water). The resulting bank we planted with Comfrey; for leaf fertiliser/compost, Elephant grass for fodder and Vetiver. This method I was shown at a permaculture day course here in Lilongwe at ‘Natures Gift; a one year old demonstration garden and training center in Permaculture, they take volunteers, so my aim is now to introduce some of my students, tomorrow I am sponsoring the agriculture teacher to come with me on the follow on course, so he also has a connection for his students.   

Last Weekend we took  a short trip to Mzuzu and Nkata Bay, a  good seven hour drive if you take the coastal route along the lake via the market town of Nkotakota, North wards. We tried sticking to the tarmacced roads, but one stretch of 33 miles had not been finished yet, it led through the wildlife/forest reserve of Nyukiand we passed several families of Baboons. Not the vandal types you get in SA, which are used to tourists and jump onto your car, hoping to grab your camera/food. We picked up a couple of hitch hikers also bound for Nkata Bay; German volunteers stationed here for a (gap)year teaching, before starting university, some of them living in very remote villages without electric or running water. Nkata Bay was beautifull, right on the edge of the lake, we stayed in a bamboo hut on the edge of the lake, what luxury to have direct access to a swim on your doorstep, the water temperature was perfect. Tried the dug out canoe paddeling chalenge: two in a boat,  with legs inside; it is extremely tippy and so have got various broozes as coordination and balance are essential. The following day we drove to Mzuzu to visit SOS Chilren Village there. A slightly newer village with lots of happy looking faces. We were shown round the  houses and primary school. One of the ‘Mothers’ showed us the most adorable pair of 4 month old twins, whos mother had died at their birth: two healthy boys called Chimwemwe and Malumbo (Happiness and Graceciousness) They are still looking for  a sponsor including a number of other children.

This is rainy season, last week we had a few major down pours; one could set the clock by them; 5.45 pm and you would get drenched, we were caught out twice like that and had to invest in an umbrella. Now we don’t leave the house without it. But when we were in Salima, near the lake, last weekend we were told it had not rained for 3 weeks. The guide book almost puts people off going in the rainy season and it is pretty much devoid of tourism at this time. A number of the lakeside lodges are closed during this season.

The few white people here are missionaries, aid workers or volunteers. With 90% of Malawi’s economy in Agriculture this country is extremely vulnerable in times of drought, with very little else to fall back on.  There are plenty of business opportunities here. But the problem is there is no money for investment. Banks don’t give loans. So there are no jobs, not much education and not much else to do but get married and have babies; 15 is the normal age to get married among the non educated, and that is most. Since 2009 there have been fuel shortages, something to do with foreign funds and border tax; all fuel has to be imported and has to come across Mozambique or Tanzania. It is the same price as in England! With Malawi’s fertile land it could easily grow Bio fuels (I haven’t quite discovered what the snag is here). Last Sunday a few stations had fuel and we were able to drive to Lake Malawi: a beautiful rural drive along a good tarmac road, through scrub land with thatch mud huts. In the larger villages there would be road blocks manned by police, fortunately we were allowed straight through. The lake provides cat fish, butter fish and ‘Chambo’: a bream and the most popular. A few locals, all men were bathing starkers when we arrived, we walked along the sandy beach and found a quiet spot without any people; as all women wear long skirts and no trousers, let alone shorts, I felt uneasy about wearing a bikini in public. We swam any way but near shore as we weren’t too sure about the crocodile/hippo situation, however none were seen, I guess they hang out in and near the rivers. We got home without incidence, ready for the coming week of teaching and clinics.

A week on, and we have both had some interesting experiences. The names one comes across are often very appropriate to the parents aspirations or feelings. Like ‘Hope’, ‘Precious’, ‘Peace’, ‘Fortune’, ‘Charity’, ‘White’, ‘Smart’ or to the time or situation like ‘Francis Friday’. Children are referred to as their’ first born’, ‘second born’ or ‘last born’.  Martin has already diagnosed his first case of Aids and had numerous cases of Malaria. Some of the smaller children find seeing a white doctor quite frightening.

One day after lunch when I was being collected by the driver from the Vocational Center, we also picked up George, he must have been around 16 and suffered quite severely with Cerebral Palsy. Still he was encouraged to be independent and was making the 1.5 Km to the football match on his walking frame. So we stopped and the driver slung his collapsible frame in the back of the pick up and lifted George in too. On the way he told me that George is one of the SOS orphans. Homeward we see George again this time he is full of it and keen to tell his mates about the match, I can only  just make out his words.

Martin follows next:  “It is the two year olds that are so wonderful. They come into the consultation with their carers and their enormous eyes open wide in a look of complete horror. Then they bawl! They have never seen a white man before and are pretty sure they want nothing to do with him.  Lots of patients come to the clinic, often from a distance and it is busy. The children have Malaria, there is Bilharzia, TB and about 15-20% of the population are HIV diagnosed so there is an epidemic threatening. Money for treatment is often an issue. However the lab technician will do most blood tests, microbiology and work the X-ray machine. From an office dedicated nurse councils tests for HIV, manages anti retrovirus drug therapy and follows the illness. This is an incredible valuable asset, so sensible and great to have easy access to for the doctors and patients to use. For the general clinic, 200 patients is the limit for a morning.  My elder brother has just emailed me from England that flatulence has been made illegal in Malawi according to the Guardian. I just hope it is a fine and not a custodial sentence. It has not been in the news here, but then neither was the fuel crisis until it had had ended.”

I have been tempted now to hand in Martin several times with regard to this new law, but am now disappointed to discover that while the whole outside world has heard of no breaking wind in public places in Malawi, it turns out to be a misunderstanding and that the Chichewa word ‘FART” means ‘rubbish burning’ …!

1st February

What have I let myself in for?!     Today we visited the Vocational Center which is a 20 minute walk; 1.5 km away. As the maize is growing tall we were advised not to walk. The center teaches, 18 year olds and over; Brick laying, Tropical Agriculture, Hotel Management, IT, Business,  Textile and Fashion Design, Carpentry, and Electrical Mechanics to the equivalent of City and Guilds. Both Boys and girls attend the more gender typical subjects like sewing, carpentry and brick laying.

Having expressed an interest in helping with Agriculture I now find myself in the deep end: In front of a class (public speaking has never been my strong point) introducing myself and ending with the promise of a lesson! I suppose there has to be a first time for everything, but this is truly boundary shifting work for me and so I find myself shakily preparing a lesson (also a first) on propagation this afternoon.

Martin also has an interesting experience when he is asked to look at a girl who attends the Children’s Rehabilitation Center. He diagnoses her with a very rare case of Tuberoscleroses in it’s end stage with an Atherocytoma. In the afternoon he sees a number of patients together with one  of the two Medical Officers from SOS.

The following day I do my lesson from 8.00- 10.00am I stand in front of the class involving my newly acquired pupils by getting them to participate and make suggestions; writing the main points on the blackboard. They are perfectly behaved and very polite, but I am very aware that I have to ask them to repeat themselves up to four times while I get used to their intonation and accent.  Then we have an hours practical outside; demonstrating leaf cuttings, stem cuttings and layering on Kalanchoe, sweet potato and Granadillo (passion fruit) I am relieved but pleased when it’s all over. I hand over the garden gloves, secateurs, seed trays and a variety of seeds which I brought from England. In the afternoon I prepare my next lesson on leaf vegetables for Friday, the recent course I did at the  OU in ‘Nutrition’ will come in handy.  Thankfully I have some respite in the form of assisting with the textile class tomorrow; just assisting, not teaching.

Next is an extract from Martins day:

” I was greatly moved when we first walked into the Children’s Rehabilitation Center at the SOS village. I thought I was going to burst into tears. I am used to working in community paediatrics with children with disabilities. In our Child Development Centers in Cornwall, I work with the same types of children as here. Children with cerebral palsy, developmental delay and communication difficulties. Here they are of  a different race – the only difference, But there were so many of them. With their motivated and dedicated mothers or relatives, stimulating and enacting the physiotherapy that one practitioner was teaching them. This physiotherapist and the occupational therapist were fantastic in what they were doing. There were about 25 children in this morning session, all with significant challenges, being encouraged on walking and standing frames made of wood and supported with lengths of material. I was asked to see a girl of three years for an opinion. She was beautifully cared for and wearing a white brides maid’s dress for that day. She had a very rare multi system illness with an associated brain tumor that was pushing her eye forward, and she had hydrocephalus. At that point I felt these lovely people need the kind help of international humanity to lend a hand”

What an incredible organization and charity this is!!

Excitement at the sight of a camera; they all want to be in the picture, whooping when the flash goes.

After a good night sleep without being bitten by mosquito’s we started with a tour of the medical center, where we were shown the physio department for severely physically and mentally disabled children. There are about 20 mothers with their under fives in walking or standing frames or giving them some other form of stimulation. With only one physiotherapist in charge, extraordinary dedication, commitment and very basic equipment, it was a tear jerking moment. This is a good preventative program as the mothers here are from the wider community around SOS as far as 20 miles away a lot of them get rejected by their husbands when it turns out that their child is handicapped. This program helps with the child’s development to become independent and gives some hope which stops the family falling apart. Most people here are so poor they can’t even afford the bus ride to the center or don’t live along a bus route and have to be collected by the SOS minibus. At present there is much upset about SOS having to terminate this service due to cost.

Walking and standing frames

We move on to the occupational therapy department and again we are amazed at the inventiveness and dedication with minimal resources to get these children to a stage where they can attend the special needs school. Which is where we go next. Eighteen children to one teacher with no auxiliary help, the ages range from 6 – 15 and their conditions from Downs syndrome, ADHD, severe learning disabled and blind. When we walked in they were having an English lesson. English is their second language! (mother tongue is ‘Chichewa’) Yet they all understood it, were able to introduce themselves and attempting to read and write. Some of the more able children will then integrate into the main stream school for socialization.   On our way out we meet the Head of the primary school. There are 800 children in the primary: 50 per class!!  In the yard on the way back to the medical center there is a lady cooking potatoe chips, she only speaks Chichewa; a portion costs 50 kwacha that is less than 20 p.  It turns out she is given the opportunity to earn some money selling chips for lunch, maybe so she can send her child to school. This place doesn’t just look after orphans it goes way beyond!

Inventive wheel chairs at the medical center

SOS sets up schools, who’s education is well regarded, to educate it’s orphans and the wider community and in this way also keeps the orpans integrated within the community. The founder: Herman Gmeiner was a true visionary and it looks like every donated penny is put to good use, evidence of this is also the auditor who has been working his way trough the accounts since last week and is still here.

Next we meet the head of Secondary School, she has a great sense of humor and is not shy about her age in fact it is the first thing she divulges after her name, I am almost tempted to do the same, but I let her carry on with the introductions, after we have met all the teachers (and a head reeling with unusual names) we continue to the Kinder Garten. It is quiet there as most of the pupils are having an afternoon nap.

Then at last we are taken to the SOS Village Chief. She is very welcoming and very busy with assessments for prospective new orphans to join the community; they need to do very thorough checks as many parents like their children to be taken care of here and may try and pass them of as an orphan. Three children come in with their drawings  for appraisal while we are seeing ‘the Chief’: She looks at their work  signs it and gives them a small reward in the form of a sweet: we get presented with their work for signing too. In her free time she is increasingly asked to attend weddings and Christenings; with some of the orphans now becoming adults. The Children’s Village opened in 1996, with new facilities like the Medical center and vocational center added at later dates. SOS takes their responsibility as ‘parent’ serious: prospective husbands/ wives and their families get vetted to make sure that their tribe is culturally compatible, just like any good parent would be concerned about their offspring. We visit one of the orphan houses, The ‘mother’ takes us around; boys bedrooms with 4 bunks and the girls bedroom with 5 bunks at the opposite end of the house. It is tidy for that number of persons to a room, they all take a turn at cleaning and cooking duty. When they reach the age of 15 they move  into a youth house a few hundred yards away, so they become more independent but remain in touch with their ‘mothers’. Here they remain until they go to university or vocational training. They are looked after by SOS until the age of 23 when they have finished their studies and look after themselves.

Roadside scene just outside SOS village

To our relief there is someone waiting for us at the airport and we are taken to SOS Children Village, about 30 minutes South from the airport. The land is looking green, rivers are swollen and there are muddy puddles. It’s flat with mountains in the distance. Every single patch is cultivated including the roadside and verges, you wouldn’t think that such a verdant land would be the 3rd poorest country in the world. We make a stop to stock upas we are self catering, everything is quite; it is Sunday. The wadge of Kwacha I got for my 100 pounds soon looks a lot slimmer: food here is at least as expensive if not more so, that is for anything apart from fresh veg.

We take a walk down the dirt road after we have unpacked to check out the local talent. A lot of people walking in the late afternoon , children playing in the drain with dirt, ladies cooking corncobs over a charcoal fire while their kids crawl between the husks, some selling tomatoes. People very friendly, smiling and shouting “moni (hello), how are you”.

The SOS Village lies behind a gate, it has been well thought out, with Kinder Garten, Primary and Secondary school imediately through the gates, further down; the Medical center, dispensary, Xray department and family strengthening center. Behind that: the 12 different houses where the orphans live with their “Mother”; about 10 orphans to a house. Across the lane from them are the staff and guest houses and the houses for the young adult orphans, where they learn to become more independent before going on to further education. They are supported here until the age of 23 when they have finished university or vocational training.

Boys collecting eroded sand from the ditch; sold to be used in building

We are in a guest house adjoined by one of the teachers. The whole place comes very pleasantly across, with local red brick buildings and plenty of greenery. Kids playing on our porch; having bottle top races, while one commentates into an empty tin can. Another couple playing with a very tattered ball. But later in the evening we hear the cries of a very upset child.

This is a volunteer diary, about a trip to an SOS Children’s Village in Malawi.

You can read the entries here, or learn a little bit more about me.