The 2008 holidays are slowly coming to a close, but for once the holidays were a nice change a pace on this side of the world. Although, I did miss chezy Christmas songs, Santa hats and the smell of gingerbread houses this year, I did very much enjoy my time sharing Christmas culture in the village. Christmas here in my small village of Chigumukiri is not celebrated, at least not in the western style that we all enjoy year after year. Christianity is a popular practice along the lake shore villages where I am living and so the tradition of Christmas day mass and church community is celebrated much the same as every Sunday. Unfortunately, Christmas day becomes an excuse for many villagers to beg a little more and drink a little harder than they might have normally. None the less, it became a great opportunity for me to share a few bits from American culture. I thought at first that it might be a good idea for me to buy a whole pig and have “Kirk’s Christmas Extravaganza!,” but after consulting the advice of other volunteers, we decided that it might not be the best idea. I ended up buying three kgs of goat and making a stew. I used a combination of veggies that Malawians are not used to cooking with, so it was a great way to teach about eating a variety of foods, the health benefits of veggies like garlic and why not to use too much salt. Kitchen duties are very gender segregated, but for Christmas I tried to explain that Christmas in America means all the family gets together and enjoys each others company. In the end I ate with the men in the house while the women ate on the dirt floor outside in the smoky kitchen. Christmas was mellow but I’m glad I was able to share this time with some of the good friends that have been helping me with my new house and everyone was much honored to share a meal with their new "white celebrity" living in their community.
I’ve moved! Well…sort of….
I’m couch surfing right now on other volunteers’ floors. I bike everyday to my village. I’m working to integrate into the community and also working hard to organize the renovations of my house. This new community is great and although there have been a few speed bumps with finding & fixing a house; I am positive that future projects will move forward smooth. I have already planted a demonstration garden and will be working with agriculture extension agents, agroforesty and conservation agriculture practices are first on the education agenda. Plans for fruit tree nurseries, mushroom clubs and a business entrepreneurial clubs are all progress ideas already expressed by community members and I am excited to help facilitate such motivated people. I am still on a fast and steep learning curve of development in Malawi, but I have learned from my mistakes and hopefully I can help these people get their ideas off the ground.
Thanks everyone for the continued support and everyday I look forward to reading an email or receiving a phone call, I couldn’t do it with out all the amazing support from home. Happy Holidays and Have a GREAT New Years!
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3 comments:
Interesting to read your blog as a tonga living in the UK. I can relate to what you are writing about and at the same time, I can now (after my UK experience)understand your impression of what seems so normal for us Malawians. All I can say is thanks for the work that you are doing, I hope the outcome will be satisfying both for you and the Chigumukiri community. All the Best
Kirk~I am about to embark on a Protected Areas Management program with the PC in the Pacific. My specific assignment is unknown at this time - I leave in April. I am interested in how your program is developing and some of your approaches. What works, what didn't. Also, what advice you would have for someone entering in to the program. Are you satisified with your PC experience and have they been supportive?
Congratulations on accepting your Peace Corps invitation you will never be the same after this experience. It’s hard to comment on your protected area mgt work, each country reveals its development challenges in different ways. The best advice that I can give to incoming volunteers is do not concern yourself too much with the technical components of your assignment. After working in Malawi I have learned that the small change and creative success from my projects have started from the base of cultural exchange and not from introducing or exchanging new technical knowledge. Although introducing new “third world” technology is new and exciting, none of it will matter without language, making friends and understanding the new cultural mysteries that your host country will reveal to you everyday. This is what sustainability means to me. Until you can walk the foot steps of those you are trying to help you will encounter personal and cultural hurtles that will make implementing technical information difficult. Best of luck and don’t try to change the world too fast, it takes all of us not just one.
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