Visiting school and library

The way I see it, education is of crucial importance not just for better future of Malawi but for any possibility of improving the living standards of its citizens. Unfortunately only a percentage of children (maybe half) have a chance of getting education.  Attending school is not legally mandatory and it is costly. For many rural families it is unrealistic to send even one child to school and those families usually have several children. The public school system is struggling with huge class sizes lack of resources and consequently low standards of learning. Private schools are in a little better shape and classes are thought in English. James of buildingmalawi.com, took me to visit a private school where he couches ball games, I ended up giving art lessons to primary students for three days. They seemed to be very amused and loved the balloons I give them at the end of the class.  

Private elementary school, Lilongwe

Yellow Room class enjoys the balloons

Red Room class enjoys the balloons

Green Room class enjoys the balloons

During lunch break children play outside.

Everybody plays on a large field behind the school

The children crowd around me as soon as they see the camera.

They love posing for pictures.

The crowd of children is getting bigger and closer.

James to the rescue.

 Our next stop was Falls Satellite Library, which was built by buildingmalawi.com and passed over to the government, who runs it to benefit the local community.  The library is small and always full of students to capacity, with others waiting outside for room to get in.

Falls Satellite Library, Lilongwe.

Director of the library showing me around

A room for young children is filled with older students during school hours

The director points to empty book shelves 

Lots of room for books on the shelves, but not enough room for eager students

A beginning of a new library, in community of Lengadzi.

This is a current project of buildingmalawi.com  which still requires fundraising and volunteering effort to be completed. A large lot of land was purchased and the plans are to build also a secondary school and a medical clinic much needed in this very poor community.

Two months after

And I am absolutely amazed how fast the time is moving. I was stressing and fussing and getting ready to go, then I went, I've traveled to Africa. I came back and even though I've seemingly picked up my life where I've left it, it's not the same.  I am still processing what I saw and witnessed, what I've  experienced, what I've figured out and  what I still haven't, and what I may never figure out anyway. My emotions are heightened and "all over the map" and I am far from feeling any kind of balance. One may say I am still on the journey, but now I am ready to share some of my pictures with you, that may be a part of it.

My first stop in Malawi - Lilingwe, the capital city. Camp Mabuya is a very popular tourist stop on the outskirts of town with lots of young whites coming through any time of year: travelers, missionaries, volunteers etc.     

My accommodations at Camp Mabuya  

My room inside.

The regular evening companions

    

Surroundings

My first walk to the city center -about two km.

Suburban street, pretty typical

Closer to the city, traffic on the bridge.

Local market

Street vendors

Mosque

City street scene

Shopping centre

Bank and the green tower -my orientation point

Way back home before dark

The next day, James from Building Malawi took me around and showed me this little nursery where babies, who had other ways no chance of survival, stayed and were looked after until about the age of two.

Ministry of Hope Crisis Nursery

 

Going through the city I took this picture of a beautiful woman going to the market. Through James, I asked permission to take her picture, she was not too agreeable thinking that I will make a lot of money on her photo and she won't get any of it, but by the time James translated to me her long speech, I have already snapped, not wanting her to move away.
   

Woman on her way to the market