The Malawi Project, Inc.

One Can Little Imagine the Scene

    One can little imagine what it must be like for a mother to spend 17 years of her life carrying her child on her back everywhere she goes. Yet this is what happened to Afilo Mkwapatira’s mother. Afilo is 17 years old and comes from the Kuiza Village in the Dedza District * of central Malawi. He and his mother live within the jurisdiction of tribal chief Tambalo. Afilo has never been able to move about by himself, nor has he ever been able to speak.

    Then through the assistance of the Free Wheelchair Mission in Irvine, California and the Malawi Project in Indianapolis, Indiana; Afilo was able to receive a wheelchair.

    Even today Afilo cannot speak but his mother is able to speak for him. "Today is a day of deliverance. For the past 17 years I have carried Afilo on my back. I have been looking for this day to come to my life. God indeed has heard my crying and prayers. I will now be able to do work at home, and support my son and my other children."

* The Dedza District of Malawi is the district or state just south of the capital of Lilongwe. It straddles the main highway through the nation, highway M-1 and is the home of the famous cave drawings that date back into the 1500’s. Its population in 2001 was 526,874. In 2008 the population is estimated to be 669,511. Like most of the countryside of Malawi there are almost no paved roads, no electricity, no telephones, scarce healthcare, and a struggling educational system. With an income of little more than $100.00 a year the population of the countryside can offer little help to the federal government in the way of tax revenue, and thus the federal government is helpless to be able to assist the village people in their basic needs. Although a federal governmental system is in place much of the governance of the village areas is still in the hands of the ancient tribal system of government.

The Lake Spreads Out in Front of Him

    Wind whipped trees turn their faces toward the land and away from the winter winds that push angry waves in from the lake. Dark, broken clouds force the sun to climb unseen into an angry sky, while a lone seagull tries unsuccessfully to skim along the wave tossed surface.

    Along the beach a row of weather beaten fishing boats lay at attention as a lone light burns atop an unkempt ragged looking building. Minutes pass and the early dawn begins to lighten with a tinge of pink as the unrelenting sun seeks a peek hole through which it can influence the day. Dark shadows move among the silent boats as the fishermen of the ancient village prepare to challenge the white caps that tear away at the sandy beach on which the boats lay uneasily. Some of the fishermen challenge the lake in long boats, motorized with modern outboard engines, while others drag carved out logs into the pounding surf.

Mdelakwanda Has Witnessed This Scene
    It is a scene that Chief Mdelakwanda has witnessed a thousand times, and although he is not on the beach he knows the picture full well. More minutes tick away and the activity intensifies from the village. As the sun tries to make its presence known the people awaken to the urgency of getting the boats away. The lone seagull returns for another challenge, then unsuccessful, he gives up and floats defeated in over the trees.

    From somewhere a lone figure appears on the beach, passes the long boats without a word, and then disappears into the distance near the village as though he has someplace to go. Still more minutes pass and the sun begins to take control of the sky and push the menacing clouds off to the west. Women come to the shore to wash mismatched pans and silverware, while the wind persists and the waves maintain control of the shore. The fishermen seem not to notice as they continue to prepare. Finally the boats are ready and the struggle begins against the persistent surf and the unrelenting waves. Life seems so fragile, so frail, and unsure. The waves seem so strong, so definite, so threatening. Two hours pass with great effort and agonizing progress.  Finally the last of the long boats are away. Away from the danger of the shoreline too, are the carved out logs that are manned by a single fisherman. They paddle hard to position themselves where they can be picked up by the long boats out they wait beyond the breakers. With each turbulent surge from the waves the log boats disappear into the trough, and then pop up again as the water rises again to form the next wave.

    Finally the last of the fishermen have disappeared over the horizon and the village waits for their return at the end of the day. As morning slides into afternoon the wind seems to lesson and the surface of the lake slackens its onslaught on the shore and eyes turn toward the east to see the fishermen return.

The Chief Looks Away From The Sun
    On the shore just south of one of the seven villages that make up his protectorate Chief Mdelakwanda watches for the return of the fishing boats. The sun is heading down in the west and not all of the long boats have yet returned from the fishing grounds east of the villages. Not only is the chief concerned with the size of the catch; he is also concerned that the fishermen come home safely.

    Mdelakwanda is the chief over nearly 13,000 people in the villages of Senga Bay, Malawi. When asked about his age he smilingly says he is 48, while others who know him seem to think he is nearer to 68. "Gardening and fishing," he responds when asked through the translator concerning the means by which his people make a living. Then he turns serious when he is asked what are the greatest problems and needs he faces while trying to care for such a large number of people. He looks over toward Samatha Ludick from the Cool Runnings Lake Resort as through she will answer his question. She smiles and he turns back to the translator. "Medicine, a hospital, and education," he answers with little more hesitation. "Without these things my people will continue to suffer. It is 29 kilometers to the nearest hospital and we do not have single Galimoto (car) among all of our people. No one who is sick can walk that far. We need a place here in Senga Bay where they can go for help."

    "We are also in need of education," he reports to the translator. "Without education our people will always remain doing the same things. We must have a school for our people."

    The chief know he does not have the resources to pull his villages out of the cycle of poverty they find themselves enmeshed; yet he is too proud to ask directly for outside aid.

    Good chiefs in Africa live among their people and use the resources that are made available to them to serve the people with whom they live. Caring for their people is an all-encompassing responsibility and Chief Mdelakwanda takes the job seriously. He looks out across the empty expanse of water then back at the translator.

Mdelakwanda Gives Jurisdiction to Avoid Conflict
    It is a well-known fact that when he was made a chief that his brother, who was not chosen, was angry and upset. Rather than have a continuing family crisis Mdelakwanda gave his brother jurisdiction over one of the village areas. This ended the dispute and both men were content with the arrangement that Mdelakwanda had worked out. Concerning the environment the Chief is a pragmatic man. His concern has little to do with smog in Los Angeles or the melting glacier ice cap at the North Pole. It has everything to do with the equation that concludes, "A dirty environment is bad for heath, and bad heath converts to long and costly time away from the village and in the hospital, and this is a cost he does not wish to share." He like many of the people in this part of Africa, know the top lid of a peanut butter jar when left on the ground and partially full of stagnant water can breed a thousand mosquito larvae. From this can hatch at least 500 mosquitoes. If even a small number of these mosquitoes carry malaria it means more illness. More illness means more cost to the village. He is a pragmatic man. He realizes fewer mosquitoes mean less malaria, less malaria, means less illness, and less illness means a lower cost to the village. It is a pragmatic reason for the Chief to work with Ludick to protect the environment of the Senga Bay area.

    One of the programs Ludick and the chief are successfully accomplishing is the program to harvest the plastic bags and containers that are left behind by the careless, sell them for a profit, and create a cleaner environment that will convert to healthier villagers, lower heath care costs, and a greater measure of tourist interest to his area. It is a plan no chief would want to ignore.

A Yao Chief Waits for His Fishermen to Return
    Mdelakwanda takes his job seriously. A Yao chief his tribal leader is not too far away in the south of Malawi and they all come from a proud and rich heritage. The interview nears its conclusion. The fishing boats are returning to the safety of the village. Chief Mdelakwanda is yet to learn of the success of the day’s catch far out into the lake. It is the 3rd largest lake in Africa and the 12th largest in the world. It can sometimes be a place of great danger. Chief Mdelakwanda knows this full well. He is the chief for seven of the villages that line the shore.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

    The Chicago Tribune headlines it as "Food Success Story in Malawi. No longer extending a begging bowl, African nation now feeding its neighbors." (December 1, 2007).

    The New York Times was more direct with its headline, "Ending Famine, simply by ignoring the Experts." (December 4, 2007).

    The news was so different than 5 years ago when BBC News headlined "Malawi’s ‘worst ever famine’" and ‘Southern African Famine: What Went Wrong?" as an estimated 15 million people faced food shortages in the sub-Sahara.

    According to Richard Stephens, Director of the Malawi Project, "the famine situation in Malawi had been extremely serious from mid-2000 to as late as early 2007. We had been seeking food assistance during that period of time. It was not that the people of Malawi were lazy and it was not a matter of over population or living in a region where the soil could not support the population. The main reasons were a period of changing weather patterns combined with government miscalculations by the previous administration in Malawi. These factors brought on the worst period of famine seen in this region since the early 1950’s." The BBC added HIV/AIDS as another major factor with one of every seven Malawians affected.

    Then, suddenly in the harvest of 2007, Malawi reports bumper crops. They were so abundant the harvest was sufficient to begin exporting grain to assist their more unfortunate neighbors. What happened? What caused the turn around? How did the country reverse its misfortune?

    It seems the government under the leadership of President Bingu wa Mutharika changed its agricultural policies from "do as I say, to do as I do." Bingu is no stranger to western policy as compared to western action. He holds a PhD in Development Economics from Pacific Western University in Los Angeles, and a Masters Degree in Economics and a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi, India. As a former diplomat he worked from 1990 to 1997 as Secretary General of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa, and before becoming Secretary General of COMESA he worked for the United Nations as the Director for Trade and Development Finance, with responsibilities for 53 African nations.

    When it came to finding ways to pull out of the cycle of continuing famine, Mutharika is reported to have simply taken a page out of the western playbook. While the west was calling for African nations not to use fertilizer on their farm fields, the west continued to use various forms of fertilizer to enhance crop production. This past year Malawi decided to imitate the west and "do as they do." Fertilizer was offered to the farmers at subsidized rates, and the result was a bumper crop.

A Note of Caution
    While Malawi has experienced a good year in the overall view of things, this does not mean there are not scattered pockets of need. The lack of rain, the high price of fertilizer, the poor health of families, or other conditions could hinder food production. Even in a good year the people of the sub-Sahara are barely getting by. There is no such thing as full stomachs all the time. Almost no one in the village areas realizes a bumper crop year after year.

    "We must be careful," Stephens warns. "While we applaud the success of the people of Malawi to tear themselves out of the clutches of famine we have to remember that a single season of insufficient rain, or a family that has lost parents or other family members to the AIDS virus or other illnesses can change the situation for them entirely. For that family or village or region the famine is still with them. We need to sort out those who continue to need help from those who have experienced bumper success this past year. Applaud the one and give assistance to the other."

"My Name is Innocent"

His name is Innocent Banda and in many ways he lives up to what his name implies. First, he has become parentless through no fault of his own. He is "innocent". And "Innocent" was the name his parents gave him at birth. He does not know why they chose that name and will probably never know. His father died and his mother remarried and moved away. Innocent now lives in the Chimwemwe (Joy) House at Mtendere Village and acts as a senior guide and leader to the younger children in the children’s village. Innocent celebrates his birthday each year without fanfare and most often without recognition or gifts on January 5. He is the firstborn of two children. He also has a sister. His original home was in the Dowa District in a tiny village called Mkanile 2. His tribal authority was Chief Chakhaza. Innocent speaks concerning his life before coming to Mtendere, "I lived with my uncle. I slept on a bad sleeping mat, had little food, clothing and no parental care. My uncle fed his kids first, and sometimes there was nothing left for me to eat." Now, after making his home at Mtendere Children’s Village Innocent can report, "My life is very, very good. I am very happy. I have a nice bed and good food. I would like to thank God for bringing me here. My prayer is for those kids who are still living in the villages who are unable to come here."

    During 2007 Innocent found his calling in song leading and preaching at the local congregation in Lumbadzi, Malawi. In August he was selected as one of the speakers at a giant youth rally in Lilongwe. Innocent reports that he wants to grow up and go about helping other people. He is off to a good start.

Dowa District Is North of the Capital
    The Dowa District is the district or state just north of the capital of Lilongwe. It is situated just across the river to the north from the Lilongwe District where Mtendere Village is located. From his home in Mtendere Innocent can actually look over the hills to the north and see his home district. In 2001 the Dowa District had an estimated population of 434,693. The population is expected to reach 526,604 in 2008. The Dowa District is home to the Mponela Trading Center and the Madisi Trading Center where many of the early programs of the Malawi Project originated.