Life in Malawi is amazing. Everything is amazing. I spent here two weeks and all I can say that life is completely different here. And I'm in love with Malawi.
Every day I meet one thousand people who names I forget before they say them. And after that next day I meet one thousand people in the street again and they say: “Hello Vaida, do you remember me?”. Every day I meet one person which asks me to discuss about some issues (it is favorite Malawian expression and action: to discuss about the issue :). And this person tells me about something what he is doing – composing music, singing, acrobatics and of course this person needs some assistance. I don't understand completely what is that assistance but I think that it is nice word for money, marriage or trip to Europe. Couple of times I met children asking for money. They always say “give me my money”. It sounds quite mhm... embarrassing because I am sure that I didn't take their money never in my life. It sounds if I'm owning something to them. So this thing isn't very nice. But today five boys started to follow me in the street when I was going back from market and they offered me a sugar cane. It is so delicious! I can't believe I never tried it before! Of course I felt a little bit like a beaver because I was eating a sugar cane which looks like a branch of tree. But it is really really delicious!
What else... AAAA! Couple of days ago I got first marriage proposal. When I was going with supervisor to one of the preschools the supervisor (it is person who is going together with volunteers to preschools and helps them to communicate with teachers and community) stopped to speak with two men. One of them proposed to me. It was really funny.
Yesterday me and Song (another volunteer) had discussion with one Malawian man about women and men. I couldn't sleep two hours after that. Really... This man is educated and he lives in teacher training college place. And the only thing what he admitted: WOMEN ARE HUMAN BEINGS. Men and women are not equal. Of course I tried to express my opinion that men and women are different but equal.... But no... It was impossible to stay calm during that discussion.
That Malawian man said that woman is a baby which is in need of care. And this care is provided by man. Woman needs to be protected every day. And of course, I almost forgot the big issue: man is a head of a family. Sorry, my spelling is incorrect: MAN is a HEAD of a FAMILY. Ha ha! It is very very important :} I wanted to say that woman is a neck and when neck turns then obviously the head has to turn too. But I was too mhm... almost furious so I didn't want this discussion to continue until the morning. And I wanted to say that during two weeks I saw only one or two men working in the field or garden. And I saw many many women working there and carrying big buckets and other things on their heads and at the same time carrying babies on their backs. So yeah... yesterday evening I had a rough time defending rights of Malawian women and all the women in the world :}
The other thing which surprised me very very very much is witches and witchcraft!!! Malawians believe it 300 %... It is incredible... But about this I will write next time. And I will write more about my work :} Now it is quite late – half past ten. Never in my life I went to bed so early. But never in my life I woke up so early. Tomorrow at 7 or before 7 somebody (small kids or students or the guy who repairs our bicycles) will wake me up. Here the day starts at 4-5 and ends at 6 – when is completely dark. So good night :}
Vaida
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