Kwathu ndi ku Malawi

COVID-19 has taken the entire world by storm with almost nowhere left untouched. It has altered all our realities. And for the public health sector, it has left some of us with our heads spinning.   According to the CDC, "Older adults, 65 years and older, are at higher risk for severe illness and death from COVID-19.” [1] Those with underlying health conditions are also more vulnerable to severe illness. These populations especially must be kept safe. But what does that mean for others? The CDC states that "based on available evidence, children do not appear to be at higher risk for COVID-19 than adults. While some children and infants have been sick with COVID-19, adults make up most of the known cases to date.” [2] Around the world, over 350,000 people so far are known to have died from COVID-19. On the African continent, there have been 119,454 confirmed cases with 3,592 deaths as of 27 May 2020 [3]  with the country of Malawi (population approx. 18...

Today as we awoke to the dawn of a new Malawi day We have a pep in our step and a bit of a smile on our face   For far beyond politics did a message ring out That freedom is alive in this land and don’t you doubt  Gospel songs were sung when the final pronouncement was given out I even heard a firework crackle about Of course every pronouncement comes with two shouts  Those that say “Yeah!” and those who are disappointed and doubt Perhaps this is what democracy is about  But of this juncture we now have hope to be sure That everyone’s voice shall be counted and heard  For those in jubilation and those downcast We take all your votes that are to be cast  We remember the striving and sacrifice it took to be here To those who have given their all during these last months admits some fear  It was not an easy road they took to be clear As God is our witness may we ever strive To build up this land where we live...

It started in Bo-Kaap. An area full of history and color and culture. We choose to stay in this part of town to make it easy to walk around the centre of Cape Town while not having to reside in the middle of the hustle and bustle. Our bed and breakfast turned out to be nearly perfect in a comfortable and quiet setting overlooking Signal Hill while serving up some of the most fabulous breakfasts every morning. We also were able to walk every evening to the nearby Bree and Long Street for additionally fabulous meals taking full advantage of the 8pm sunsets during the Cape Town summertime. For eight days our taste buds were fantastically tantalized all within a walking distance of our abode. And speaking of our abode, Bo-Kaap is quickly recognized by the brightly painted, colorful houses which are home to a multi-cultural community which is majority Muslim. It’s a small area nearby the central business district. But it wasn’t always so colorful. Historically this is ...

Leza. Chisumphi. Namalenga. Chauta. Chiuta. Mbona. Mphambe. Mangadzi. These were your names Before the time when you were prescribed Before something more common replaced you, Mulungu Ancient. Full of power and mystery These were the names for the times when we danced When your daughters, Makewana, offered prayers for the masses When the dust led us to you The rains were a response to you, evidence of you, the joy of you For you were not brought to us Not transported across the seas Not confounded to a single mind But have always been here Whispering in the wind We’ve seen your evidence in the skies Uta wa Leza For you’ve always shined We see your slow messengers Birimankhwe Carrying promises of hope for all kind The first prints of time found on mountains wide Dzalanyama Kaphirintiwa Where fire chased you from our side Now in the heavens where you reside Amayi Malawi, forever impacted by your hands of time You are the one we know,...

An alien. That’s what I felt like walking down the streets of LA. Someone who did not belong. Who was faking it. An imposter hidden behind sunglasses. Could everyone see right though? I felt heavy and dizzy surrounded by shining towers and noise. People pass quickly to my left and to my right constantly overtaking me. Have my own short, rapid steps and pace really relaxed that much? But there wasn’t time to analyze or break it down. I was there for business. Representing my organization and work here in Malawi. A kazembe of sorts. But the business tended to knock me over too. The conversations that lacked thorough introductions and greetings and went straight to the point. My brain couldn’t keep up. In the first minute of the meeting we were already discussing viral load testing uptake challenges. As I made it through the week towards the weekend, I kept a short list of all that struck me. That which use to be so normal that now surprised my soul. After all this time, can ...

Z anzibar . An island off the coast of mainland Tanzania only about a 30-minute plane ride or 2-hour ferry ride from Dar es Salaam (which is the largest city in eastern Africa). An island unlike any other place we’ve visited on the African continent before. It has a population of about 1.3 million people with Kiswahili the main language spoken. It's also semi-autonomous from the mainland. 

Kachirombo ka Edzi. The wee AIDS beast. The beast that came to Malawi as early as the late 1970s and started to take its toll and show its effects in the 1980s. An unknown beast popularly called “the slimming disease” or “kaliwondewonde” since those with it became noticeably very thin. A stigmatizing impact that persists in Malawian culture up to today- that thin means sick and overweight/obesity means healthy. A beast largely spread through heterosexual relationships opposite to many trends seen in the West. A beast that changed the fabric of societies and left many children without their biological parents.

W hat is Africa? W hat is Malawi?