This is a letter from my friend Marian Kearney, who is an amazing and inspirational woman I’ve worked with. She’s now in retirement and filling her time with sharing her love, talents and inspiration to those less fortunate than herself. In sharing her letters, I hope that others will learn more about how much little things can make big changes in our world.
22nd April 2017
Fishing boats on Lake Malawi
I was well spoiled over the Easter weekend, as I went up to Lake Malawi for a few days along with two Irish women, one of whom is based here in Sitima for a year and the other who was travelling around Central Africa providing training on child protection.
Lake Malawi has a number of tourist hotspots, but even they are very gentle and very small by our standards. We stayed in a particularly quiet place called Nkhudzi Bay, in a house on the lake owned by the Montfort Fathers.
The other two enjoyed eating fish and freshwater crabs brought to them by the local fishermen, fish as fresh as you could imagine.
Enterprise was evident with craftsmen appearing at the door selling carvings, paintings and basketware but I was
Enterprising children
particularly impressed by the “band,” a group of young boys who came to entertain us with their music. Their home made musical instruments were made up of all sorts of scrap materials, yet they managed to produce a great sound. I have a video of their performance which I will happily play for anyone I see when I get home.
Meanwhile back at Sitima the harvest is on and I was fortunate to be able to accompany Fr Owen to one of the small communities, Kantambala, for a harvest service. Sitima Mission services 43 small communities spread across a vast area, with one community living on an island in the middle of a lake.During harvest time a service is held in every one of those communities where, just as at home, individuals donate food, in this instance maize, to be donated to those in greater need. The big difference here is the incredible generosity of the donors as they themselves have so little, yet they donate so much.
Yesterday I travelled into Blantyre to meet two women who are involved in different charities and they were interested in knowing more about the design of the feminine hygiene kits – more about this next email but I thought I would tell you a little about transport and the way of life here. I travelled each way using a car, buses and a taxi. The buses are tiny little minibuses which at home would just about seat 12 people. Yesterday I counted 20 of us in one of those as well as bags of maize and lots of other shopping. The buses stop and start a huge number of times with
individuals getting off and the drivers making sure they are always full to capacity.
Bike taxi malawi
My journey home was much more exciting though as the bus dropped me off at the end of the dirt road and I came home riding, for the first time, on a bike taxi. I loved it, the padded seat was really comfortable and it was great to feel the cool early evening air as we cycled along. For this 45 minute journey he asked me for the equivalent of 70p. I gave him some more as I felt he fairly earned his money transporting this hefty lump!
Really wishing you were here with me, experiencing the joy, the happiness and the sunshine.
Marian is travelling and working with Network for a Better World. N4BW is particularly keen on not developing dependency but is committed to working in partnership with other organisations to work as a catalyst in getting the Sitima villagers activated and in a better position to ensure positive and sustainable livelihoods. This is going to take time and effort. Any support you can offer, please contact Network for a Better World directly.