A Fruitful Journey

Today Matt killed a chicken! As health volunteers, we have been learning about nutrition in Malawi and today was cooking day. We had 3 mbaula stoves, 1 paraffin stove and 3 fires going. I made banana bread in a pot with charcoal below and above it. We also had banana and papaya jam, a stew with potatoes and avocados and, of course, chicken! I thought I was okay with seeing a chicken being killed - and I was in theory - but in in reality, not so much. I will be paying someone to do that for me in the future!

One of our favorite topics here is food and nutrition. The main food that is grown in Malawi is corn. People make the most money (which doesn't seem like much) from corn and they eat a ton of it. The corn is not very nutrient-rich and the food they make - called nsima - is made of corn that has been pounded and sifted until it is flour. There are basically no nutrients left. But, the people love it. Nsima is a part of almost every meal.

The thing that I find really interesting though is that we have been told that corn is not a traditional Malawian crop. However, it has become such a staple that it is now part of the culture here. So, what is our role as volunteers when we know that nsima may not be the healthiest option?

I am super excited to start a garden where I can grow diverse veggies year-round. Hopefully, by showing that other foods can grow throughout the year, others will see the benefits. Some of the foods we cooked today included all the food groups in one meal and were familiar to Malawian tastes! Change is slow, so I feel that if I can educate even a few people, maybe that is enough. It is a start.

Yesterday, at the district hospital I saw a woman and her baby who were so malnourished that they were literally skin and bones. There is a lot of work to do here that goes beyond arguments about food and culture. I hope that I am able to help.

* Thanks to my friend J. J. for posting my blogs. I am at homestay for another week and a half in a village without electricity or running water. Love to all and please send letters and lots of chocolate!!

The Courage to Change

Today is my 5th day in Dedza, Malawi, at the College of Forestry. For 4 days we have been in training from 8am to 5 or 6 or 8pm. The days are long and we are learning so much. Yesterday was the first day of technical training for the work we will be doing in health. Suddenly, all the education I had during undergrad on women's health in Africa came rushing back along with the idealism I had at the time. It is hard to believe that I am fulfilling some of these dreams now - 8 years later.

Malawi is amazing. The sights so far are breathtaking, the colors vivid, the people are endlessly generous. It is called the "warm heart of Africa" and I am understanding why. From the little bit we have learned about the cultural differences, I can tell that there are new values that I will be learning. For instance, Malawians do not rush out to work, they rush out to greet one another.

But, we have come here to help. Some of the things we will do are very simple such as teaching about mosquito nets, water purification, hand washing or vitamins. The question came up in class - why, if these things are so simple, do Malawians not do them? This question made me think about myself and those I know. We all have things in our lives that if only we changed, we could be healthier and potentially live longer. Changing behaviors is never easy. Many behaviors are also tied to cultural or social norms and in that case larger change needs to happen. But, I think there is a common human thread that change doesn't come easily and hopefully by working together we can all change in some way that helps us move forward.