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.
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