I always tried to keep writing and updating this blog, but always
fail. I even avoided some friends who were asking how my life is here in
Malawi. It’s not because I am being ignorant, but simply because i still don’t
know what to feel yet, regardless today is my 17th days being here.
Some people might already find its rhythm by now, but to be honest i need more
time to find my passion, and I am going to give myself time.
My 10 days in Lilongwe where I supposed to have my proper in
country introduction passed amazingly. As amazing as it is, I almost lost my
confidence over my program office. They seemed to make “office moving” as the
reason not to take care of their new volunteer, not that I can’t take care of
myself. But being new and totally blind with the situation here, I needed
support. With their “support”, they successfully
made me feel useless and abandoned. I am so grateful to have other volunteers
next to me who supportive enough to each other, which turned out to be the best
healing to the frustration and my broken hearted. In this case, I truly passed
my first 10 days amazingly. I got all support that i’ve ever needed. “Thank you
guys” and I know these words would never be enough.
Freddy always told me that I would feel better when I move
to my placement, which is true. All the way from Lilongwe to Karonga I was
blessed with a beautiful view, another healing process. I got a good feeling
about my mission as soon as left Lilongwe. I couldn’t explain how good I felt
when I was watching that wild green landscape from the bus that I ride accompanied
with “through the veil” by Kevin Kern played on my ipod. I told Reggie that 10
days frustration in Lilongwe was gone, I even feel grateful with the fact I am
now in Malawi.
I spend a week now in Karonga, and I like it so far despite
of the minimum access to whatever comfort I found at home, despite that I couldn’t
find shampoo in its Market (well, I can always cut my hair), despite that I will
only find 4 kinds of vegetables that I can eat (wait until I have my garden), despite
that people called me “mzungu (white people) me..white?? puhlease…” or “china..china”
or “japan…japan”, I don’t care. I will not let those scarce or people who label
me make me lose my appreciation on the life I live in now.
My partner, The District Planning Office is pretty
functioning, plus they already assigned one officer who will always help me
with the project and go to the field with me. Speaking of which, I spent my
first week with the community already which for me is awesome. First week at
work and you already exposed to the grass root community?. Amazing. They were
so happy when I started to greet them in my basic Chitumbuka. One thing that I learn
from my first week in the field, there is no village hall, there is no “Meunasah”
like in Aceh, there is no “banjar’ like in Bali, people meet under the big tree.
There might be few wooden stools for the leaders but the rest of the meeting
participants sit on the ground. I sit together with the amama’s (women) who
came with their babies as I like to look at them during the meeting. Often, the
babies fallen asleep during the meeting and the mother simply laid him in the
dirty ground. There was also a small boy who cried out loud when I smiled at him,
which made me feel bad.
This year, I will attend a lot of meetings under the tree. So
far, there were akasia trees and Baobab trees. I will try to keep record on the
trees, as it will become one witness of me in Malawi. Hope to have a story
written about it at the end of this journey.
