The first order of the day was a visit to the open market in Lilongwe. Very crowded, with stalls on either side of a narrow walkway. When we walked in there were three or four women sitting on the ground with baskets of three different kinds of beans on their laps. And more beans in baskets surrounding them. They were wearing brightly colored chitenje cloths. Chitenje cloth, are large brightly colored cloths that women wear as skirts or dresses, as well as to carry infants.
I purchased one to have when we visit rural villages where women wear skirts and not pants. And yes, I will wear one over my pants. It is purple.
There did seem to be an organization to the layout. We saw grains and beans first. A short distance into market there were many stalls where woman were selling chitenje cloth. There were crates and crates of live chickens for sale. Each crate had several chickens. Later was fish, lots and lots of fish, including sardines and chambo. What struck a couple of us was the decorative patterns that the fish were arranged in. And no ice. The vendors would sprinkle water on the fish. A short distance away were dried chambo.
After visiting the open air market, we had about an hour. I went and got some cash from the ATM with a couple of others from our group before going to a fast food restaurant called Nandos. I think that Nandos is a chain as one young woman in our group who has been living in South Africa for over a year reported about Nandos in Johannesburg. I stiffled the temptationt to order a burger and fries. I had a chicken wrap, mildly spiced, french fries, and a diet coke. No ketchup for the fries, but they did have vinegar.
After lunch, we went to the grocery store and I picked up some bottled water, along with some peanuts and cereal bars for those times when we are not stopping for lunch.
Then it was time go to the Bottom Hospital, the free maternity hospital in Lilongwe. We meet with one of the OB/GYNs on the staff. One of two OB/GYNs. I do not think that I am ready to write about Bottom Hospital yet. All I could do was to think about my Dad, he would be horrified. They see 2.5 million woman a year, with 12,000 deliveries. And 2 OB/GYNs and 6 clinical officers. From what I recall from some reading that I have done, a clinical officer in Malawi has a couple of years of training and performs many medical functions, including, I think, minor surgical procedures. There are 2 to 3 midwives per shift. For 2.5 million woman a year.
And only one operating room.
Whole blood is only available from 8 to 4.
This is a humanitarian crisis. . . I felt the tears well up. And my words can not yet describe what I saw. I am not sure that my words ever will.
We left Bottom Hospital and drove through a residential area. Small houses, close together, some barely more than shantys. Some with pit laterines (out houses) some with indoor plumbing. And lots and lots of kids. Kids playing and laughing. Others just hanging. And the roads in this part of town, full of potholes. This makes the worst dirt road I have driven on in northern New England look like a newly paved highway.
We got to a home based care organization, Kabaso, that works in this community. Once a week a nurse comes with supplies for the AIDs patients, to their homes accompanied by volunteers from the community. On Friday afternoon Kabaso brings the children of those living with AIDs together. When we got there, they sang us a song of welcome, full of joy.
Their joy could not take away the horrors that I witnessed at Bottom Hospital. But it did provide a counterbalance.
I must say a few words about the very wonderful group of people that I am traveling with in Malawi. A wonderful group of people. And Don and Mary, our trip leaders, are doing a wonderful job of organizing our itinerary, including last minute changes as happened today.
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