Sharing the road

When I first got to Malawi, sharing the road with walkers, people on bicycles, ox carts, goats took some getting used to. The scene on the road as we approached a settlement of any size with market stalls an/or stores was unreal. There would be many more walkers and bicyclists than in rural areas. And I’m not talking about two lines of people walking down either side of the road. There would be people walking two or three abreast on each side of the street, along lines of minibuses disgorging passengers, bicycles darting in and out of traffic, and walkers making the "mad dash" across the street. Our drivers were very adept at navigating through these busy areas.

On the outskirts of the towns and in rural areas, there were the ever present goats that would dart in front of our van. Neither Luzu nor Don hit a goat. Walkers were always present, although in rural areas they would walk one or two abreast, often on dirt paths that ran along the road.

I lived in urban areas for about seven years in my twenties. In New York City where I lived the longest, I rode a bicycle sharing the road with cars, trucks, and buses. Not necessarily minding my manners, but getting away with it. If you are driving near a dairy farm in a rural area, you may have to stop while the cows cross the street to or from a barn or a field. You may have to slow down to follow a slow moving piece of farm equipment until it is safe to pass. Visitors to some National Parks in America and elsewhere may have to share the road with various types of indigenous wildlife. Nothing I had seen to date in America prepared me for what it means to share the road in Malawi.

About half way through our trip while I was riding shotgun with Luzu, he commented to me that “in Malawi we share the road.” Roads in Malawi are for everybody, not just cars, vans, and the like. There will only be something resembling “sidewalks”Only in larger towns and cities such as Lilongwe, Blantyre, and Zomba were then anything that resembled "sidewalks."

When I came home and drove around my town, I immediately noticed how quiet the streets were. Even crowded American interstate highways have taken on a new meaning.

Private Toilets and cell telephones

I went back and read the first posts I made from Malawi on June 14 (the day of my arrival) and June 15 (my first full day). The idea being that I wanted to compare what I wrote in my blog for those two days with hand written entries in the small journal that I carried around with me in Malawi. The idea behind this exercise is to provide new fodder for my blog.

You may recall that the first order of business on June 15 was to an open air market in Lilongwe. One thing I did not write about were, what at first glance appeared to be, public toilets. If I recall, these toilets were located just outside the entrance to the market. Given my interest in clean water and sanitation, I was quite interested in finding more about these toilets, so I asked Luzu. He told me that yes, these were flush toilets, and that people had to pay to use them. He went on to explain that the reason there is a fee to use the toilets is because if no fee is charged then the toilets fall into to disrepair. The fees cover, among other things, the cost of maintaining the facilities. I intended to go back to the market and see this facility close-up, paying the fee to do so. I never made it back.

In my early entries from Malawi, I listed my observations while riding in the van So, I have written about the many roadside stalls that I saw during our travels. By the end of our trip, they were a routine sight. People selling goods ranging from cell phone minutes to mice on a stick to vegetables to hand made furniture to coffins. On that first drive from the airport to Wendels, I noticed that a large number of small booths (or kiosks) with signage saying “celltel” or something similar. If memory serves, “celltel” is one of the cellular providers in Malawi. People at these booths had cellular telephones, selling time to individuals who wanted to place a call. In addition, some of these booths sold what are known as sim cards.

Unlike my cellular telephone that I can only use with a specific cellular carrier, unlocked cellular telephones can be purchased which can be used with a variety of cellular carriers. Activating an unlocked cell phone involves purchasing something called a sim card that contains a certain amount of airtime. When the airtime is used up, you purchase another sim card. The use of sim cards seems commonplace in Malawi. Americans can purchase an “unlocked cell phone” in Malawi at a much lower cost than in the U.S. However, to a Malawian, even a phone that is inexpensive to an American is going to be quite expensive. The cost of a cell telephone could explain the apparent popularity of “celtel” booths, especially around the cities and larger towns. If a Malawian could not afford one a cell phone, the “celltel” booths provided an opportunity to place a call. I never did find out what people charged for the use of their cell phone. My unanswered question is could a Malawian of average means, which probably means they are extremely poor, easily afford to purchase a couple of minutes of cell phone time at a “celltel” booth?

A little more about Luzu

I want to spend a little more time telling you about Luzu, one of our two drivers in Malawi. One of the things about Luzu that was interesting is that he grew up in northern Malawi, and we spent all of our time in central and southern Malawi. So, he talked a little about some of the customs and traditions that he grew up with. For example, the language is different and how village chiefs are elected is also different.

At some point he ended up in the Lilongwe area, I am sure that he told us how he ended up there, but because I did not write it down, I don’t recall the story. Anyway, he currently lives with his wife, two daughters, a (great) nephew and other relatives in an area known as Likumi about 8 km outside of Lilongwe. He took all of us to his house, actually a small compound on our next to last full day in Lilongwe.

Luzu works for a nongovernmental organization (NGA) in Malawi that works with wildlife preservation. In addition, at the time we visited him he had two kinds of chickens, about 400 layers and 500 broilers. His wife, whom I also met along with his youngest daughter, works for the government (I think). So, the chickens bring in extra cash. In a recent e-mail, Luzu reported that he sold the layers because they stopped laying eggs. He keeps the broilers for two months before selling them off and replaces them with a new batch of broilers. In addition, he had one or two roosters and some guinea fowl. I was very impressed with how clean and well cared for his chickens were along with the fact that they mix the chicken food themselves. He had a couple of young men who may have been part of his “extended” family who helped with the chickens.

They also had some fruit trees, and space for a vegetable garden.

I was quite impressed with his resourcefulness, self-sufficiency, and his generosity of spirit. I met his wife, and although we only spent a little while together, I felt as if I had known her for a long time, a kind of “kinship” that is very special and perhaps very “African.” Whatever words I use to try to describe this are wholly inadequate. I hope you get the idea She too shares Luzu’s resourcefulness, self-sufficiency and generosity of spirit. My only regret is that I was too tired to think about getting someone to take a picture of his wife and me.

Both of his daughters are in school. I know that his oldest daughter is in secondary school and his youngest daughter may be getting ready for secondary school. I can tell that they will go far.

Back from Vermont

I have been back from Vermont for four days now. It turns out that with the exception of my “diary”, I did no writing to speak of. So, I have nothing to post. I did write one entry that I had intended to post here. I still may do so, but it will require revisions.

Hello from Vermont

I am one week into my vacation. A very nice and welcome interlude here in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont. The usual vacation activities. I have at least one entry that I will post when I get home next week and have more time to spend on the internet.