September 2011
3 posts
How to make a difference!
It was only through supporters that things were accomplished in the village in Malawi this summer. If you saw the pictures and read our blog- A well was built, bricks for a school building were made, an empowering woman’s project was started, 70 children started to receive a free meal a day and were educated in early language development. It was only because people in Montreal bought gift...
Meaghan's Photos of Malawi →
Click and it will take you to Meaghan’s photo Album. It is on Facebook so you may have to view them from a home computer.
Health-a constant preocupation
So here is my last blog, a little late, more than a month since I’ve been back in Montreal. I must admit, there was an abrupt stop to the blogs and the reason being was HEALTH. Meaghan, my sister, got sick with Malaria. It was our last few days in Malawi and we were back at Rodrick’s house in Lilongwe and had plans to write, edit, blog and to wrap everything up before our departure.
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July 2011
15 posts
Pictures from Liwonde National Park-hippos! →
Tons, of hippos, ampallas, baboons, wart hogs, crocodiles and Elephants too! We went to the National Park and saw all these animals up close! Check it out by clicking on the link
Update on Pre-School Feeding Program
It has now been a week since we started the Pre-school Feeding program. We are up to 70 kids who have registered. The program has been going well. Sarah seems very at ease teaching the kids. She brings a lot from her own experiences. In the mornings, before porridge, she will often lead the kids in repeating after her the 7 days of the week, the 12 months of the year and the alphabet. The children...
Empowering Women Through Crafts
We are going to be selecting women from the community to give them some training on making African jewelry that they can sell in Liwonde to tourists but that can also we shipped to Canada to sell as fundraisers. The hope is to empower the women and give them a small source of income. On Sunday we will interview a bunch of the women who are interested. We came up with some key guiding questions so...
Pictures from Liwonde. CLICK ME! →
Liwonde
Yesterday we finally arrived in Liwonde. We are without a house but have instead found a hostel to stay in. We will be requesting our money back for the house as it was supposed to be ready on the 11th!
Today we went to the village where WHEAMS (Warm Heart Missions)is building their multi-model project. Before I left for Malawi I forwarded some money so two of the projects could be started....
Lessons in life from Malawi, Part I: Patience, or...
It’s Wednesday, 9am. I’m up and ready, bags are packed and I’m just making sure they’re by the door and ready for a quick car load-up and take off. Today we head to Liwonde, the community where we will be working to start up the feeding and pre-school program. Yesterday we ran around Lilongwe running errands and buying odds and ends for the project. Rodrick spent all night in a filling station...
And what of the project?
We were supposed to leave for Liwonde Wednesday and then Thursday but there are delays in getting the house we are renting ready. That and the car needed some repairs and an oil change and we have not bought soy beans yet for the feeding program. Now the plan is to go to Liwonde on Sunday. Rodrick has been on a search for something every day. The first few days it was for fuel, now it is for soy...
More on the gas shortage
The gas shortage is causing even more problems than I realized. Maize mills use fuel because electricity is so scarce, especially in the rural areas. Maize mills grind the maize into floor which is used to make nsima, the staple food in Malawi. Gas companies are refusing to sell fuel in bottles so people cannot bring fuel to the Maize mill machine and, as Tandala so beautifully put it, “maize...
Politics, and Life as a Result, in the City of...
Since our arrival, we’ve been able to chat quite a bit with Rodrick and Agnes and have been able to get a picture of what life is like for Malawian’s, especially life in Lilongwe, the capital. Read on…
Malawians who must travel to work every day must rely on public transport, especially now with the gas shortage. The salaries in Lilongwe are such that a minimum wage person can be earning...
Pictures of Life in Lilonwe →
I had trouble uploading pictures to tumblr so please check out our pictures on my facebook account. follow the link above.
First Days in Malawi
We have arrived safely in Malawi and we are staying at Rodrick and Agnes (Rodrick’s wife)’s house in Lilongwe, Malawi until late Wednesday or Thursday. They have two twin boys who are now 15 years old. Tandala and Tiamike. They also have taken in their niece, Salome and Edward, a young man. The two help out around the house, cooking, cleaning and the like. It has been nice staying with Rodrick and...
BIG THANKS & Congrats to the winner of the U2...
Congratulations to Zack Daunoravicius from St. Gabriel’s and a former student from Heritage who won the two U2 tickets!
HUGE THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO SUPPORTED ME. In total I raised $3667.80.
A Special thanks to :
St. Stephen’s who contributed $1500.00
St. Gabriel’s Church who in all contributed $542.75
Heritage Regional High School Staff(my wonderful work colleagues)...
June 2011
4 posts
Water Hole is in construction
I have heard back from Rodrick this week and the bore hole (water well) is in the process of being dug. When we arrive I will make sure to get many pictures.
Travel Intinerary →
Departure
Saturday July 9th I leave Montreal, Quebec for Malawi Africa. I meet up with Meaghan in Ethiopia and we take our final flight to Lilongwe, Malawi arriving at approximately 2pm in the afternoon on July 11th. In total I will have been traveling for 37 hours! yikes! Rodrick Banda, director general of WHEAMS (Warm Heart Missions), a non profit organisation set to launch this summer, will pick us up at...
