Reason #12 Why WC Loves Working in Malawi: VIEWS LIKE THESE!

Heading home from work....

Dowa to Lilongwe, March 2010

Malawi youth wins GIA award, fights climate change and poverty

You may recognize him from an episode of the Daily Show in October. You may have read about him from a book that hit the stands this Christmas. Or you may have heard his name mentioned by someone you know who's volunteered with us. Needless to say, we at World Camp couldn't be more thrilled to read in today's newspaper that the young and remarkable Malawian, William Kamkwamba, is a recipient of the GIA or the "GO Ingenuity Award" in Ghana! Read the full article.

The award recognizes the impacts of inventors and artists in developing countries. William's achievements and recent fame center on his construction of a windmill from scrap materials gathered near his village. But what's striking about his story doesn't end there.

William grew up in a small village, Wimbe, in Kasungu District (north of Lilongwe). His family, like so many others, was hit hard by the 2003 drought and famine, and could no longer afford to send him to school. Even if he had been in school, when it gets dark in an African village, it gets dark. The kind of dark where you keep waiting for your eyes to adjust, but it never happens. What this means for so many youth here is that once night falls, that's it-no way to complete homework or read. Can you imagine if you couldn't do anything after dark? It's 6:30pm here in Lilongwe and dark.

So William spent his time pouring through books in a community library. The kid seemed to have a nack with figuring out how things work, but still! He had never even taken a physics class, but learned about wind energy and constructed a windmill in a village with practically nothing. And it worked!! I mean, I have 2 college degrees, and I didn't even fully understand the chapters on how he did it.

Only 2% of the country is hooked up to the electrical grid, thus having electricity. Only 2%!! Those of you who have been here probably remember the frequent power outages. Did you know that these are actually often a result of deforestatio? Dust, branches, trash, mud is pushed into the country's main electrical plant in Blantyre during storms, due to the soil erosion and lack of trees surrounding the area.

So you can imagine what a windmill in a Malawian village means. Access to resources that hardly anyone has. Light to read after dark. And a sustainable source of power that does not further contribute to the pressing deforestation and environmental challenges in Malawi.

What I find most inspiring about William is that he is not so extraordinary. Reading his story and hearing his thoughts, I was reminded of so many kids in our empowerment discussions. William and our students share similar histories, grew up in similar places, face similar challenges, and have similar aspirations. And it encourages me that now, when a kid looks at me with that look like no one has ever told her/him that they believe in them, I can share William's story, a story that is real and that they can relate to.

So, a sincere thank you toWilliam. And to the rest of you, come on, the world is changing, and we've got work to do!
**If you haven't read The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, you must. It pretty much describes Malawi, good and bad, the way I would always like to to my friends and family back home**

African Rain Storms

The rains are late this year, but the storms we've had this past month have been incredible and well worth the wait. I'm talking that epic kind of downpour that is so full of energy you just have to sit on the porch, drink tea, and take it all in. Like wake you up from a deep sleep or have to shout over it to have a conversation kind of rain. People have been happily biking and working in the rain, because despite the big storms, it means a good year for crops.

rainstorm at the World Camp House, early March

Usually the rains hit hard during our January session. Some of you may remember storm or two during your volunteer time here. Like January 2009 when we got caught in a storm on the way home from camp and WC volunteers John and Jay rescued a goat nearly washed away:

volunteers pulling goat to shore

Luckily, the goats seem to be holding their ground this year.

In Celebration of Women Around the World!

I know it's a few days early, but to women everywhere, those with women in their lives, thoseaffected by women, and those who just simply love women, HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY!!

World Camp fans in Asheville, NC jump started the celebration on Thursday evening by attending a Half the Sky event and supporting the empowerment of women around the world. The Half the Sky Movement believes in the power of women, that men and women together will create positive change, and fights for gender equality and opportunity by addressing 3 of the major abuses females face: sex trafficking/forced prostitution, gender based violence, and maternal mortality. Be sure to check out the movements new book (pictured above).

Here in Malawi, we are celebrating women in true World Camp fashion: the John Chizimba dance special, a couple renditions of the Banana Song, practicing our female condom demonstrations, and a meeting with the National Youth Council of Malawi* (who recently launched a new campaign addressing the impact of early child marriages on the HIV/AIDS crisis--more on this in subsequent posts, so check back!).

"Amayi ndi a mphamvu! Women are strong!"

female empowerment group, Summer 2009

photo by: Jessica Hallet, volunteer

8 March is the official International Women's Day, and the U.N's 2010 theme is Equal Rights, Equal Opportunities: Progress for All.

How will you pay proper tribute to all the beautiful bombastic babes in your life? Share with us an event, fact, photo, World Camp female empowerment moment, or story of a woman who has influenced your life.

Fun (and some not so fun) Female Trivia:

• Props to the first female head of state goes to Sri Lanka in 1960.
• Of the 192 members of the United Nations, 23 are currently led by females.
• Costa Rica elected their first female president, Laura Chinchilla, last month.
• Windshield wipers, automatic dishwashers, bras, home security systems, pain relievers, and even cancer-fighting drugs were all invented by women!
• Women won equal rights in the U.S. in 1964 when a congressman hoping to defeat the Civil Rights Act added a clause to Title VII that included sex, which passed.
• The only body part designed specifically for pleasure belongs to women.
• More women than men in the U.S. hold bachelor's degrees, voted in the 2008 presidential election, and have survived past the age of 85.
• Women account for more than 60% of persons with HIV in Malawi.
• 35% of unmarried girls in Malawi experience at least 1 teen pregnancy, this is not including the 50% of Malawian girls that are married by the age of 16.

*Thanks to Amon Zileni, WC translator, for getting us in touch with the Council.

maize season!

'Tis the season in Malawi. Maize season that is. Or just about.

A few weeks ago John, our House Manager, traveled to his family's home in Monkey Bay to check on his crops. He returned with a huge smile on his face, said it was up to his waist, and almost ready. That's when I started really paying attention, noticing that maize was everywhere, growing, and fast!

The small maize crop I pass on my morning run seems to grow inches overnight. It's taller than Ngoni!

Planters grow a number of different maize: M6, M12, M14, which correspond to to the height of the stem before it begins to produce baby maize. Apparently they all taste the same. I have no idea which one this is. Regardless, I'm sure that it will make some delicious nsima.