William Njovu had us over for dinner recently. Njovu means “Elephant” in Chichewa and we think that this is very appropriate since he is a wise old man who never forgets a face. Before retirement, William worked for a grain research firm here in Malawi. It was a good job, especially back then, and he never stops talking about when he was sent to Mexico in the 80’s on a research mission. There he bought lots of clothing and four pairs of the same leather shoes that he still wears to this day. We enjoy speaking in broken Spanish with him when our broken Chichewa and his broken English become tiring.
William married Selena, fitting for the wife of a Spanish speaking Malawian. Together they have 9 children. Chimwemwe (their youngest daughter) is pictured with them and her two children. Chimwemwe had her first daughter at the age of 17, out of wedlock, and William, to teach Chimwemwe a lesson, refused to let her finish school for 8 years. Chimwemwe is now 30 and is in Form 4 (12th Grade).
When William is not volunteering at MCBO, he helps out at the local church and also farms a patch of land where he grows delicious tomatoes and bananas. He is definitely one of our favorite students and always has something insightful to add to any conversation.
One of our favorite Malawian experiences thus far started with our visit to William’s church, where both the youth and womens’ choirs performed for us. It felt like we were listening to the Greek sirens; we didn’t want to leave. The African sunset served as the ideal backdrop while the women harmonized their voices and swayed their hips in sync. Darren had a field day snapping photos during this unreal opportunity for any photographer. We shared our gratitude (thanks to William’s translating) and left surrounded by a swarm of children.
From the church, we interrupted about five different soccer games on our way to dinner at William’s house. Once we arrived, we were introduced to the Njovuyalema clan, ranging in age from 95 to 5. How often do you get 8 people of four different generations living under one roof?!
The next two hours provided a first-hand look into the structure and culture of a Malawian family. Let’s just say… Men have it easy. As William’s daughter, Chimwemwe, prepared all the food, the men sat inside discussing Malawian politics over candlelight. Molly attempted to stir the nsima until she realized her arm muscles are awfully weak. Chimwemwe’s daughter was a huge help in preparing dinner. We were surprised to see how compliant she was in taking orders from her mother. There must not be a word for whine in Chichewa!
After we thanked Jesus for dinner, the guests and William were the first to eat. His children and wife all had to ask permission to join us….cultural difference #87.
William walked us home, guided by the light of the stars and our cell phone screens. We exchanged a dozen tomatoes for a handful of chocolate and thanked William for an amazing evening.
Another successful day in the lives of Chisomo and Napili (our Chichewa names)…
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