Andrew Gray hasn't got much of an accent. In fact, if he didn't tell you he was from Malawi in South East Africa, you would never know the difference. Love lured him to Australia more than ten years ago and he has never looked back.
Malawi is only slightly bigger than Tasmania and is a landlocked nation in South East Africa bordering Zambia and Tanzania to the north and Mozambique to the east south and west.
With a population of almost thirteen million people, the country is densely populated. As a white man in Malawi, it means you are part of a minority of 10 000 - 15 000 people. The long and narrow country has a subtropical climate with lush rolling hills, cool mountains and lakes. The main source of income comes from agriculture - mainly tobacco.
Born in Zimbabwe, Andrew Gray's family moved to Malawi when he was two. At six he was sent to boarding school in South African Grahamstown, travelling back to his parents only for school holidays.
His passion for rugby eventually brought him to the UK where he met Leanne from Australia. They were a couple for a bit more than a year until Andrew went back home. A surprising phone call came to change his life forever - Leanne was pregnant. Andrew then left Malawi and moved to Australia. Even though the couple didn't last Andrew's love affair with Australia did, he stayed on and soon met his current wife with whom he now has three kids.
From his kids' perspective, he says life is better for them here.
Malawi is a very poor country and Andrew says that the local schools are sometimes nicknamed al fresco schools, because you sit on a brick stone under a tree.
"If they had stayed in Malawi they would have had to go to boarding school too, and that would have been hard for me as a parent".
So does Andrew call Australia home?
"Well, I support them in sport", he says with a smile.
But on a serious side, he is divided when it comes to his old home country, especially since all his family still lives there.
Quick facts about the Republic of Malawi
- Malawi has a population of 12, 6 million (2005)
- The capital is Lilongwe
- Lake Malawi is the third largest lake in Africa and David Livingstone was the first European to reach the lake in 1859.
- English and Chichewa are the major languages
- 7 in 10 of deaths in Malawi are caused by AIDS.
- Malawi has 49,118 patients for each doctor.
- Average life expectancy is 38-40 years of age
- 1/3 families do not have access to drinking water
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