Rob in Malawi: Things I Will Miss About Being a JF in Malawi August

I have just over one week left in the overseas portion of my Junior Fellowship with EWB, and my return to Canada has been on my mind a lot lately. One of the things I’ve been thinking about most is what my transition back to life in Canada will look like - will I go through culture shock, how will I respond to the “So man, how was Africa?” question, and what I’ll miss about life in Malawi. It’s tough to imagine how I’ll feel back in Canada, but there are a few things I can think of that will definitely be absent in my life when I return to Waterloo.

Malawian friends and family. Last night I went to a going away party held by the church my family belongs to. Sitting around with friends and family, listening to music and eating biscuits, I was blown away by the people with whom I have spent the last three months. When I first moved in with my family, I thought I was going to go insane - four hour church marathons, gospel music, church members constantly coming and going from the house. After three months, my family still drives me crazy, but I love them just the same.

Malawian babies. I’m not particularly fond of babies back in Canada, but I feel like a large portion of my time here in Malawi has been spent playing with babies. And, Malawian babies are definitely a cut above the rest. Once they realize I’m not a monster (really, that’s why people say they cry when they first see me) they tend to be pretty laid back. I’m not sure if it’s because of the way they’re raised, but Malawian babies seem content just about anywhere - on their mother’s back, crawling around in the sand, playing with a shoe in church. I’m definitely going to miss having a sleeping baby passed to me on a mini bus so that their mother can hold onto a cabbage. Which seems to happen quite a bit.

Talking to people. All the time. Comparing my life in Canada with my life in Malawi, one of the biggest differences seems to be the number of personal interactions I have in any given day. I can’t walk down the street without stopping half a dozen times to talk to with people - sometimes friends, sometimes strangers, usually people who know of me slightly through a mutual acquaintance (all of these people think I’m from Spain for some reason). After spending all day chatting with people at work and around town, I go home and spend hours talking with my family and friends. I know this won’t be the case back in Canada, and I know I will miss making new friends and building relationships on a daily basis.

Reggae. Everywhere I go in Malawi, somebody is playing reggae music. The first time I was on a bus from Salima to Lilongwe, everybody around me broke out into song and started dancing to a song by The Black Missionaries, a Malawian reggae group.. I remember thinking “THIS is what all bus trips should involve.” And, pretty consistently, they have. I keep thinking about riding the Greyhound from Waterloo to Toronto, and have been trying to picture what series of events could lead to a similar situation. My conclusion is, there is none. Pretty soon, it’ll be back to overhearing Canadian and American pop music wherever I go but, at least for the next two weeks, I can keep enjoying the sounds of Bob Marley, Buju Banton, and Lucius Banda from dawn till dusk (and usually after…I live next to a bottle store).

My partner, Macmillan. One of the most rewarding parts of my JF placement has been getting to know my partner, Macmillan Chikhoza. Macmillan is truly an exceptional individual, and I’m proud to have become close with him over the last few months. In addition to being an incredible development champion, he is also a great friend. I could try to list all of the things he has done for me - taking me to the hospital when I was sick with Malaria, introducing me to his friends and family, sharing his stories and experiences - but the list would be far too long for one blog post. I am not sure whether or not all of the friendships I have had during my time in Malawi will stand the test of time, but I hope that my relationship with Macmillan will.

This list could keep going, but I’ll cut it short here. I know folks back in Waterloo are in the thick of exams and that a lot of you are probably polishing off/starting to write work term reports, and probably don’t need the additional reading material! I’m finishing up work this week, and am heading to Lilongwe on Sunday to hand over my final deliverables to my Project Officer. If you have any thoughts, comments, or questions, let me know!