Malawi 2014

Malawi Day One-Arriving in Malawi

About to get on our plane from Ethopia to Malawi

We have arrived in Malawi. We flew from DC to Ethopia and from Ethopia to Malawi.

View from our plane window leaving Ethopia

Arriving in Malawi!!
We we arrived in Malawi, Mike Miller (Finance Officer for Mary's Meals) who is also from Iowa picked us up at the airport. He took us to our hotel and we rested for a little while.

In Malawi it is best to use mosquito nets at night. This is my bed and mosquito net.

After we had rested we walked over to Mike and Alex Miller's house for supper.  

Ellen Miller (Mike's Mom) who is also in Malawi right now, walked us over.

While we were at dinner we met some of the Mary's Meals staff who live and work (for Mary's Meals) in Malawi.

Alex, Mike and I.

Malawi Day 2-Nasiyaya School

We started off the day at the Mary's Meals office in Blantyre. 

We got to meet Dalitso who is head of school feeding in Malawi. 

After visiting the Mary's Meals office, we headed out to visit one of the schools I raised the money to build. The school was called Nasiyaya Lea School. 

The cooks sang for us while they cooked the porridge. 

I also got to help stir the porridge. 

While we were waiting for the porridge to finish cooking, we went to visit one of the class rooms. There were 110 children in the class room. 

The children were very excited to show us their Mary's Meals mugs.

The children also sang three songs for us. 

The children were very patient while waiting for their food.

The children receiving their porridge.

Since Mary's Meals started feeding in this school the enrollment has increased from 630 to almost 1000 kids. 

All the children eating their porridge.

I also got to meet the older kids at the school.

The kids at the school like to have their picture taken. 

At the schools they have a book that all the guests sign. 

While I was at the school I got to meet Christopher who is the monitor for that school.

Dad at the school. 

Ellen Miller danced with the kids.

Malawi Day 3-Under 6 Center

Today we had the opportunity to visit an under 6 center called Chamusa. An under 6 center is a place where children (age ~3-6) can go, receive a good meal and learn basic school lessons. 

The children were excited to have visitors. They sang some songs for us and showed us how they could count. 

When it was time to eat all the children lined up to wash their hands. 

The teachers sat them down in rows.

The cooks served the food and we passed the plates out to the children. The cooks and the teachers of this school are ALL VOLUNTEERS who give up most of everyday toe feed and teach the children. 

The white stuff is a thick porridge type thing and the gray stuff is little fish. 

It is amazing to think that at this school more then half the kids are orphans. 

We got to see their newly painted classroom. 

Malawi Day 4 and 5-Zomba and Majete

 On Saturday and Sunday we had free days because school was not in session. On Saturday we went to Zomba Plateau.

 We hiked to Williams Falls, Queens View, and Emperors View.

 Dad and our guide Daniel.

 We saw this baboon while we were eating lunch.

 On Sat. evening we had the privilege of having dinner at the home of Gay Russell. Gay is one of the main reasons that Mary's Meals exists. It was great to meet her and hear some story's of her life and her work with Mary's Meals.

 On Sunday we went to the Majete Game Park. We had the chance to see many different animals including different kinds of antelope, cape buffalo, warthogs, hippos, elephants, guineas, and baboons.

 

Malawi Day 6-Jacaranda School

 While we were in Malawi we had the opportunity to visit the Jacaranda School for Orphans.  Jacaranda School for Orphans, is the only entirely free primary and secondary school in the whole of Malawi.

 I got to try the Lukini Phala porridge for the first time!

 This is their outdoor Ping Pong table. 

 After we visited the school we visited the Satemwa Tea Plantation.

 One of the tea plantation workers picking tea leaves.

 

Malawi Day 7-Mpondasi School

 For our last full day in Malawi, we went to visit the Mpondasi School which is in the Mangochi District of Malawi. Mpondasi is the first school I raised the money to build a kitchen at. Jackie (who is with me in the above picture) was our driver for most of the time while we were in Malawi.

 The cooks at the school.

 I got to feed some of the children at the school.

 Ellen Miller also got to help feed the kids.

 The children waiting in line for their porridge.

 The enrollment has increased at this school since Mary's Meals started feeding there. When they started there were about 2,500 students, now there are more than 4,000!!

 After we were at the school, we went to Lake Malawi. Ellen and I waded in the water.

 On the way back to Blantyre, we stopped along the road to buy some roasted corn.

At the end of the day we got to meet Chris who is head of Mary's Meals in Malawi.



If you would like to view all 500+ pictures from our trip you can go here.