Livingstonia (from last week)

It’s just after 6 am Wednesday 12th Sept – I am at Lukwe Eco Lodge perched high on the Livingstonia escarpment and I am sitting on the deck on my handmade wooden chalet gazing at what is perhaps the best view in Malawi.  I am surrounded by wooded hills, often a remarkable view of itself in Malawi as deforestation is such a predominant feature of the landscape.  Dotted around the hills are occasional tiny settlements of maybe 4 or 5 local houses.  In the distance, through the morning haze, I can just make out the Lake.  All I can hear are birds and so far I have not seen a single person this morning.   Not a bad start to the day.

Yesterday was an inspiring day, renewing my passion to do the best I possibly can for this placement, after the frustrations of last week.  I was expecting a roller coaster experience of highs and lows, I had not anticipated that the biggest barriers would come from my own programme office, the very people who are supposed to be here to support us volunteers.

I travelled to Mzuzu by ‘deluxe coach’.  About a five and a half hour journey on a packed bus – no chickens or fish on the deluxe version, at least not on the one I got and only as many people as there were seats.  I was very glad to have found a seat very near the back.  It might have been  an uncomfortably bumpy ride, but at least I could not see what was coming towards us!  There was a slightly hairy moment when the local tourism officers who had promised to meet me with a taxi from the bus didn’t arrive for about 40 minutes and during that time darkness fell and the numbers of people on the street dwindled to single figures.  My taxi driver for the next hour, once en route was keen to chat.  He taught me a few words of Timbukan, one of the 6+ languages of the North and happily answered my questions about the changes he’d observed since Joyce came to power and what he hoped for the future.  Of course, I’d forgotten the Timbukan before I got out of the car.

We arrived at Matunka after dark and in a power cut – another early night.  Perhaps this was just as well as the school turned out to be just across the path from my room and the bell rang for prayers at 7am before the start of the school day at 7.30.  Matunka is Christian run, as so many projects are here, but the focus is very definitely on supporting the community and helping them improve their lives and those of their children.  They using income generating activities, such as goats, donkeys, chickens, crafts, bee keeping, bakery, carpentry and, of course, tourism which is why I was there, to support  their social projects.  The school, where 50% of the children are orphans living with their extended families in the surrounding villages and 50% are girls, a clinic which when completed will provide palliative care for local people and a feeding programme for the schoolchildren and as an emergency in times of famine.  Here in the North eco-tourism is not aimed at the super rich, those people tend not to make it this far North because of the condition of the roads (although there are a couple of private airstrips to very upmarket places on the plateau), the majority are over landers in 4x4 here to camp, backpackers or expat volunteers, so luxurious it isn’t but it is clean, the food is pretty good and the people a delight.

From Matunka I spent a very informative couple of hours with the Director of Planning at the District Assembly.  Power is devolved, albeit not completely, to local Government here.  Their challenges are enormous, but so far the Directors of Planning I’ve met have been articulate, very bright and driven individuals. 

After lunch it was on the road to Livingstonia, stopping after about an hour and a half at the cultural museum and basket weave bridge over the South Rukuru river, near Rumphi – provided to allow villagers on either side of the river to cross without danger to get to their agricultural land, to get provisions from the tiny trading area and to access the clinic.  This area in the foothills of the Nyika plateau is home to the Phoko tribe, who speak a slightly different person of Timbukan, with a lot more intonation!  I was the first visitor in September (Sept 11^th) although they get around 40 to 50 visitors a year.  I was greeted by Abel, Treasurer of the CBO (Community Based Organisation) who run the area, look after the tourists and make sure the funds they receive are spent according to community wishes.  The ‘museum’ was tiny – barely enough room for 3 chairs but Abel was determined I should have the full tour – barely pausing for breath, let alone questions – songs of his forefathers in Timbukan, swiftly followed by a second rendition in English.  Then on to the shrines worshiped by the forefathers, including an interesting take on the role of beads in the spread of HIV and Aids and unsurprisingly concluding in an optional opportunity for donations, for which he stepped out of the hut and then returned immediately to scoop up my donation, count it and give me a written receipt.  All very transparent.

I’d seen the basket weave bridge in the guidebook – now I have crossed it!   Given the very wide gaps between the lengthways bamboos in places, Abel’s advice to step only on the cross strands seemed entirely sensible!  I’d probably have preferred to know there were hippos in those waters after I’d left the bridge, but I did ask the question, and at least I didn’t have to worry about the crocodiles!  I have to say Abel looked after me very well, he did not let go of my hand until we were back on terra firma, whilst the locals skipped by with babies strapped to their backs and huge buckets of produce balanced on their heads.  Yet another occasion where I felt excessively white and clumsy!

The road then took us a further hour and a half up to Livingstonia.  Although road may be overstating it a tad.  We bounced up the potholed track after leaving the lakeside at about 5 mph, snaking round hairpin bends, with sheer drops and tremendous views to finally emerge 15 kms later at Lukwe.  Quite a day!