Leaving Chidewere to go back to Scotland

Through the window, the bumpy road from the front of the truck this time. Its about 2 hours to Lilongwe about half of which is tarmac road.

It was sad to be leaving Chidewere where I had been made to feel so welcome and have been so pleased so see the progress that the school has made through the hard work and dedication of the staff. They are all eager to get to grips with IT and have been working with the community to build new teacher houses and classrooms. The toilet block building and the new hand washing facilities have proved to be a success. Its amazing what you can do with old drinking bottles, a bit of wire and old plastic containers. Even more impressive was the increase in numbers of children going to school and staying there. They had the most Standard 8 finishers ever and the schol has excellent results.

The group from Lockerbie chilling before their long journey back from Thuwale to Scotland. Thanks to Vincent for organising the transport to the airport (sober transport....that's another story)

Breakfast (British) in the Kiboko Hotel with Helen my fellow cyclist and trveller. who stayed on to visit her school Thuwale in Mulanje District.

Leo and Vincent arranged transport and accompanied us to the airport.

Time to go to the airport.

Visit to the Village and Headman

Village Visit and Lucius

A gentle start today with a breakfast of tea with condensed milk and scone (thick white bread) with peanut butter. Then helping to make popcorn over the fire and roast ground nuts. The teachers' children were playing in the yard Anna, Jaqueline, Promise and Colline. I had three lunches today from different families and feel full! Later on I had a visit to the village head man, a little way from the school and was fed yet again, twice, nsima and beans, nsima and cabbage. Many of the children in the village do not go to school and have very little. It took me back to when I was there in 2007 as a global teacher, I was the television set for the community. I was delighted to be able to join in their dancing games, a bit like an eightsome reel when you each have a turn in the middle. There was much laughter! Some of the children could remember the songs we had sung before 'a,e,i,o,u vowel song', 'wheels on the bus', 'old macdonald', '12345 once I caught a fish alive' and we had a musical afternoon with lots of laughter. We had some difficulties making ourselves understood, my Chichewa causing a lot of hilarity.

Football in the village with home made ball

finished popcorn

Jacqueline helps to make the popcorn

Sweet potatoes and tea with sweet condensed milk

 

Hopefully this video clip will give an idea of the energy of the dancing in the village.

Singing in the village at Lucius's new house. He still has to put on a roof. It is only a 15 minute walk to to the school and to the teachers' houses but many children do not attend school. If their attendance is poor and they do not pass the exam at the end of the school year they have to repeat that year. There are children of all ages at each standard.

Singing action songs in the village with the children. It has been a problem up loading this video clip, the children in the village are singing and doing actions for the wheels on the bus.

Lucius (village head man) and his wife Joyce and youngest child Irene.

The school has 2 new bore holes and there are hand washing stations outside each classroom and outside the toilets

Lessinya cooking potatoes over the fire

Leo stands outside the 3 new classrooms which have been built by the school. These classrooms mean that the classes are smaller. There is a need though for more benches and mobile blackboards.

Elise does the washing up. She kindly shared her room with me. Hope I didn't snore too much.

Leo in his office.

Leo irons his trousers. He uses an iron which has some hot embers from the fire inside it.

It was  my last night in the village as I was returning to Lilongwe the next day and then flying back with Helen to Heathrow. The school arranged a leaving party and decorated the staffroom, with balloons and we had a feast of goat and rice and fanta. All the teachers turned up with their wives and children and there were some speeches and I was presented with a hand painted T shirt "Welcome to Malawi and Chidewere School' designed by one of the teachers Seagas. Then the music and dancing began. It was a memorable evening and I felt sad to be leaving these warm kind people.It was not long enough.

Balloons decorate the staffroom. The children will play with them tomorrow.

Leo and Vincent enjoy the celebrations. Vincent looking cool with his Scottish scarf and sunglasses.

Goat and rice enjoyed by all

Spouses and children came to the party too. It was a late night for them.

Seagas and his wife. Seagas painted my Tshirt by hand.