Just a little something while I happened to be near a computer

Hello Internet! I’m here in Lilongwe on sort of a random Sunday and there is no one here so I get all the bandwidth at the IRC to myself! MWahahah! I didn’t finish my last post on my trip to Liwonde, but let’s just say that I saw lots of animals and it was totally sweet! I would also like to note that there was a certain part where we went to a lodge to use the pool. When we arrived there was a huge crowd of devout Muslims wearing head to toe clothing in the pool, women in burkhas sitting at tables, and any man that could was sporting a beard. This isn’t a problem, nor does it bother me. However, my friends and I were pouring liquor into our cokes and we were only wearing our sort shorts, which made us feel we might be a little offensive. Certainly an awkward turtle situation if there ever was one. But it was also hilarious!

Hmm, I am just waiting for my good friend Prashantha to show up at the IRC so we can have a meeting of the minds and discuss the possibility of a business camp. He is an interesting guy; an Indian immigrant who worked in Boston’s financial sector for a couple years before coming to Peace Corps. Most of his work so far seems to be about different business related things; Selling peanut oil, using the waste product to make peanut candies, and more marketing things that I’m really not sure of the details. Here in Malawi, and as I’m lead to believe all over East Africa, most of the major businesses are run by Indians or Pakastanis. The Chinese are sort of late comers to the game, but they certainly have their claim in the game now. But why is that? Why aren’t there more successful black Malawian business men? Lack of training I suppose, they don’t have the technical knowledge.

In other news, when I got back to my village, I was greeted by a broken borehole. What bad timing I tell you! Right when things really started to heat up, my source of water crapped out on me! Oy, vey! The villagers tried to fix it by replacing an O-ring, but that didn’t fix the problem and now they are depending on me. It’s not that I mind helping them fix it, I am here to help, but the dependence unnerves me. A former volunteer got funding for the construction of the borehole and now they are depending on another volunteer to fix it when the quick, easy solution was to no avail. What will happen in the future when there isn’t a volunteer around?

When David Livingston arrived in this part of Africa, he and his compatriots considered the local inhabitants primitive. They wore very little clothing, lacked complex nations, and lagged behind the Eurpoeans in technological advancement. But they were progressing, just at a different speed. The Chewa had mastered archery and learned metallurgy which they used to create weapons. They had independently (at least of Europeans) attained this knowledge and had the proceeding foundation to build upon.

But it feels like now there is a serious disconnect between the imported technology available and Malawi’s ability to comprehend those goods. It’s different from in America where the average person watches TV but couldn’t build a TV, or even knows the fundamental principles behind it. All of the expertise necessary to construct, maintain, and understand the machines exists. Furthermore, there is a strong supply chain that can be tapped to access what has been out sourced. Malawi is devoid of all of these things due to its lack of education, expertise, and internal structure.

People love to use all kinds of technology here, but don’t know what to do or even prepare for them to break down. My borehole is a good example; the villagers were anxious to use the borehole, but not learn how to fix it or where to go for help when it breaks down. They told me that they man who came to teach about maintenance didn’t do a very good job. Which made me silently ask, “Well, if you knew that your education on the pump was inadequate, why didn’t you seek out more? Or ask me previously to do so on your behalf?” This is a modern convenience that they want to benefit from but cannot maintain do to their lack of competence. They are dependent on foreign goods and foreigners. And the way I move to take care of it all for them makes me feel like I am enabling them to remain this way. In addition to fixing this borehole, I must help to strengthen the community’s sense of ownership of the borehole and further their education on how to fix it. Capacity building is important, they must learn to do things for themselves.