Malawi Through a New Lens

June 2024

M A L A W I 

Though a small landlocked country, Malawi is known as the “Warm Heart of Africa” for its big hearted, peaceful and welcoming people. Over the years, this description has rung true to me and I have felt it many different times in many different ways.

With this big beating heart, Malawi seems to follow its own special rhythm, the heart beat itself being quite slow and steady (sometimes emphasis on slow 😂 ) where things seem to move at their own pace and more especially, at the whim of the individual. If the immigration officer comes to work on time, you will get your visa stamped, if not, you will spend half the day sitting on the floor outside of their office (an office I know far too well by now). If there is network service that day, you will get your visa renewed, but if the immigration system is hijacked (yes, the national immigration database was hijacked in January), it could be down for 3 weeks and you will not be going anywhere. Alas, this is Malawi. 

Nonetheless, although Malawi is not one of the most popular tourist destinations, it has always been one of my favorite countries in Africa because of this big heart, peaceful nature and the genuine realness of everyday life that you feel around you. We’ve now had the opportunity to enjoy the country's beauty north to south; with rolling green hills in the north, sprawling mountain ranges in the south, tropical islands and the iconic Lake Malawi spanning everything in between. I have come to the conclusion that Malawi is an exceptionally beautiful country that doesn’t get the hype that it so deserves (subtle hint for those who haven’t visited us yet, you still have time to see Malawi's wonders 😉 ).

Yet, compared to its neighbors, Malawi seems to be the little sis that got left behind. Middle child syndrome still trying to find her way in this world. For years Malawi has remained one the poorest countries in the world with little economic or social development to further elevate the growing population. In fact, in the past few years the Malawian economy has seen a steady decline with major devaluations of its currency leaving citizens in an even more vulnerable position than before. Since its independence in 1964, Malawi has always been a peaceful country with little historical conflict, but perhaps they never had the jolt needed to ignite long term change. Sadly, despite the billions of dollars injected into the country through development aid, Malawi maintains the status quo.

It’s taken Gabe and I time to get used to the daily running and unique particularities of this country and here are a few of our recent observations: (please note these observations are only our humble experiences)

1. Fuel Crisis: how many times in your life have you driven to a gas station, popped open the gas tank cover and asked them to "fill her up!" only to learn that your local gas station was out of fuel? This has never happened to me until I arrived in Malawi, but here it is a common occurrence. Due to the currency issues previously mentioned, the government doesn't always have enough forex to purchase fuel to bring into Malawi. A few times a year there are major fuel crises where people are lined up outside of fueling stations for days on end. Bootlegged black market fuel is sold for double the price and some cars are even left on the side of the road until they are refueled again. People need to plan their journeys to a "T" and the rule of thumb is to never leave your home without at least half a tank of fuel, unless you don't mind your new home being the side of the road. This has really made us understand the privilege of previously having this resource in abundance and what it takes to be mobile.
   

2. Female Popo VS Male Popo: if you want to continue on your merry day, do not mess with the ladies in uniform. In Malawi, police are scattered throughout the roads and stop drivers whenever they feel like it for “routine checks”. They will check your license, insurance, and even the triangles in your back seat trying to find something they can fine you for. While the men seem slightly bored and just want to have a good chat, the ladies are more tough. They will stop your car, stare you dead in the eye and give you "the look". Trust me, you don't want to get "the look". "The look" telepathically tells you, "I've got you grasshopper and I'm not playing". "The look" makes you feel as if you have broken all the rules there ever were, the ones before your time and even the ones that don't even exist yet 😂. What you do know for certain is that you only have a limited time to "yes madam" your way out of it. When it comes to the male officers, Gabe believes he has now “mastered” the male popo flirt but for the women, we still have a ways to go.
   

3. Piggy backing on the last observation, road laws only exist when it’s convenient: a few weeks ago I was driving and overtook a car in front of me. There were no signs or painted lines on the road but an officer stopped me and tried to fine me. I asked, "but where does it indicate that I can’t overtake a driver here?" The officer responded, "the lines have faded but they were once here." I said, “so how was I suppose to know?” The officer responded “well whose problem is that??” I responded, "Well being someone who represents the road requirements, perhaps it's your problem and your governments problem, officer?" I left with a negotiated fine but a fine nonetheless. 
   

4. Allowance Culture: due to the large influx of international organizations coming to work in Malawi an “allowance culture” has slowly formed. What is an allowance culture you might ask? This is the idea that anytime you are called for an official meeting by a body or organization that is not your own, the people calling the meeting are expected to pay you an allowance for your attendance. People will not show up to a meeting, despite being paid by their own companies or government bodies, without a lunch allowance and a fuel refund. My team and I discuss this all of the time but for years organizations have set the stage by paying allowances in order to ensure that stakeholders were engaged and committed to their activities. Come to think of it, if I received an allowance for every meeting I've taken over the past 4.5 years, I would be flying high! Today, no matter how much you try to avoid it, it is a cultural expectation. In my opinion, it makes sustainable development quite challenging when attendance is only strong when the attendees expect to receive an allowance in return.
   

5. Last but certainly not least, my addiction to “kitenge” fabric is in full force. Kitenge fabric is the beautiful vibrant and colorful African fabric that women wear traditionally as wraps around their waists. Although I haven’t yet mastered the “wrapper” look, I have pimped out my wardrobe with some “Gabby style” originals. I've also tried to curate a few new "fits" for the Gabetown who now has his first ever Kitenge jacket. Watch out Blantyre, we got a new fashionista on the loose.

All in all, it’s been a busy few months working , exploring new regions and gaining new perspectives. Zikomo (thank you) for reading this far and I will share new posts to follow in the coming weeks!