Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Ms. Khwima Nyirenda
1) Warm People The people in Mzimba are welcoming and very generous. I have never lacked a helping hand when I needed it. They made sure I was a part of everyday life and traditions.
2) Irish Potatoes Irish Potatoes farming is one of the most practiced kind of farming in Mzimba South. It is a great cash crop for the area, and almost a staple food, second from Nsima. I love that I almost never bought Irish Potatoes because my loving community always made sure I had them in abundance. I mean, they understood that I am but just a volunteer.
3) Meat What is a Ngoni culture without meat? Meat is cheap to find and to buy in my community. Sometimes hyenas can do the village a favour by “injuring” a goat in the middle of the night, and well, what can the poor goat owner do but share the meat with his neighbours.
4) Wild Life I just mentioned a hyena. Yes. There is a vast forest reserve in my community and it has various wild animals that I saw for free, including hyenas. I know most of us get terrified when we hear about hyenas but contrary to popular belief, hyenas are very terrified of people (or anything taller than them). I was told not be terrified, and to give hyenas a chance, so whenever hyenas tried to kill my neighbours’ goats at night, I stepped out and shooed them away. JOKE.
5) Blue-Sky Not the actual blue sky. Blue-sky is a precious stone mined in my community, it is not BLUE, but it is Blue-sky, and I love it. I had not heard of it until I started living in Mzimba. It’s a beautiful stone that is bought by the Chinese and Zambians. The real 5th thing I love about this southern part of Mzimba is, there is always something you have never heard of, just like Blue Sky.
As I conclude my service, I just want to take this chance to appreciate the family I found in my community. I have had my ups and downs, but I will always remember the love my community spared for me.