Written by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Exchange Volunteer Ms. Soukaina Bouihi, Photos by CorpsAfrica/Malawi Volunteer Mr. Abdellah Azizi
During our stay in Nitundu village, we had the chance to meet some of the most inspiring people we met.
At the age of 26 years, Imani is already a father of two boys, Abderaahman 4 years old, and Soudaissi 7 months, and a businessman trying every day to make a living out of selling used shirts in the villages surrounding Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi.
In his small house made of two rooms, one bedroom, and a multi-functional room, Imani welcomed us with his warm smile, and comforting words, as we sat for a tea break with his sister Assiatu, while he ironed shirts he brought from Lilongwe the day before, using a steel iron that operates on shackles. For added value, he washes the shirts and irons them, before selling them in the markets.
Imani makes a daily trip at 5 am to the markets
During the rainy season, the business gets slow for Imani, because rain makes it hard for him to showcase his shirts.
A two minutes’ walk from Imani’s house, Assiyato 42 years old woman, making Ziombowa in her outside one miter by one miter kitchen, where she sells them for 10 Malawian Kwatcha each. She’s a single women from Manguchi village. She came to Nitundu, because she could not find a job due to men taking over the fishing business.
She has being making and selling Zitonbowa for 5 years after she learned the skills from her friends back in Manguchi. Most of Assiatu client are school kids wondering around her kitchen. Even though we only spent few minutes with Assiatu, we were able to witness her generosity, kindness, and her sense of humor shown by the way she talked and smiled at the kids and women hanging out around her kitchen.
Back at Imani’s house, Abderahman was enjoying Zitombowa with his friends, while his father just finished ironing the shirts for tomorrow’s markets, hopefully a not a raining tomorrow.
A two minutes’ walk from Imani’s house, Assiyato 42 years old woman, making Ziombowa in her outside one miter by one miter kitchen, where she sells them for 10 Malawian Kwatcha each. She’s a single women from Manguchi village. She came to Nitundu, because she could not find a job due to men taking over the fishing business.
She has being making and selling Zitonbowa for 5 years after she learned the skills from her friends back in Manguchi. Most of Assiatu client are school kids wondering around her kitchen. Even though we only spent few minutes with Assiatu, we were able to witness her generosity, kindness, and her sense of humor shown by the way she talked and smiled at the kids and women hanging out around her kitchen.
Back at Imani’s house, Abderahman was enjoying Zitombowa with his friends, while his father just finished ironing the shirts for tomorrow’s markets, hopefully a not a raining tomorrow.
