Malawians in London: I got You .Lucius Banda playing at Islington Acameny in North London on Sunday 9th November:

Finally I have found means of tracking where the Malawians hang in London and I will try to find them .My purpose is to associate with them and see what they are up to and maybe engage some of them to fund for the community work I am doing in Malawi or ask them to do the same.
You remember, for the last 3 years that I have been moving up between London and Malawi (after I left Manchester in early 2006),I have been asking where are all these Malawians who are supposed to be in London ? While on the tube (train) or buses if you look front or backwards, left or right all you see are the Nigerians and proudly enough our African counterparts have the courage to speak loud in their language ,so you can not mistake them for Malawians .But I have not heard Malawians speaking Chichewa on buses. I was once told there were many Malawians in East of London (Stratford ,Leyton and Hackney );I stayed there for 6 months and I didn’t see any. Now I am in North London (Seven sisters ,Finsbury park) and I have held this is where the home of a famous and rich Malawian called Mr Chair is ;but I haven’t met any of his family or bodyguards. And if you do see a face that looks like a Malawian and you try to talk to them; they tell you sorry, I am from Zimbabwe and we are neighbours. I miss the early 90’s when I was in the earlier part of my studentship in Adelaide South Australia as we used to know everyone from Malawi and visit each other and gossip about the then life president Dr Kamuzu Banda (we couldn’t speak loud because we had spy’s amongst us and if reported one could be deported back home, in Ezondweni, Mtwalo, Malawi) ;those were the good days !!! I also remember the late 90’s where I was in Nairobi, Kenya as a mature postgraduate student (now I have over matured) and when I was the vibrant treasurer of AMAKE(associations of Malawians living in Kenya)and we could organise parties and raise funds for Malawi whenever there were floods in lower Shire .Having come to the UK (on an over matured student VISA) and having heard that there were many students, nurses, Drs ,watchmen, carer takers and cleaners ,I expected to find a strong vibrant Malawian community but I was wrong.
After many unsuccessfull attempts I decided to goggle search on some common Malawian names like David Banda, Mkandawire and Phiri in london ;and guess what I found ; that the famous Malawian musician and honourable Lucius Banda with his Zembani Band is playing tonight in Nottingham the 8th of November and on Sunday the 9 in North London at Islington Academy ( a few miles from where I stay).Alas, atleast I know where you Malawians hide and I am going to check on you tomorrow ;I am not going to miss this show ;even though its costing £30 per head ( that’s my monthly budget for food in Malawi).But if you thought that by raising the prize you would put me off you are wrong; I will be there .

And I am going to report about that stuff you didn’t want people in Malawi to know about ;and I am going to dance too .

Are you disappointed ? Surprised ?

Email me!

When am I leaving Malawi for good?

Honestly I do not know how to tackle this topic .I am frequently asked that with my qualifications and experience as a specialist Doctor I could be making much more money elsewhere than still wasting time in Malawi and writing about rural Malawi .So why don’t I leave? I suppose I am a coward; not willing to take the first step and not willing to contribute to the brain drain in Malawi .having to more than 10 developed countries in all the continents I should have stayed now. Well I brew up in the early nineties when I studied medicine in Australia ; stayed there for half a decade and still decided to come back to Ezondweni , Mtwalo , Mzimba.Now I am much more used to living in poverty in Malawi (and even do enjoy the poverty) that I do not have strong reasons why I would want to leave.

Do you think I should leave and make more money elsewhere? Is my stay making any difference ?
Email me!

Helping Malawi without blowing a trumpet!!The amazing case of Norway

If you follow what I have been writing about the health sector in Malawi, you will notice that human resource crisis remains a major challenge in the delivery of health services –and perhaps services in other sectors. You will also probably realise that due to the crisis of HIV, Aids, Malaria and TB and many other diseases in Malawi, the government is unable to invest adequately in human resource. And if you were a good wisher for Malawi and had resources to help and contacted me, you would probably be advised to invest your resources in Human resources.
I want to alert you about Norway, a small country that has never blown a trumpet about what they are doing in terms of human resource capacity building in Malawi; however I feel they need special recognition and probably to be given special honours by the Malawian government. Many times we always think of the superpowers (USA, Britain ,China,e.t.c)as having the biggest impact in Africa; and we forget those who do not talk but give billions of dollars to help Africa.
So what has Norway done for MALAWI? I have not done a detailed research (maybe I need to do so ) but by just mentioning a few confirmed projects that Norway has done for Malawi you will understand what I am talking about.
Held of NORAID? Well it’s a short form of Norway Aid and comes with bug monies.
For example ,take the multimillion dollar sports complex just recently built at College of Medicine campus along the Mahatma Gandhi Road in Blantyre; everyone notices this building which is the first of its kind in terms of sports activities in Malawi. mention of indoor tennis, baddington, erobics, gymatstics and anything you can think of; the college of mecine of medicine premises are the best in Malawi. By the way apart from being meant for students, the centre is open to staff and the public at a few.The centre has dedicated trainers to take you through any sports activity you wish to be involved in.But you have never seen Norway bosting that they are the ones that have funded this project.
What about the new eye hospital in Mzuzu build through Lions Aid Norway and opened late last year ; and the upcoming eye hospital in Zomba? And the various training of staff that has been done at these hospitals?

Norway has been providing salary top up for dollars at College of Medicine;and recently is funding a re-entry package for Malawian specialist doctors who are abroad to come back to Malawi (by offering them up to UD60,000 per annum) .Norway is also funding a 2 year masters of political science programme at chancellor college by offering scholarships to more than 20 students per year.
Well, this information are the facts that I have about Norway obtained without doing a detailed research ;and I am sure this is a gross underestimation of what they are doing in Malawi .
You are not the only one who thinks wow they are doing a lot!!! Perhaps our governments need to give special honours to such countries-especially that they are not doing this for their own benefit.
I would really like to visit Norway to understand more about this county.
Ready to fund me for a ticket?

Email me!

Mzuzu ,a shining city for North of Malawi

A blogger from South Africa who happened to have visited my sight liked the pictures of Mzuzu so much that he asked me if I could post more.
The central of the north, Mzuzu is the main stopover town, and turning-off point for all areas north of Malawi.
The people of Mzuzu are friendly and they speak Tumbuka.
My village is 48 km from the city of Mzuzu; along the neglected M1 road (Mzuzu –Mtwalo-Kafukule-Mzimba road).
The trip by road from Lilongwe to Mzuzu takes about 4-5 hours.
By air, flight from Kamuzu International Airport (Lilongwe) to Mzuzu only takes 1 hour.
And if you have a camera on board you can take pictures while descending to land at the airport in Mzuzu. The view is fantastic.
Look at these pictures; they are lovely; and they were all taken by me while above the ground.For those who know Mzuzu you can see the arch at Chimaliro which is written welcome to Mzuzu.

Mzuzu my home city

I am revisiting the pictures i took when i visited Mzuzu.I didnt know Mzuzu looks so nice when you are above the ground.I was taken the pictures just before we were about to land at Mzuzu Airport.
This was an interesting visit.i was working at Mzuzu central hospital for a week;but imagine I was staying in Nkhabay at Chikale beach (You can see me with the mango trees).Nkhabay is about 50 Km away from mzuzu but the road is good so it is safer to drive on a daily basis.The beach is marvellous as you can see.I was eating the chambo fish every day.These pictures were being taken by my automatic digital camera,i had no one to ask for help;but they still came out nice.
I will write ore later.If you have a chance please visit Nkhatabay-Chikale Beach ;its a nice holiday resort.The road being seen is the Chikangawa Road as you are approaching Mzuzu.Amazing.
Thats my home city.