Where Have I been to in this world?

Well,as i was  born in a rural area in Northern Malawi, I am not sure whether I should say I had a humble beginning. My father was a civil (public servant) and in those days it was not easy to put food on a table to feed the 8 children. Being the first born, I may have faced some pressures to prove the best (or maybe I was used pushed to prove the best).

Having gone through primary education in Mtwalo, Mzimba  I ended up in a secondary school in Mzimba and then eventually at Chancellor College, University of Malawi.

I then proceeding to do a medical degree and the others, eventually becoming an eye specialist, community eye specialist and an Ophthalmic epidemiologist.

But most important I ended up seeing many countries that are very different from the Mtwalo where I was raised up.

Here are the countries I have lived and visited –listed in no particular order.

Australia, England, Switzerland, France, Germany, USA, Brazil, Argentina, United Arab Emirates (Dubai, Abudhabi),India, China, Egypt, Cameroon, South Africa, Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and the like. Indeed this means I have been to very one of the 7 continents of the world.

By Malawian Standards, I can confidently say I have extensively travelled. By Mtwalo standards, I possibly have set an unbeaten record when it comes to travelling.

I wonder how I ended up in all those places: but its simple: its to do with my work with blind children from rural Malawi that has made me see all these places. This is paradoxical: most people would think that when you start working in the community you rot there; for me it is the working in the community with poor communities that has made me exposed. I continue doing this work-most likely because I was raised up in the same poor communities and I understand their lives. Today I look back at my home pictures. Who would have known that someone coming from as remote as here would have ended up going to Universities in 4 continents. In no way is this out of my own making or my hard work; it is him the almighty that has isolated and blessed me. Who am I to be given the opportunity to dine with the most distinguished when they are more deserving persons? If you believe in predestination, God Can bless you too.

But the world is round; so wherever I go, I still end up in the same place where I left from-that is Malawi.

I rest my case.

Would you agree if I said I have travelled a bit?

What do you think?

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Isn’t he growing?

Yewo my son is just 8 weeks old now.

Isn’t he growing?

Comment at : director@bicomalawi.org

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Finally On my way to Malawi

Just finished sending all my stuff to Malawi .I will leaving London tomorrow (for Good) .I am looking to be back in Malawi for a longer time (despite all the problems that we hear about Malawi) .The weather in London has not been that bad during this time. I week from now I will be in Blantyre and will probably have forgotten about the stay in London (Hounslow and the Piccadilly line).On Easter I will be going to see my mum in Ezondweni Mtwalo Mzimba .
While in Malawi I will be in Blantyre at Lions Sight First Eye Hospital known as Blantyre Institute for Community Ophthalmology BICO
BICO will continue doing practical research that can guide Policy.
This means I am also changing my email. From now onwards you should Email me!

Thank God for my Mum

Today was a very busy day for me ;am glad its now evening and I am looking forward to my trip tomorrow.
Why was i busy?I have being trying to send this Research article for publication in a peer reviewed journal.Imagine it took me the whole day.
Tomorrow I am going to Portsmouth;to see the harbour ;There is a feery that goes from the port to France-I am not sure whether I want to ride on it.
The trip from London to Port harbour by coach is 4 hours ;i will leave very early in the morning so that i spend the whole day there.I am coming back to London in the evening.

At the momemt i am about to sleep but am admiring the old pictures of my home village back in Mtwalo,Mzimba malawi.
I was there for the unveiling of the tombstone for my late father.
My mum is still looking miserable.
The other women carrying Nsima are smiling
People are happy sitting on the graves and charting not even thinking why they are there.
I had to borrow the red car from a colleague at Ekwendeni Mission hospital.
The grass thatched house (my mums kitchen) reminds me of the healthy organic food that i used to eat before being introduced to the hot dogs ;i feel sorry for her though : she's never been out of that village -maybe i need to do something for that community ? Resources are tight here in the West .

Mzimba Heritage

I should have joined “Muhlako wa Alomwe” because I know that unless I am seen at such gatherings, my hard work and sweat is not going to yield anything in the next 5 years. Rumours say that members of this group can perform well as managers in various capacities in Malawi , but membership is very strictly restricted .

Having been frustrated that I can not join such a beneficial group I have decided to show my face at “Friends of Mzimba Heritage” whose membership am told depends on whether you consider yourself or your parents to come from Mzimba.Well I was born there ,so am qualified to be a member .I need to be noticed at this time and everyone must know my name and that am a doctor ;This is incase this group also gets the same powers and privileges to be board chairmen and directors ,I should not be forgotten to be given such a post.
We are meeting at Michiru for lunch one Sunday afternoon and about forty people have gathered here .The chairman welcomes us in Tumbuka (I am told he is the professor and vice chancellor of the Catholic University ) and asks us to introduce ourselves in Tumbuka as well.
When a man named Dr DD Phiri rises everyone applauds and I ask them why ,am told he is the one who started the association and that he has published over 18 books and a million articles .They ask me that didn’t you see him getting the national achievers award on Televison Malawi during the celebrations day? The name person to be introduced is the so called lady whose career as a professor of law in Zambia was interrupted by being imprisoned together with the husband and sons and that the husband died in jail. She runs an NGO and am told she also got the medal at Celebrations day. In absentia but also recognised is the lady called “Rose Chirambo” who am told is dead but was the first female minister under the first Ngwazi regimen.
Then comes a list of all the prominent people in town who are here, Chief Executive of X,Y, Z and MD’s of P,Q.
And then there is this “bayethi”-all of us standing up and clapping hands to who? I am told the man is Inkosi Mabulabo even though he looks younger than me .
Its my turn and all of a sudden I am tongue tied .I thought I was going to be noticed as an important person but there are too many here so I introduce myself as Mr Kalua ,also from Mzimba and working at the hospital and luckily enough no one bothers asking what I really do .I know I take care of blind people but in this gathering that role is unnoticeable.
I have learnt one thing in this meeting; there are already too many people from Mzimba with positions in Blantyre that even if the opportunity presents that they have to chose some directors, my name would still not be considered. For once I wish I was a Lomwe ; surely I could have been going to the embassy .

I am told the Mzimba heritage welcomes everyone so you are free to join. As you can see my late grandfather is seated at his house in Mzimba so I cant deny my roots .

What do you say?
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Blogging lessons for Malawians

Blogging lessons for Malawians

So how does one start to blog ? Coz they aren’t many Malawians in this field ; because they do not know to start.
Well I never went through a formal training so I can t have the answers .All I can say is that I taught myself the hard way on the internet ; and I am sure other people can teach it easier to many Malawians .How did it start for me ? I was inpired by a Malawian journalist “Victor Kaonga” who was studying masters in Sweden in 2006 and was writing a lot about Christianity and journalism in Malawi ,and I noted that there were very few blogging articles about health in Malawi .I told myself that since I was a highly qualified person in the field of eye health in Malawi ,I would start by highlighting issues affecting my department in Malawi .And of-course my background and how I used to live that miserable life at Ezondweni , Mtwalo, Mzimba Malawi where my parents are still staying .I goggled on the internet about how to blog and came up with the list of blogging symbols .So then I started and look at where I am three years later .
But many Malawians leaving outside Malawi and within Malawi want to start Blogging but they don’t know how to do it .Is there a simpler way?
In my next blog , I will be highlighting the benefits blogging and I am convinced Malawians are loosing on this one .
If Khumbo Kalua , who came from the remotest of the remote villages in Mzimba , Malawi and had never seen a computer until a few years ago can now freely blog , then yes you can do much better. Ask me I have been there .
And talking about being busy ,my job is really involving –but I still have time to blog –so no excuse .

Are you in IT? Can you help many Malawians start blogging?

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Blogging lessons for Malawians

Blogging lessons for Malawians

So how does one start to blog ? Coz they aren’t many Malawians in this field ; because they do not know to start.
Well I never went through a formal training so I can t have the answers .All I can say is that I taught myself the hard way on the internet ; and I am sure other people can teach it easier to many Malawians .How did it start for me ? I was inpired by a Malawian journalist “Victor Kaonga” who was studying masters in Sweden in 2006 and was writing a lot about Christianity and journalism in Malawi ,and I noted that there were very few blogging articles about health in Malawi .I told myself that since I was a highly qualified person in the field of eye health in Malawi ,I would start by highlighting issues affecting my department in Malawi .And of-course my background and how I used to live that miserable life at Ezondweni , Mtwalo, Mzimba Malawi where my parents are still staying .I goggled on the internet about how to blog and came up with the list of blogging symbols .So then I started and look at where I am three years later .
But many Malawians leaving outside Malawi and within Malawi want to start Blogging but they don’t know how to do it .Is there a simpler way?
In my next blog , I will be highlighting the benefits blogging and I am convinced Malawians are loosing on this one .
If Khumbo Kalua , who came from the remotest of the remote villages in Mzimba , Malawi and had never seen a computer until a few years ago can now freely blog , then yes you can do much better. Ask me I have been there .
And talking about being busy ,my job is really involving –but I still have time to blog –so no excuse .

Are you in IT? Can you help many Malawians start blogging?

Email me!

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 ?

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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 ?
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How was your Easter?

As for me I couldn’t have asked more than what I got for this Easter. For once I had a break from the busy work schedule in town. For 4 days I forgot as I was an eye doctor and a researcher.We went out to the North of Malawi with my family to visit other family members at home. We left Blantyre at 6.00am on good Friday ; had a stop at Jenda police road block in the afternoon, and bought some potatoes, onions and tomatoes to take home, proceeded to Chikangawa forest and had a short break for a drink and arrived in Mzuzu around 4.00pm . Yes a very long distance to cover (about 700km). In Mzuzu we did some more shopping; getting meat , fish and bread only left Mzuzu around 6pm for Ezondweni, Mtwalo. Upon seeing our vehicle the whole village warmly welcomed us; slaughtering local chicken for us to eat. With only candles used for lightening (no elcetrcity) and no TV to watch,
We spent most of the evening charting with old friends; some of them currently having 3 wives. In the morning I went to see Chief Mtwalo to pay him respect and for him to update me about the developments taking place in the village.I noted that his house now has electricity; thanks to the rural electrification project .
I then drove to Phwezi Boys secondary school in Rumphi Distrct to see my brother who is still in high school there;and on my way I stopped at Enukweni to see an old friend and primary school classmate who works as a medical assistant at Enukweni Health centre (he is nicknamed the Doctor).
In the afternoon we proceeded to Mpherembe through Sokopo but stopping at Luvwere to see my aunt who is married there.
At Mpherembe we went to Malidade at Chipwafu estate, where my mother inlaw stays.Our visit was followed by more partying and eating fresh corn. I visited the farm; with a lot of good tobacco , groundnuts and maize.
Having spent a night there we went back to Ezondenin to bid farewll to my mum; spent one more night there and on easter Monday we left at 6.00 am back to Blantyre and arrived in Blantyre at 5pm.
It was a good week for me and my family.

What did you do ?

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Bye Bye London

I am relocating from my London office to another office in Malawi where I will be starting work within the next few days. This is a big move from the comfort and luxury of an office on the third floor in the centre of London with a good view to my ordinary office in Malawi. Infact its probably not right to say I have an office in Malawi as I spend most of my time in either Eye clinics, Wards or Theatre managing Eye patients and I rarely have time to sit down. In London I was mostly sitting in the office and spending a substantial amount of time on the computer and reading reviews and journal articles and was being paid good monies for that . I also had 24 hour internet access (both at home and at work) where as in Malawi (with dial up connection) I will definitely have internet only at the office and certainly not at home. If lucky I may be able to check emails for an hour per day (when the speed is good) otherwise I may have to stay days without checking my mail. Having been used to writing blogs and emails every day I am a bit scared of how I am going to be coping in Malawi without regular internet. I now sort of understand why Malawians and many other people do not want to go back home after being exposed to the so called high tech life.
But as for me there is no point of staying in London and I am living within the next few days; and will spend my Christmas where there is no electricity ,telephone and running water but people are still happy. London may be a high tech place with lots of monies but it has lots of gloomy faces ( and indeed it’s true that money cant buy you happiness). My face has become more gloomy since being here. That’s why I am going to Ezondweni, Mtwalo, Mzimba , Malawi where people always smile at you (despite being poor) and I am expecting to have a memorable Christmas. And the focus is not so much on competition and setting long goals as it is here in London; because there in the village we live one day at a time .We are going to eat Chicken and Rice ( a delicacy even though people here take it as normal food)on Christmas day and drink some fanta. I don’t have to worry about what to write next so unfortunately you will not be reading more stories from me. Bye Bye London.

A rare encounter with the Donor

When the personal assistant to my Director asked me if I would be interested to go out for an organised event in London on Thursday night where someone from UK was going to talk about experiences concerning their visit to some blindness prevention programme in Africa, I said well, why not? after all I am in the blindness prevention field and this is what I do most times in Malawi and now that I am about to go back to Malawi soon to spend my Christmas in the village (Mzimba, Mtwalo, Ezondweni) this is an opportunity to see another building in London. Unfortunately I did not bother to ask more details of what was required and who would be there. I just got the address of the venue (Haberdashers hall, London) and said I will be there.
After being lost a few times in the streets of London, I finally got there late and in casual wear (sweater) only to notice that everyone is dressed formally and that this is indeed a very formal event.
The receptionist at the Hall asked for my name and gave me my name tag and said " puts this on your sweater and I will take you upstairs where the guest of honour is so that you can meet him". I say to myself o god! Why didn’t I ask for the dressing code?
To cut the story short I finally had a rare chance of meeting the top most senior staff, trustees and donors (individuals who support) of Sight Savers International, a UK based NGO that has been dedicated to fighting blindness all over the world for more than 50 years. Their current work stretches in over 30 countries throughout Asia, African and the Caribbean. Of most important to me is that Sight Savers International (SSI) began work in Malawi in the early 1960s and today supports programmes which cover the whole country. All the good eye work that I have been writing about in Malawi is to some extent supported by SSI. For an Organization of such a big magnitude and with its World Headquarters based in the UK, the probability of one local doctor meeting such top management is very small. But I was privileged to have met all of them.
In the first picture I am with “Lady Jean Wilson” in the middle and a colleague from Nigeria. Not only is she the Vice President of Sight savers International; but also Sight Savers International was founded by her late husband Sir John Wilson almost 50 years ago. I will have to write a whole blog about this amazing lady later.
In the second picture to my left is “Lord Nigel Crisp” (wearing a red/black tie) and to my right is a strong financial supporter of SSI (proceedings from his company go to SSI).
All the doctors and other health workers who have migrated from Malawi to UK should know who
Lord Nigel Crisp is ; previously known as Sir Nigel Crisp ;unless they have not heard of NHS (National Health Service ) where he has been the Chief executive for years. He is the chairman of board of trustees of Sight savers international. He knows so much about the Health issues in Malawi that I will have to write about him later.
Lastly I am with Dr Caroline Harper, the Chief executive of SSI .And I also met other many more senior SSI staff and talked lots and lots about the support they give us in Malawi. Honestly this was a rare meeting with the donor themselves; rather the supporting partners-as they prefer to be called.
I have posted two pictures indicating SSI assistance-among the many resources that SSI gives to Malawi to support Eye care.
And yes this was a good outing.
What do you think?
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A tribute to Kerri Ferguson

Today I have the opportunity of writing about Kerri Ferguson, who was my mathematics teacher at Mzimba Secondary school in Malawi about 20 years ago. She and the husband came as Peace Corps from Canada to teach for a few years in Malawi. She was a mathematics teacher and the husband was a physical science teacher. Imagine she made sure we had finished the form 4 syllabus for mathematics by 1st term of form four. She introduced me to additional mathematics (calculus and trigonometry), a subject which was not part of the normal form 4 subjects but was a GSCE subject which was being taught at Robert Blake secondary by other expatriates. I ended up sitting for this subject and got a distinction not only in this subject but also a distinction in the normal Mathematics, and Physical science. I am talking about the 1988 form 4 MANEB examinations. The couple returned to Canada before examination results were out so they never celebrated the results with me. But I did write to them later that year when I joined the University of Malawi and they sent me a scientific calculator to use at Chancellor College. Fortunately the whole of the first year Bachelor of Science Mathematics course was what I had already learnt in additional mathematics and so I did not have to attend most classes but I still ended up excelling in all examinations.
I have never heard of the Fergusson’s since 1988; I know they are somewhere in Canada; and I am hoping that one of these days they will come across this blog and get back to me; then I can explain to them how that teaching of 1988 changed my life from being a mere Mzimba secondary pupil (from Mtwalo, Ezondweni, Ekwendeni) to an academic person-in the medical career -a long process indeed. If they look at these pictures of me today they will probably not recognise me as being the same student.
Thank you for being such good teachers.
If you come across this blog and by any chance you know where they are
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Good old days .Were they really good?

Imagine it is about 22 years ago (1985) when I was posing for these photos. It only looks like yesterday .Time does really fly.
The first picture I am standing next to the radio and I am wearing a hat. Next to me is the brother, Steven Kalua who is based in Botswana as a musician. The picture was taken by a cousin at home in Mtwalo, Mzimba in 1985 when he came back for holiday from UK where he was studying as an architectural studies. Imagine this picture was developed in the UK and sent back home (and it’s not of good quality)
This next one I am with Emanuel Kacheche (am holding my hands on the waist) and we are standing behind the physical science laboratory/classroom at Mzimba secondary school. Emanuel was a good friend but he didn’t make it to University after form 4 (year 12) so I haven’t seen or heard about him for 20 years now.
The other photo I am in the middle with two other friends (Anderson Soko and Robert Kumwenda) and this is in 1986 and still at Mzimba secondary school.We are standing behind our hostel (dormitory ). Anderson is working in Lilongwe but I have no idea where Robert is. In the other picture I am alone sitting just behind the hostel facing Mzimba primary school. I am wearing a hat and a robin- hood shirt (these were in fashion in those days).This is also in 1986.
The last picture was taken inside Chancellor College (University of Malawi) library when I was a first year doing a Bachelor of Science degree course. I am showing off the books (pretending to be hard working!!!).
Those were the good old days; as some people say. At that time I didn’t even think of what I wanted to do in future . I was just a hard working student at school and accidentally I found myself where I am today. Yes is this really me?
What is left are the memories; and there are here to stay.