The Rains (Down in Africa)
Why, hello there! Thank you for joining me once again in this crazy, eons-long month we call January. Rainy season is here to stay, folks. Roofs are a-leakin', chimanga (corn) is in its angsty adolescent phase, and hotdog-sized centipedes are doing their best to ruffle my feathers. And speaking of feathers, I have a new roommate! His name is Bertram.
Perks of living with Bertram: He's got a great singing voice and - dare I say - a fabulously color-coordinated wardrobe
Drawbacks of living with Bertram: He's horribly distracted by the ladies, and he keeps getting his beak stuck in the keyhole of my backdoor
Say hello to Bertram!
As you can see in Bertram's very professional headshot, things have greened up TREMENDOUSLY in the past couple of months!! I am amazed at how drastically different the Malawian countryside looks, compared with when I arrived in June.
With the rains, everyone and their brother (and sister, and mother, and grandpa, and auntie, and baby cousin... you get the idea) is busy farming. Most of this is very small-scale, and households can be found in their fields early in the morning planting, weeding, and tidying ridges. Folks return to their homes around midday to cook, eat, and rest. Many also farm in the evening hours, when the temperatures are cooler and the sun is lower in the sky. This is difficult work, since the majority of farming is done by hand, using tools like slashers (for tall grasses/weeds), khasu (hoe), and occasionally shovels/wheelbarrows. Malawi has a few larger, industrial-scale farms, but they are not nearly as widespread as they are in the United States; the agricultural model here revolves around smallholder and subsistence farming.
The most common crops that are grown in my area are maize (chimanga), rice (mpunga), peanuts (mtedza), soybeans, pigeon peas (nandolo), cassava (chinangwa), and some leafy greens. I got to help out with some planting in my neighborhood, including demonstration plots of sorghum (a drought-resistant, low-input crop - YAY!) and hybrid maize. Additionally, my neighbor bestie and I are trying out some maize & pigeon peas in the fields behind our houses. I am trialing a handful of those rows with the Three Sisters companion planting method. This is a traditional, Indigenous American technique that leverages the benefits of planting maize, beans, and squash/gourds (the Three Sisters) in close proximity. The maize provides support/shade for the runner beans, the squash leaves shade the roots of the maize/beans, and the beans are a nitrogen-fixer (boosting the soil health for all three!). I've got my fingers crossed!
Planting demonstration fields of sorghum with my boss (above) and my experimental Three Sisters plot (below)
In addition to planting field crops, I've also been busy busy busy starting some container herbs and flowers, as well as digging a fancy-shmancy garden bed within my fenced-in yard. So far, I've got basil, cilantro, parsley, and marigold seedlings going, and I anticipate planting my vegetable garden this upcoming week. I have some extra space in my yard, and a few of my neighbors have said that I have space for another three garden beds! We will see just how ambitious I feel...and how merciful the local goats and chickens decide to be 😭
seed options; a garden bed that only took me four hours, five blisters, and about two gallons of sweat to dig; a few of my containers (thank God I eat so much peanut butter, those bottles are great herb homes)
And at the risk of pointing out the obvious, with the rainy season comes...rain. I have much more "indoors time" on my hands than I used to, and I've been leaning into cozy activities. I purchased a yoga mat over the holidays, which has been soooo nice for restarting my daily yoga practice and staying active. Additionally, one of my goals for 2025 is to read 50 books...I am 7 deep and am not slowing down lol. The House in the Cerulean Sea and The Red Tent have been two of my faves; a couple of the other volunteers and I follow each other on Goodreads and enjoy swapping recommendations! Impromptu evening dance parties have also become a regular thing (thank you Ethan for your 2000's Club Bangers playlist, it slaps). Thanks to another volunteer friend, I've been learning and perfecting a Malawian board game called "bao". One of my favorite neighbor kids has proved to be a phenomenal coach and challenger; last week I FINALLY beat him after a 45-minute long match. Heck yeahhhh! Excited to be trying out some embroidery soon, too. A few life-saving care package items during this time have included a portable, USB-charging fan, powdered electrolyte drinks, cheese powder, and protein bars (the rain does not mix well with cooking over a charcoal stove). Y'all rock!
Everything bagel seasoning and homemade flatbreads! onto journal #2; bao with Suzette
Over the past month, I've had the chance to travel to Blantyre for the first time (big city in the Southern Region), and it is beautifulllll! I enjoyed checking out the Chichiri Museum (aka Museum of Malawi), The Mandala House (built in 1882, also home to a lovely cafe), Kwaharaba Art Gallery + Cafe for live music, and hanging out with Peace Corps friends :) Blantyre is very walkable, the folks are super friendly, and it features some gorgeous landscapes. 10/10. I was also able to travel up to Lilongwe for meetings with a Peace Corps "Service Improvement Committee" that I serve on. It was a great opportunity to learn more about PC policies and work with other volunteer representatives/PC staff on ideas to make the volunteer experience as effective as possible. Always lovely to connect with folks in the capital over some good meals and chats, too 😊
That's it, for now! Thank you for tuning in, and I'll be back soon.
Cheers,
Katy