Thank you Post Modern T-Diddy!!!

Just so everyone knows...I owe all of my best pictures of Malawi, cool stories, fun times, many laughs, etc. to my fellow public servant, wonderful friend, post-modern extraordinaire...Tyler (T-Diddy) Denton.

T-Diddy...Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I am forever indebted to you and yours!!! Hahahaha :0)

Lake Malawi--Monkey Bay

After the craziness of Clinton's visit to Neno, we all really needed a vacation. So, Friday night (after Clinton's helicopter departed), we went to Lake Malawi--Monkey Bay, and stayed at Taffy's lake lodge on the beach. I really didn't know what to expect, but I was completely blown away by the beauty. I guarantee that in 20 years, Lake Malawi will the "the hot spot" to vacation for millions. It is the prettiest lake I've ever seen (yes, even prettier than Lake Ouachita). Taffy (a middle-aged man from South Africa) discovered the beauty and has since moved and taken refuge on a small plot of the beach right in the heart of Monkey Bay. Fortunately, he rents out his lovely beachside rooms to people who crave this beauty and this down-time like...ME! We arrived Friday night, and Taffy had a lovely dinner waiting for us on his veranda right over the beach. WOW!!! There are really no words at all to describe this setting. Saturday morning, we woke up and Taffy had another wonderful meal prepared for us on the veranda. We chilled out, relaxed, and then we went out on Taffy's cedar boat!!! Incredible!!! Taffy took us to some great cliffs for jumping...it was sooooooo much fun. The sand was white, the water was clear blue, and the wine and beers were flowing freely, haha. After a couple of hours on the water, we headed back to Taffy's for lunch on the veranda. Then, playtime on the beach with the local kids...watching the monkey's playtime on Taffy's roof, haha ...dinner served on the veranda...fun card games...and bedtime! Sunday morning, more beach time and meals on the veranda...and then, sadly, we had to say goodbye to Taffy and get back on the road to Lilongwe.

By the way, this week I'll be in Lilongwe with Tyler. We'll also be heading to the northern district to do some work mid-week, stopping along the way to stay in the Nyika Plateau to hang out with some sweet leopards, zebras, etc. Then, next week, I'm heading to Neno for my last week in Malawi :0(

I LOVE MALAWI!!!!!!!!!!!!!

President Clinton's Visit to Neno, Malawi

As most of you have probably already read in the newspaper or seen on TV, President Clinton and his prestigious entourage (including Sir Tom Hunter of Scotland, Dr. Paul Farmer, top Malawian government officials and others) visited Neno, Malawi this past week. Much of my time at the beginning of last week was spent working with Clinton's advance team on the preparations and plans for Clinton's visit to Neno. The logistical work that is undertaken for WJC to visit a small village like Neno is massive, intense, very stressful, but lots of fun! After preparing all week for the visit, Clinton and others arrived into Neno via helicopter on Friday, July 20. Apparently word of the visit had been leaked because THOUSANDS of Malawians from all the surrounding villages of Neno walked into Neno for the day. Some people walked over 10 hours to get to Neno. Thousands of Malawians, dressed in their finest clothes (traditional Malawian fabrics/prints), were lining the dirt, bumpy road of Neno, singing and dancing in the traditional way to welcome this fine distinguished guest. When they heard the helicopters in the sky, everyone started going crazy! The songs got louder and the dancing picked up and never stopped for the rest of the day.

Clinton got off the Malawian helicopter and first stopped to talk to a local farmers' association about CHDI's work with wheat in the Neno district. Then, the motorcade began...through the single dirt road of Neno. Clinton then stopped at the existing district health clinic to talk to patients and see the poor conditions and lack of services offered by the existing clinic. Then, he toured the new district hospital construction site (the site that I have been managing for the past couple of months) and shook hands with ALL of the construction workers on site, learned about their building process--EVERYTHING BY HAND, noted progress, etc. He spoke with the District Health Officer about all of the wonderful and much needed services that this new hospital (built by CHDI and PIH) will provide for Neno and surrounding areas of Malawi. Clinton then made his way to the staff housing construction site (also another site that I've been managing this summer) to speak with the workers, tour one of the houses, and learn all about the SSB (soil stabilized brick) making process (CHDI chose to use SSB's to build the 23 houses in Neno in order to recycle earth's precious resources, reduce deforestation, conserve energy, and reduce pollution).

Meeting Clinton a number of times in the U.S. has been incredible, but watching him interact with these Malawians, seeing him in this element of his, was one of the most amazing things I've ever witnessed in my life. No matter how much we planned his movements, minute by minute, it was absolutely inevitable that, in the end, he would not follow our plan at all because he would be so overcome and enthralled by the Malawian people and would want to throw all caution and all plans out of the window and just connect with as many people on a one-on-one basis as possible...well...this is exactly what happened and it was incredible!!! He shook every single person's hand that he passed, every kid in the road, every worker on site, every singer and dancer along the way. Towards the end of his visit, he stopped the motorcade so he could get out in the middle of the road (amidst the thousands and thousands of people lining the one dirt road of Neno) and talk to everyone! Of course, the press was bombarding him, and of course the kids were going crazy...but that didn't phase him one bit. He was his usual sincere, compassionate, and wonderful self and truly connected with the thousands of people around him.

Around 5 pm, Clinton got back into his vehicle and the motorcade headed back to the helicopter landing zone. And then, he descended back into the sky from which he came--like an angel to these Malawian people.

It was truly one of the most precious, touching days of my life. When you see the coverage on ABC or read the stories in the newspaper, I urge you to look a little deeper, look beneath the surface, and really see the astoundingly positive impact that this public servant/former President of the United States is making around the world.

My Day at Neno Girls Mission Secondary School

Last week, the Head Master of the Neno Girls Mission Secondary School (NGMSS) asked me to come speak to the girls in his school. So, this past Monday morning, that's exactly what I did. It was one of the coolest experiences I've had since I've been in Malawi. I showed up at NGMSS around 9 am and met the Head Master (HM). He and my good friend Ruth (one of the students at NGMSS) took me on a lovely tour of the school campus. I saw the 4 classrooms-one for each form (grade)-the library and all of the living hostels. The campus was very nice and the girls there were soooooo happy! After the tour, the HM gathered all of the girls in the courtyard and I spoke to them for about 30 minutes. I explained what brought me to Neno, a little bit about my job here, and then mainly just gave many words of encouragement. We talked about the importance of a good education (both personally and for national development). We talked about their career and life aspirations and what it is going to take to get there. They were all so happy to have me there, but I can assure you that I was much happier to be with them! They thought I was teaching and inspiring them, but I can assure you that they were teaching and inspiring me so much more! These girls are truly incredible! Not many people in Malawi are fortuante enough to attend secondary school (roughly equivalent to junior high and a few years of high school). These girls are extremely lucky, and they NEVER take their education for granted. They study at least four hours every single night. And when they're not in class, studying, or cleaning the campus...they all gather together and sing the most beautiful songs (in Chichewa) that I've ever heard in my life. Fortunately, I always hear them singing from my guesthouse. They are so wonderful, and Monday, July 16 was one of the best days of my entire summer!!!

Go Chikonde!!!

In case any of you ever wonder what I do on the weekends...I watch lots and lots of soccer!!! My favorite thing to do in Neno is watch my two favorite teams: Chikonde and Chiwale--both secondary schools in Neno. This picture is of the Chikonde soccer team. Games are usually every Sunday afternoon, and the hype, energy, celebration, etc. at these games is unlike anything I've ever seen before. I have some truly amazing video footage of the celebrations that I will show you all when I get home. When someone scores a goal, the whole crowd (hundreds of people) for that team runs laps around the soccer field, chanting and singing and dancing...until the game is over...sometimes for two hours straight. It's wild!!! For those of you that play soccer in the states...try playing your next game as a Malawian--barefoot and without any shin guards...

4 Weeks Left...

I can't even believe that I'll be home exactly 4 weeks from today. A part of me feels like I just got here, and another part of me feels like I've been here for months...how does that happen? I haven't posted in a long time becasue I've been ridiculously busy. Just as I had imagined, my scope of work increases daily as the demands in Neno continue to increase. I love staying busy though, so it's a good thing! My Chichewa knowledge is expanding, and I'm still getting compliments from locals about my pronunciation, haha--yeah! I had the tailor in Neno make me a couple of African skirts. I've actually started to enjoy...not just tolerate...nsima. I have gotten used to the hour and a half walks to visit my friends. I have witnessed my first slaughtering of a guinea fowl (and I'm a temporary vegetarian as a result...but don't worry, I don't think it will last long). I have made a trip to the maize mill with Rose to make nsima flour. All in all...I'm pretty mch a Malawian now, hahaha...

On a more serious note, I'm really enjoying my work these days. I've really settled into all of my roles and I'm really beginning to realize the impact of my work. I've already been asked to start training the Malawian people that will take over all of my tasks when I leave...this transition is going to take a while and be difficult. I've really taken on a lot more than I thought I would in the beginning. I am continuing to manage the construction of the new district hospital, along with 23 staff houses. I'm continuing to manage the CHDI guesthouse and supervise all guesthouse staff members. I've worked in the HIV clinic. I've helped with HIV-VCT training sessions. I've worked with the ag team on a feasibility study for organic cotton. I've started the heavy load of preparatory work for the big secret visit! I've done pretty much everything under the sun, and nothing seems to be slowing down anytime soon.

I'm LOVING my Malawian friends!!! For the rest of my life, few things will be as sweet as my memories of Malawian smiles...

Flat Stanley continues his public awareness campaign about HIV/AIDS...
He has now put up this sign outside of Zalewa in an attempt to eliminate the belief that HIV/AIDS is caused by witchcraft (very widespread belief).

He is a very dedicated public servant for such a young lad...I commend his efforts, don't you???

Go CHDI Agriculture Team!!! I LOVE my Mother Earth!!!

The past couple of days, I engaged in work much different than my main jobs here in Malawi. I traveled all over the southern part of the country with the CHDI Agriculture Team, starting a feasibility study of organic cotton production in Malawi. Our team consisted of Austin Ngwira (CHDI Director of Agriculture), Walker Morris (CHDI Director of Business Development), Austin and Dedericks (2 experienced organic cotton farmers from Zambia), and Simon and Silvere (2 men working with Organic Exchange on the market side of organic cotton production). We traveled from Lilongwe to Blantyre, to Zomba, to Zalewa, to lower Neno, to Mwanza, and back to Lilongwe. We met with the various stakeholders for our trial production of organic cotton: the farmers, ginners, spinners, weavers, dye-ers, finishers, garment designers, manufacturers, etc. We had productive meetings with every single part of the value chain of cotton! It was so, so interesting, and I'm now an expert on organic cotton (haha, not really but close).

There is an increasing demand for organic products all over the world (especially in Europe and North America), and Malawi has a great opportunity to become one of the primary exporters of organic cotton. Exploring these possibilities for a trial production starting this November was extremely interesting, and I'm so happy that CHDI is taking on this organic cotton project!

Another one of the most interesting projects that the CHDI Agriculture Team is taking on in Rwanda and Malawi is the "carbon sinking" project. A little background on this issue will be helpful, so sit back and enjoy learning this very interesting lesson about our Mother Earth...

For over 150 years, industrial societies have been releasing carbon from underground coal and oil reserves, adding about 175 billion tons of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere since the beginning of the industrial revolution. Another six billion tons are being added each year. This transfer cannot go on indefinitely. Signs of climate change can already be seen in many places around the world: The mounting list of impacts ranges from rising average temperatures, melting of polar ice caps, more extreme weather events, and uncontrollable forest fires. At long last, the international community has been forced to recognize that global warming and climate change pose a real threat to humanity. Fortunately, CHDI has fully recognized this fact and is committing to doing something about it..."carbon sinks"...

A carbon dioxide sink is a carbon reservoir that is increasing in size, and is the opposite of a carbon dioxide "source". The main natural sinks are (1) the oceans and (2) plants and other organisms that use photosynthesis to remove carbon from the atmosphere by incorporating it into biomass and releasing oxygen into the atmosphere. This concept of "carbon sinks" has become more widely known because the Kyoto Protocol allows the use of carbon dioxide sinks as a form of carbon offset.

Carbon sequestration is the term describing processes that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. To help mitigate global warming, a variety of means of artificially capturing and storing carbon (while releasing oxygen) — as well as of enhancing natural sequestration processes — are being explored.

CHDI is exploring a "carbon sink" project with the production of tree farms in both Rwanda and Malawi. Carbon dioxide is incorporated into forests and forest soils by trees and other plants. Through photosynthesis, plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, store the carbon in sugars , starch and cellulose, and release the oxygen into the atmosphere. A young forest, composed of growing trees, absorbs carbon dioxide and acts as a sink. Mature forests, made up of a mix of various aged trees as well as dead and decaying matter, may be carbon neutral above ground. The forest eco-system may eventually become carbon neutral.

As of now, there is an increasing demand for carbon sinks from the rich Europeans who are flying around in their jets, polluting the environment every minute of their lives. Fortunately, it has become very trendy for these people to invest in "carbon sinks" to offset their carbon emissions. They are beginning to measure their carbon footprints and invest in carbon sinks (i.e. tree farms) in order to offset their massive CO2 emissions. Currently, these rich Europeans are the main market for carbon sinking, but this market will only continue to increase over the next 20 years, and the market for carbon sinking will be very popular and very large! Hopefully, it will be the norm for all people to measure their carbon footprints and offset them in some way (using carbon credits or another method).

CHDI is at the forefront of this market, and is beginning to do some really, really exciting things! I hope you enjoyed learning about this as much as I did...

Things to Remember on this Independence Day...Happy 4th of July!!!

I’ve been thinking a lot about this upcoming 4^th of July—I’m sad that I’m having to miss the family celebration at the lake, I’m happy that Americans are able to celebrate our independence so openly, and I’m curious as to how people in other countries celebrate their independence, if at all. In thinking about all of these ideas, one thought continues to weigh heavily on the forefront of my mind. We Americans…we are some extremely lucky people!!! And I thought that maybe I could use today's holiday to remind everyone in America just how lucky we really are.

If you asked every person celebrating today in America if they chose to be born in the U.S.A., of course they would say “no”. If I went around Malawi and asked everyone I met if they chose to be born in Malawi, of course they would say “no”. The point is that not one person on this planet gets to choose the situation into which they are born. Unfortunately, the people that I am trying to help here in Malawi did not choose to be born into one of the world’s most impoverished lands, with scarce food, dirty water, mud huts, rampant disease, and complete lack of economic opportunity. In just the same way, we Americans are all very lucky—we did not choose our birth nation, but we were all born into the world’s richest land, with everything from the bare necessities of food galore, clean water, shoes, sturdy roofs over our heads…to the luxuries of electricity, free public schooling through the 12^th grade, a democracy in which everyone has a voice, bountiful opportunities for economic advancement, and the chance to fulfill the “American Dream”. We are extremely lucky people!!! I am reminded of just how lucky I am every single moment of my time in Malawi…the reminders are constant, and they are very important. It is imperative that we always remind ourselves of the incredible fortunes we enjoy in America…not so that we can boast, but so that we will be humbled…not so that we can wave our American flag with a sense of victory and arrogance, but so that we will wave our American flag as a sign of accomplishment and gratitude to our founders and as a sign of hope to our fellow human beings born into nations less privileged than ours.

I have officially lost count of the number of Malawians that have asked me to take them back to America with me when I return in August. Everyone here has only the loftiest images of the U.S. in their minds. They often dream of one day making it to America to earn a living…they dream of sweeping the streets of New York City and earning more money in one month in NYC than they would ever earn in a lifetime in Malawi. I am always troubled with my response to these requests…I can never find the right thing to say in these moments. Of course a part of me is warmed that everyone around the world (even people in the most remote parts of Africa) dreams of the U.S. as such a wonderful place because it is indeed that wonderful. Of course the other part of me is so sad that these Malawians have to go through life, completely conscious of their tragic impoverished state, and constantly dream of leaving their home, their family, their friends, and everything they know for another country in hopes of finding a better life. Again, let this serve as a reminder of our fortune in America…not so that we can boast, but so that we can be humbled… not so that we can wave our American flag with a sense of victory and arrogance, but so that we will wave our American flag as a sign of accomplishment and gratitude to our founders and as a sign of hope to our fellow human beings born into nations less privileged than ours.

I have never really understood the “American Dream” until now. I always thought that it was a lovely “pop term” that Americans like to throw around to instill our “place at the top” in Americans’ minds and in the rest of the world’s inhabitant’s minds as well. However, I now understand what the “American Dream” really is, but I think that the term should be changed to the “Humanity Dream”. It is simply not fair that this “dream” can only be realized in America—that this “dream” can only be realized by American citizens…us…born into a country…into luxuries and endless opportunities that were given to us without us even having to earn them. The concept is simple—in America, we can become anything we want to become. We can succeed on any path we choose. If you look into the eyes of a 4 year old in America, you can truly see hope, opportunity, an important spoke of the Capitalist wheel, and ultimately a very clear vision of success! However, if you look into the eyes of a 4 year old in Malawi (or any other developing nation in the world), you see none of these things. Instead, you see despair, worry, fear, and the forgotten people in society; and somehow, you know that no matter how hard this child tries to become educated and tries to work, the sad truth is that the opportunities for success are nowhere to be found. This is not fair! No matter how hard they work, they will more than likely end up trying desperately to live on less than $1 a day, not having enough food to feed their families, losing their loved ones to preventable infectious diseases, and dying before they reach the age of 37. Something about this is not right, but again…let this serve as a reminder of our incredible fortune in America…not so that we can boast, but so that we will be humbled…not so that we can wave our American flag with a sense of victory and arrogance, but so that we will wave our American flag as a sign of accomplishment and gratitude to our founders and as a sign of hope to our fellow human beings born into nations less privileged than ours.

These reminders to the American people are so very important! Our lives are so easy compared to the rest of the world, so we can easily forget how lucky we truly are. It becomes very easy to take things for granted (like clean water, shoes, and access to medical care) when you live in a place like America. There is only one nation of people in this world, and that nation is humanity. Let us Americans use our fortune and our endless opportunities to now bring hope to those who look up to us, to those who wish they could be our neighbor, to those who wish they could be our friend…to those who need hope the most!!!

I am proud to be an American…you are proud to be an American…let us always remember to channel our great American pride in the most noble of ways!!! Let us dedicate ourselves to helping the rest of the world's people enjoy the things that we get to enjoy everyday of our lives!

God Bless the U.S.A. and God Bless Malawi!!!