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.