Busy day

Posted in Lilongwe, Other by Dom on September 4th, 2008

Oh it’s been a busy day. Packed. Posted scores for Form one’s presentations. Reviewed a past test for form two. Got three hitches into town. Saw the doctors. Talk to an APCD or three. Made sure my bank account stuff was on file. Returned my PC books.

The middle ride was with real cool Malawian. Possibly the coolest actually. He has a phd in business, as well as a masters and undergrad in that. However he’s an agriculture specialist. He has his own business with like seven subsidaries. Teaches part time at a private university in town. What we talked the most about however, is how he is heading this consortium of different churches wanting to help their constiuency. They are teaching people especially affected by droughts and flooding how to manage their farmland and resources better to not have such problems and not be so dependant on foreign emergency aid. He said when he first arrived no one wanted to participate because they knew they would just get relief aid. But now he has over three thousand households participating. Using new techniques for farming they are increasing their production. Varying their crops means different harvest seasons less dependant on rains. They are creating seed banks so if crops get ruined they don’t have to get aid to help they can just start again with their own seeds. And other such ideas. It sounds like a true success story. I guess that can only be seen in the years to come but right now I am really impressed.

Now time to go to the grocery find food for dinner and work on some paperwork for PC. yay.