Chasing the Sun

July 1, 2013

Welcome Wagon

We arrived in Dete Village today to start “the build”! Seconds after we clamored out of the little bus, a procession of ladies danced in to sing and welcome us to the village. It does make one wonder what would it be like if when we had friends come to visit, the neighborhood showed up to sing to them?

Here is Eletina, the 86 year young lady who we will move into the house.

I’m pretty sure there about a million people in this country that would be better brick layers than we are, but the folks sure make us feel loved!

And the kids….oh my the kids….

June 28, 2013

1 Comment

An adventure begins…

First stop, Malawi!

10 years ago when I set foot in South Africa, I loved this continent. Tony and I have been mesmerized by leopards and elephants in South Africa, then the billions of buffalo in Tanzania. Unfortunately, other than the people who are paid to bow (sometimes figuratively, sometimes literally) to our every whim, we have been as far from the average people in Africa as we are from the zebras, elephants and lions.

I’m excited to say that will change that as we work side-by-side with the locals to build a houses in Malawi. We are volunteering with Habitat for Humanity. If you are unfamiliar with them, here is the UK site. http://www.habitatforhumanity.org.uk

One house is for an 86 year old woman, Eletina who is looking after her deceased daughter’s three children. The other house is for Neliya, a widow who is caring for her three children and her late sister’s three children. Both families live in Dete Village, in mud brick houses with a grass roofs. They leak terribly in the rainy season. This means that not only are their belongings soaked for weeks at a time, but the water attracts mosquitoes. All the children have malaria.

This feels like the right place to be….can’t wait to get started – -we leave tomorrow!

Map of Malawi

June 26, 2013

5 Comments

If the rain will not go away, I must…

According to the Met Office (the keeper of all things weather in the UK) 2012 had the dubious honour of being the second wettest year on record. Weather-pshaw. We are tough, we said. We love London for the theatre, the restaurants, the history, the architecture, the Brits…. “If one comes to London for the weather, one misses the point” I oft quoted a taxi driver. Spring is around the corner, we said.

At last, Spring 2013! According to the Met Office, it is the coldest Spring in over 50 years. We are now 5 days into Summer, as I hunker down in my teeny, fashionable West End Flat, with wooly socks on — I’m not hopeful.

It was time for a change – Tony and I are packing our bags in search of the sun!