May 31st June 1st, 2014

Makupo is the Pulse to the Warm Heart of Africa

that is Malawi
by Lia Grant
With the end of a month and the
beginning of a new one, an epic
journey begins. It is presently June
1st 5:03 am. I have been awake
for maybe an hour. I stumbled
awake at the realization of the
practicality of my dream about
something Malawi-related. I lay in
bed for the next fourty-five
minutes, unsure whether to simply
get out of bed or keep trying to
sleep, knowing we are hiking up
Kasungu Mountain today. Finally,
as Rita, my roommate, woke
A warm welcome
herself, I was able to get out of
bed. I whispered to her as she came
back in the room after her short excursion outside, explaining that I was awake but that I
was afraid of lifting my net to retrieve my head-lamp, imagining that there were spiders
crawling all over my net. In fact, I actually have yet to see one of these infamously large
spiders in Rita and my room at all, though others have been finding them crawling about
their own bedrooms, only mildly concerned (the girls, not the spiders - who I am sure are
concerned).
Here I am now, in the common-room, no longer afraid of my irrational fear thanks to
being able to verbalize it to someone else. Several members of the Malawian community
are up as well they are conversing outside, getting ready for the day ahead. The rooster
is up, and as the hour keeps creeping forward, Im sure others will start to appear from
their bedrooms as well. We have all been going to sleep and getting up quite early
following the cycle of the sun. In this quiet darkness, with our third day in Malawi about
to begin, it seems a perfect time to reflect upon the days that have passed already.
After our immensely long flight during which time I agonized over trying to sleep we
arrived in Lilongwe. We collected our baggage and with only a short delay headed off
towards the village of Makupo by bus, our home away from home for the next month.
The ride from Lilongwe to Makupo was only about an hour and a half. There was so
much to see as we drove along the road, but after only a few minutes I began to doze off.
Along with several others from our group, I slept almost the entire way to Makupo. Glad

that Id gotten a little shut-eye, I awoke when I heard we were finally nearing our
destination. Still drowsy, an immense number of women, men and children awaited us
outside. We were greeted by so many welcoming faces, cheering and song, even as we
still sat in the bus, coming to a full-stop. Overwhelmed due to our long voyage, both
lethargic and tired, I felt myself ready to start crying. Thankfully, I told myself to hold
my tears and simply give myself to moments ahead. We greeted each member of the
community one by one, speaking in a combination of English and Chichewa. (I was very
happy that I had taken the time to practice my Chichewa greeting at the airport before we
even left.) After several minutes, we all entered our new home, Canadians and Malawians
together. Chief Makupo welcomed us on behalf of the village, and in turn Dr. Stonebanks
said a few words as well. The rest of the day was spent getting to know the village a little.
In particular, many of the girls and I got to know the children. The very young ones held
our hands, and we walked from path to path, looking upon the beauty before us. We
played with the children for the next several hours, the time passing by in a blur, our
exhaustion nowhere to be found. Around 6:00 pm the sun was almost set and it became
dark time for us to get inside and unpack, and time for the children to return home to
their mothers and fathers. As I stood outside saying goodnight to a small group of
children that remained, and said to them, see you tomorrow! they taught me a new
beautiful phrase in Chichewa, Tionana mawa!.
The dzuwa is up now. 6:00 am. Time for another day.

June 2nd, 2014

Visiting Schools: Another Look at Making Learning Accessible

and Relevant to All Students
by Lia Grant
Today was a very eyeopening day. We visited two
schools: a primary school
which was separated into
boys-only and girls-only
sections, and a secondary
school. As a future educator,
I had a great desire to
actually visit a classroom to
observe the teaching and
learning that was going on.
Unfortunately, this was not
really an option; especially as
us all coming to the schools
caused so much excitement
for the students. We did,
Classroom visit
however, have the chance to
speak with the headmaster of
each school, along with many of the teachers. While a number of the educators seemed
very interested in the project, an equal portion of them seemed hesitant to the change we
were discussing. Despite this, we did receive a great deal of useful input and important
ideas that we hope to implement in the schools on the Praxis Malawi campus.
More specifically, when we were at the girls school, we had a conversation with the
headmaster and several of the teachers about what the problems they noticed in their
school, and what things they would like to see implemented in the new curriculum that
we are developing for the new school in the campus. One thing that interested me
immensely that came out of this conversation is that one of the teachers asked me, What
are your ideas in regards to students who drop out of school? I responded in return with
my own question: Do you notice more girls or more boys dropping out in your school?
All the teachers unanimously responded to me that it was primarily young girls, and that
the reason for dropping out was often due to pregnancy (either in or out of wedlock).
The questions that I asked in turn were, Are these young girls/women allowed to
continue school while they are pregnant? and Can they continue once they have
delivered their baby? What one teacher explained to me was that girls who become
pregnant without getting married are shunned from the community, and are too
embarrassed to attend school until after they give birth.

With this in mind, I think that implementing a

school/classroom in the Praxis Malawi campus for
young girls and women who had to drop out of
secondary or even primary school would be
imperative. Moreover, if the school welcomed
girls who are pregnant, it would possibly even
help in taking the stigma away from these women,
showing the people that they have nothing to be
ashamed of and still have the right to their
education and their life.
I left the school visits with so many questions to
think over, and so many ideas. I am really looking
forward to getting started in the next few days on
the curriculum and possibly on the continued
planning for the schools on the campus in general.

Curriculum conversation

June 16th, 2014

Reflective Night
by Lia Grant
As I sit here on this quiet night (11:50 pm quite late for Malawian time), only a few of
us remain awake. Aaron is sitting on the sofa in the living room area reading (though
rapidly falling asleep), as I sit at the dinning room table determined to keep going. Clare
and Megan are awake giggling and packing in their room for our quickly approaching
departure tomorrow morning for Zambia.

Human knot we are in this together

I have been thinking of

what I would like to write
about for over a week now.
Things, however, have been
extremely busy and the
blog writing became a
priority put on the back
burner until I could make
use of an efficientlyworking computer and gain
the confidence that
everything was going well
and steady with my primary
and secondary focuses
while here.

Despite the fact that we

have just returned from Livingstonia only a mere 30 hours ago, as I stated earlier, we
leave for Zambia within hours as well. Fortunately, today has been an extremely
productive day. The other Education ladies, Kim, Emily, Clare, and I, as well as Max and
Francis, have managed to fully complete three full units out of our eleven, while nine of
those eleven have been well drafted. Moreover, I had my second meeting with the
children in the village beside the Praxis Malawi Campus today. Above all, these visits are
what I have been thinking of most in the last few days.
I have to say, prior to leaving for Malawi, and even while here, I have held onto some
fear in regards to the play that I hope to put on before our departure. It being in many
ways my solo project, I am certainly feeling the pressure to perform and succeed. Like all
things though, I believe that a balance of deep care along with recognition that
flawlessness is not needed is key. Shortly after a good talk about my plans and worries
with Dr. Stonebanks, I got both Max and Francis on board with the play. Within very
little time we put together a group of children aged 10 to 14 to take part, and met for the
first time this past Thursday.

Thursday and today both being days before heading away to very different endeavors
away from Makupo have been very successful meetings, full of learning and reflective
opportunities. I am thrilled with how the pieces of this puzzle seem to be fitting together
and happening organically. One example of this came on Thursday as we walked to the
campus to meet the children; I asked Francis to tell me a Malawian tale as we went one
that carried with it the message that working together is fundamental (Francis has
previously explained to me that almost all Malawian tales had morals). After a few
minutes of contemplation, Francis began to tell me a Malawian tale that suited this
particular message flawlessly. All of a sudden, a foundation was laid for our story.
I have enjoyed so much the time I have spent already with these children. Of course, I
wish I were better able to communicate with each of them as most only speak Chichewa.
Thankfully I have two wonderful co-learners and translators in Max and Francis, and
despite the language barrier we were able to get to know each other a little bit, share
some laughs, explore some characters together, and sing some songs.
Since Thursdays play meeting, two other conversations from that same afternoon have
also been on my mind. For one, Max asked me the question: what will be the motivation
for the children in doing the play? I was quite taken aback by this question, to be honest.
I asked him, Like what? He smiled and said, Well I dont know I then reminded
him that one thing Id made sure to do was ask each child if they were truly interested in
taking part, ensuring that their motivation was solely intrinsic. He expressed, however,
that several parents had asked what kind of benefit or compensation their children would
be getting. Being a totally different culture, where extracurricular opportunities such a
play are not common (and where outsiders often just come in to give monetary aid), I
suppose this question should not have shocked me. Regardless, I must remember to forge
ahead and have faith that those who are truly interested will stay the course in this
creative learning experience. This conversation and occurrence in general only reminds
me that more opportunities need to be given to young Malawians and hopefully the
school that we are in the process of building and developing will be able to lead this
motion.
The second thing that has been on my mind often in the last few days is a young boy in
the village by the campus who I thought looked badly injured. I encountered him
Thursday after our play meeting with Max. He was limping (at first I thought he had
sprained or broken some part of his foot or ankle), but what in reality he has is a flesh
wound on the back of his ankle which he sustained from falling off a bicycle two months
ago. Before my departing for the day, the boys mother approached me and asked if I
could please help him. Without a doubt I wanted to reply that yes I could. Unfortunately,
all I could do was take a look at the open gash (which is not bandaged and looks badly
infected), ask about the care that was already given, and bring the information back to our
team working on Health. Upon returning to Makupo and discussing with the team,
however, I realized that there is actually very little that any of us can do even the
nurses, as they are not certified to practice nursing here in Malawi. I am still feeling a
deep sense of guilt, feeling responsible and wanting to do something for this boy.
Through the help of Dr. Stonebanks, I have been able to remember that in fact it is the

mothers responsibility to bring her son back to the hospital or clinic - and we cant
assume shes powerless. It is more likely than not that was she was seeking was money.
After all, why is it that the white girl would know how to help her son? What qualifies
me? Within this, there is a lot to think about. We all here want to help the people of
Malawi, but we also want to empower them to help themselves. Many people seem to
just associate white people with money, and though I want to help, this is not what I want
to continue to perpetuate in my actions. Of course, despite all of this knowledge, I cannot
help but worry for the boy. It is very difficult to step back.
Though there are so very many other things going on here that I could write pages and
pages about, it seems about time I go to bed and prepare myself for the long drive in the
day ahead. While there are many complex issues for us to try to sift through, so much
good is going on here and I am learning all the time through the help of the Malawians
and my peers. I feel I have made strong connections with people even over these short 17
or so days. I feel myself growing as a person, and I see changes in motion. What more
could be desired? I am the last one awake 1:16 am. Silence and calm all around.
Goodnight.

June 20th, 2014

Zambias Nice, but Home is Nicer

by Lia Grant
We arrived back in Makupo
today after a luxurious three days
in Zambia at Zikomo Lodge and
Safari. It was a beautiful stay;
full of adventure on safari tours,
laughter during evenings all
together, and relaxation by the
pool and in our suites. The
safaris themselves were more
than anything what made it worth
our time. Seeing so many
animals in their natural habitat
while here in Africa was
something I had not previously
thought of as important, but it
was absolutely exhilarating (the
laughter-fit we all shared
together on our dusk safari didnt
hurt either).
I have to admit, though, that I
found it difficult at times to allow
myself to feel content in Zambia. Even right upon arrival I felt myself very uneasy. We
were greeted by the full staff of the lodge with cold drinks and moist hand towels, the
owner insisting on her staff bringing our bags for us over to our rooms. It was incredibly
jarring to suddenly be the epitome of a tourist, treated so very lavishly, completely
separated from most all real life either in Zambia or in Malawi. I have been trying to
make sure I never allow myself to feel that way otherwise while here in Sub-Saharan
Africa, wanting to (as much as is possible) understand the way that most people live their
daily lives. Nonetheless, I pushed myself to enjoy the pause from my work and life in the
community. I must note, however, that through that experience I was able to reflect upon
the fact that we are not living as most people do even while in Makupo: we have a nice
big space to work and eat in, cozy beds with bug nets to sleep in at night, meals cooked
for us, laundry done for us, water brought to us, and more. These perks are not things that
most people even in Makupo experience in their lives (and Makupo is a wealthier village
than most, thanks to the money that comes in through Praxis Malawi). The truth is I will
not be experiencing first-hand what its like to not have white-privilege while on this
journey.
Two of the many reasons I love Makupo

Overall, Zambia turned out to be an immensely introspective time; away from Makupo I
was able to continue my planning for the play, and just generally contemplate and discuss
my progress here. While I certainly went through culture shock upon arrival going right
away into disintegration phase (Stonebanks, 2013) I feel that my emotional reaction
turned out to be a facilitator in allowing me to rid myself of hidden oversights by
bringing them to the surface.
It feels nice to be back in Makupo; it really has become a home away from home. As per
usual, we were greeted by at least a dozen excited children. For the next several hours I
played with them. As a teacher-in-training whenever I spend time with any children here
in Malawi it occurs to me how difficult it is to communicate with them without a
common language. Even simple things like, gentler are nearly impossible to convey to
them (I got quite a few very intense high-fives today). Of course, to counter this, it is also
incredible how easy it is to get by without much speech in other instances.
The debate between English and Chichewa is quite complex here, generally. English is
the official language of the country, as it was colonized by Britain; however, the majority
of the people in the villages speak very little English themselves. This is also in
consideration amongst us in the Education team, as we want the children to get as much
as they can in their learning, though there is a balance at play. If the children do not
understand English well, or are not taught by an expert, they will struggle both in English
Language Arts and in the other subjects that are taught in their second language. To
counter this, the children should be provided with the opportunity to learn English well if
it is seen as important in keeping up with the development of the rest of the world. Its
quite the debate, and a difficult issue to consider as we continue to work on curriculum.
As it is right now, we have left it up to the discretion of the teacher. Hopefully more light
will be shed on this issue in future years through other Praxis Malawi members.
For now, I am off to another busy day of work. We have Standard Two education units to
complete, and I have a play to script. Tionana bwino.

References
Stonebanks, C. D. (2013). Cultural competence, culture shock and the praxis of
experiential learning. In Lyle, E. & Knowles, G. (Ed.). Bridging the Theory-Practice
Divide: Pedagogical Enactment for Socially Just Education. Nova Scotia: Backalong
Books.

June 23rd, 2014

Whos Supposed to be the Hero?

by Lia Grant
There are so many people here in Malawi
in need of help. In particular, I feel myself
drawn to helping the children, as they can
do very little to help themselves. And
there are so many children in need: those
who seem most malnourished; those with
injuries; those whose teeth are already
rotted away; those that cry frequently due
to issues of abandonment; and the list goes
on.
Most recently, looking at a smaller
problem, I have noticed that one of the
boys I have been working with in the play
has been wearing a pair of shoes that are
way past what most Canadians would call
garbage. They are too small for him
his big toes are protruding out of the front
of the shoes and the sides are completely
open. I have seen him trying to fix them,
One balloon can bring a smile but as
though they are sure to break open again
soon as it pops the fun is over
every time within mere moments of
mending. After observing this, at the end
of a play meeting, as Maxwell and I walked back home to Makupo with the setting sun,
not able to get this from my mind, I asked Max how much it would cost to get this boy a
new pair of shoes. The answer is approximately 5000 Kwacha (around 10 dollars). More
than anything, I want to get him a new pair; I cant help but picture the look on his face
as I pull out a nice new well-fitting set of sneakers from my bag. However, I am also
aware that there are many children with no shoes at all, let alone other more serious
problems.
The hardest moments for me here over the last four and a half weeks have without a
doubt been observing hardships of individuals and realizing that I am not able to help
them all at least not enough. I personally cannot treat Malaria for the duration of every
child's life, I can't adopt every child who seems neglected, I am not even certified to heal
infected wounds, and I can't buy shoes or toothbrushes for every child. Its been very
difficult for me to face the fact that this is bigger than myself. For every individual child
you try to help, there are countless who also need the same aid. Moreover, some help
today doesnt mean help in the long run. Yes, by all means, hold the child who is crying
and needs comfort, but understand that you are actually doing very little.

Vast changes need to be made changes that will help everyone. Even Praxis Malawi is
not going to be able to help everyone. It is, however, working towards real and positive
change for the people in the Chilanga community, which is a step in the right direction.
We are working towards getting the community very actively involved in their own
development through education, health initiatives, and more. People in Malawi, and all
over the world, need to feel empowered. They need to be able to help their own children.
Through discussions with Dr. Stonebanks, Ryan, Suzanna, other members of our group,
and through readings, Im even realizing how much I disagree with many foundations
(which I will not name here) as well as the nature of the Western AID system in
general, which claim to be saving countless lives throughout Africa and in other
impoverished countries. They like to play the part of the heroes, coming in and helping
the oppressed, and specifically children. However, after all the oppression that has gone
on, mainly due to colonization, what people really need is not more white Christian
heroes to save the day. They need the opportunity to find their own voices, their own
strength. (Not to mention the fact that a lot of the money that is funneled into
foundations, as well as AID in general, does not actually go to the people in need.)
This is not to say we should not try to help on a personal level not at all bring a smile
to a childs face if you can. But also realize that people need help, though not in the
traditional sense of give and receive. They need the sidekick that supports them enough
to see their own strength, not the hero that takes all the glory.

July 2nd, 2014

This Path Ive Traveled

by Lia Grant
Today we had our
collective final
performance tasks, as
tomorrow is our last day
here in Malawi. This day
was one of particular
importance to me in that
it was the opportunity for
the children in the play to
finally have an audience:
their families, as well as
the community in general.
Each and every one of the
children did a wonderful
Some of the players in actions
job; I could not have been
more proud of them all.
They made us all laugh
with their brilliant characterization and amazed us with the strength with which they
shared the story. I have no doubt that it showed the community members who attended
that their children are capable of astonishing work and creativity when given the chance.
We took pictures (which the children get very excited about) and thanks to Dr.
Stonebanks, I was able to take them all for sodas after their performance in celebration,
them singing loudly the songs from the play as we walked to the nearby shop. As a gift, I
also gave them each 2 (!) pens, which apparently was their hearts desire, and a very
simple wish for me to fill.
When I said goodbye to some of the children, one of them, Tadala, asked me, Are you
going to be coming back to Malawi? After Francis translated her question for me, I
answered honestly, I dont know but I can tell you that this has been the most
amazing month of my life. I then broke down crying, overwhelmed due to joy and pride
for the incredible work the children did on the play, not wanting to say goodbye at all.
As I said, tomorrow is our last day. In many ways, the time has passed by so quickly. In
other ways, I am astounded by all that we have done.

Walking back from Koamba towards Makupo, looking out at the beautiful sky that was
presented to us that day, my attention was brought to a small path to the left that I had
never noticed before. I could not help but think, There is so much yet to be seen, so
many paths left to venture

Excited to celebrate

Saturday, October 4th, 2014

A Little Lost Since Coming Back

by Lia Grant
Sitting here on this very
rainy Saturday afternoon
in Montreal, I finally feel
ready to sit down and
make another attempt at
writing my thoughts since
returning from this
journey I took with Praxis
Malawi.
Over the last three
months, I have made
several attempts at
Last sunset walk back to Makupo
writing what I am feeling
now that I am back home,
but have never succeeded at completing it. It has now been almost twice as long than the
amount of time we spent in Malawi this summer, but still that time feels longer in my
mind. More important.
What I suppose I have been trying to express is that I have been feeling a great sense of
loss since coming home. The day that we left I made sure to hold my tears just the same
as the day we arrived though I truthfully did not feel ready to leave at all. The first few
days back were of course the most difficult; my friends and family were excited to see me
and wanted to hear my stories, but I was simply not ready to open up. Reverse culture
shock definitely kicked in full force. The people that I knew and loved suddenly could
never understand this part of my life that had changed me and moved me so deeply.
Of course, after a few weeks, little things pushed me to get back into my usual routine.
Work. School. I also did one or two things that were quite uncharacteristic of me;
namely, heading off on a spontaneous trip to London, England. Still, slowly, I began to
feel more like my usual self again. But to tell the truth, I feel as though I have only
pushed these feelings of loss, change and confusion aside, knowing that I need to commit
myself to the obligations I already had in place before leaving to Malawi. Dont
misunderstand me I am currently doing my student teaching at a wonderful elementary
school 4 days a week, and these children, like the Malawian children I worked with,
mean the world to me I just simply have a lot of unresolved questions for myself in
regards to Malawi.
One of the things that make Praxis Malawi different from other AID in Africa is that it
is meant to empower the community to get involved in their own development. We did

not simply walk in knowing it was a one-time deal where wed work on a project, feel
wonderful about ourselves, and go home, knowing we would never return. This is an ongoing process, and it will take time for any significant change to be noticeable. With this
in mind, one of the questions I have been asking myself is where I fit in in this complex
process. Should I be planning to return? How does this fit in to my plans? What else can I
offer this project?
These are questions I will not have answers to right away (at least not today, and if I wait,
I will never submit this entry). In the meantime, I will focus on the things I am sure of.
Most significantly, I am so grateful for this experience. I am grateful to the people that I
met and worked with: the Malawians (especially the children, women, and men from
Makupo and Koamba), my colleagues in Praxis Malawi, and the many other people we
met along the way. I am grateful for all the moments that I had the opportunity to be a
part of: both wonderful and challenging, usually simultaneously.
An important quotation was written by Xiaoting on the whiteboard in our Makupo home
a week or so before we left: You are going to receive more while you are there than you
are ever going to give, you are going to learn a great deal more than you are ever going to
teach (book source unknown). I left on this journey back at the end of May hoping that I
would return a better person and a better teacher. I of course had no idea how changed Id
truly feel when I returned.
I do hope that my contribution made a difference while I was in Malawi and who
knows maybe this journey is not yet over.