I have now been in Malawi for 4 months and
time is flying by! There are still extreme highs and lows but in general things
seem to be a little bit more stable! I am loving the laid back way of life and
the sun. Because things here can vary from day to day I’ve found its really
important to stay focused on the positives. There are many and I want to share
with you all the things I am loving about living in Malawi!!
Nkhoma – My new home. Set on the side of a
mountain with gorgeous views. This time of year has brought out lots of
Jacaranda trees they have the most beautiful purple leafs. Its not rained in all the time i have been here so things are getting pretty dry. But its amazing what manages to still grow despite the lack of rain! The village is
relatively large… there is a market, a shop, a petrol station, a post office
and a church. I’m not quite sure of the population but the people are all
friendly and I’m adjusting to living in a smaller community where everyone
knows everything about everyone. I love that wherever you walk someone will greet you and ask you how you are.... a very far cry from my busy London commutes where eye contact is viewed as a crime!! 
The students – At first I struggled. I have
this thing of wanting to be accepted straight away and find it hard to realize
that things take time…. But now I feel I have built up a really nice
relationship with the 3rd year students I have been working with on
the labour ward! I have seen them grow and take on board things that I have
taught them. The approach to midwifery care is quite different here so I have
been trying to teach them the importance of woman centred care and being kind
to women. The students realize the importance of this too but aren’t used to
seeing it in practice which is sad. They are also now a lot more likely to ask
me for help if they don’t know something. There seems to be some kind of stigma
attached to admitting to not knowing something. Which can be dangerous but
getting them to realize that its ok to ask for help feels like a big
achievement!! They will be finishing their training in December so now is a
very busy time for us all!! We also have some new student midwives starting in
a couple of weeks. These students will be training to become community midwife
technicians. I’m really looking forward to working with them!!
The women – Malawian women are amazing.
They are strong and independent. They have to battle with extreme gender
streotypes from a young age. Its not uncommon to find women out working to
support their families but receiving little recognition. I feel privileged
because I get to work with these women during one of the most vulnerable
moments of their life. They go through labour making very few complaints. They
have no pain relief and they are not used to kindness. Most of the women I care
for do not speak English but I still feel like I am able to communicate with
them on another level just by smiling and holding their hand. I can feel how
grateful they are for this. I have so much respect for them and they are what
make my job worthwhile. When things get challenging focusing on trying to
improve things for them gets me back to work the next day and makes me want to
keep fighting.
Meeting new people - During the last 4 months I have met so many
new people. Some I have established good friendships with, others not so much…
but from every new person I have met I have learned something! I already knew
that you will never get along with everyone in life. I am trying to develop my ability
to deal with challenging people and remain positive…. Its tough! People often
have different views on doing things and I am learning to be adaptable. Some
people in life will never change so there is no point stressing out trying to
get them to! Instead I will focus on the many wonderful people that I have had
the pleasure to meet and spend time with!! There are so many interesting people
in the world and I love hearing peoples stories and learning about their
experiences. We have just had our volunteer peer support. We spent 3 days at a
lovely retreat in a forest. The purpose is to bring all health volunteers
together to share experiences and offer moral support. It was great because I
realized that many of the other volunteers face the same frustrations and
challenges. So I am just as thankful to the people that challenge me as I am to
those who support me because they force me to grow as a person and address
things I would rather avoid.
Travelling – Malawi is a beautiful country
and I love travelling around it!! I feel very lucky to have the opportunity to
explore during my time off. Travelling also gives me the down time I need when
work has been especially hectic!!! The lake is my favorite place, its huge and
is more like an ocean then a lake except its not salty so swimming in it is
magical!! Last weekend was lake of stars music festival which was held by the
lake in Mangochi. It was a combination of good company, good music and amazing
scenery… perfect!! I’ve also had the opportunity to do a couple of safaris
which are so much fun. Being with animals in the wild is so beautiful. I hope
to do a lot more travelling while I’m here!!
I am really glad that I am beginning to see
Malawi as my home. I have more of an idea now about what I hope to achieve
during my time here. Its easy to get carried away with what you think you
should be achieving but I think it’s the small things that can have the biggest
impact. So now when things get tough I will focus on the things that I love
because these are the things that are important!
