Chiwe

The group had been working at various locales…our school, up at the guesthouse sewing, and a medical clinic north of Lilongwe in Chiwe. Since I was off for holidays I asked if I could go with one day (and as I was leaving to travel on Tuesday I was really hoping for an ok on Monday). I didn’t want to take anyone’s spot as they had to take turns as to who could go (4 in the truck cab + the driver) and as there were 4 going I was told I could come if I didn’t mind riding in the back. No problem here…more room (at least that’s what I thought). There were 6 malawians in the back with me as well as some of the supplies to do the work…early mornings are brisk so I broke out the sweatshirt and am quite glad that I did. A stop in Lilongwe for more supplies and the up to Chiwe…all good except for the last 11km…and those were bumpy! But we finally arrived.

We were working on a small house next to the clinic itself. Fixing it up so that a nurse could live there as the clinic needed a nurse. 3 of us were put to work painting the outside, some painted inside and some were hanging doors and making sure the cross beams inside were replaced as termites had gotten to them. Painting outside was not too bad. You did have an audience most of the day and you had to climb up and down the ladder each time as we were doing the top part of the walls but it was a beautiful day. The other problem was that the top part of the wall was “decorated” with blobs or knobs of concrete all over it…so we dusted it off and then painted the wall and knobs with our paintbrushes as rollers wouldn’t do any good over the knobs. We finished painting just as our day needed to end so that we could get back to nkhoma at a reasonable time.

The sore legs came after that day…the hike up the mountain. Holding myself in place in the back of the truck both coming and going. Climbing up a ladder to paint for a day. Sore for only 2 days this time (4 last time up the mountain) so I must be in ok shape.