Amazing Azungu's

In Malawi a white person is called an Azungu. Walking around the villages in the districts of Nsanje and Chikwawa many people ask for your attention by using this term. Well, one white person is of course something weird and interesting. However, nine Azungu’s…. that’s amazing!

Last week we had some special Post NL visitors in the area. We were very lucky to have an international group; the reason why this update is written in English for once. To guarantee that the visitors would have a realistic impression of Malawi and our work, we organized visits to two primary schools, a village project, a household and a health centre. Since the trip made a great impression for each and every member, I asked the members to reveal their most inspiring and/or impressive moment:

LUCIA OLIVEIRA (Spring Global Mail, Canada):

For me the school feeding programs are extremely inspiring because I see and feel the optimism and hope that it provides to the children and community. Despite the conditions, I could feel that the children are happy and enjoying the learning environment. The living conditions of the family we visited and the food distribution center left me feeling very sad and helpless at the incredible need to improve the conditions. Being a mother I cannot imagine not having enough food for my child and I can certainly sympathize with those women who travelled for kilometers in the heat barefoot to get assistance and food for their child. The image of all those mothers holding their tiny babies is something I will never forget.

WERNER BASTELAAR (Mediavoorlichting & PR, PostNL):

The visit to Malawi has opened my eyes. On the one hand the extreme poverty, on the other hand, the pride of the elderly and the joy of the children. I have deep respect for anyone who makes a contribution to the WFP, WFP staff, the teachers, the food committee...... Important for me is that it is clear that we as PostNL in Malawi can make a difference. And we must continue to do so!

BAS ELISEN (Data & document management, PostNL):

The memories of the trip are settling down in my head. I still hear the "black missionairies" at the background and I am trying to think ahead about all things we can do for the WFP. My most inspiring Malawi moment was when we were at the health centre. The contradiction of the sad faces and underdeveloped little ones on one hand and the joy, singing and dancing of the group of mothers on the other hand was unforgettable. For me this was the living example of hope.

LINDA MOLENMAKER (Retail en
consumentenmarkt, PostNL):

Just 4 days in Malawi, but it seems like it were four weeks. It was a unique experience that I will never forget. The happy smiles on faces of children when you make a picture, the joy at the school when you give them pens & a ball, and the small houses where people live that look like a dark box with nothing inside. The thing that touched me the most was the visit to the health centre, where we saw young children with malnutrition: so small and tiny. Especially this visit made me realize that there is still a lot of work to do and that we have to keep supporting the WFP.

RENE VAN DUIST (Klant en kwaliteitsmanagement , game guide Post NL):

The pictures of our trip are going through my head all the time. To me our short journey made an indelible impression. Let’s use our experiences for the good cause. What impressed me most was the household visit. How is it possible to live with so little? What keeps you going under these circumstances? The girl wants to become a doctor. This ambition must come from her education (in combination with the energy she gets from the porridge). This, and of course the visit to the health clinic, inspires me to keep going for WFP.


Again, all members of the fieldtrip: Thanks a lot! Next update I will focus (in Dutch again) on the arrival of materials; and the fact that some really enthusiastic schools almost completed a whole structure in less than 3 weeks. This certainly gives a lot of energy!

Tiwonana!
Zikomo Kwambiri!

Ingrid