It has been a little slow here lately. We've nearly finished our proposal for our project that we will submit to the District Health Officers. They have to be informed of any work that is beng done in their areas. So hopefully next week I can start traveling to clinic sites and break free from the office for a bit. By being in the office, I learn the factors that push and pull against NGOs. The other day there was an issue of paying import taxes on milk powder and vitamins used to make nutritional supplements for kids. Because the foundation has to pay these taxes, about 1000 more children will go hungry. There is a waiver for the taxes but there has been some difficulty in getting that put into place.

I've found that Lilongwe is home to many NGOs and health clinics. In addition to CHAI, the University of Baylor and North Carolina both have clinics here and attract many Malawians in search of a job. Unemployment is 50% and jobs in the Ministry of Health do not pay well but jobs working with NGOs pay better. So there is a twofold benefit for their existence as they employ the people they seek to help. And with the government declaring yesterday that there is a food shortage on the horizon, people are going to need jobs to afford food.

And of course, politics affects everything. However, I'm not taking just local politics, such as the import duties, but international politics as well. News of Obama's nomination has been circulating all over Lilongwe and in terms of the Foundation, I learned it might be in the Foundation's best interest if Hillary is not the president. CHAI receives money for AIDS projects from PEPFAR (The US government's AIDS fund started by Pres. Bush) and it would raise eyebrows if Clinton were directing PEPFAR funds into her husband's foundation. Things like this would be problematic in so many ways and question the bi-partisan nature of the Foundation.

I've been able to venture out a bit and do some exploring, though because it gets dark at 5:30 when I get off work, I have to save my exploring for the weekends. Here are a few pics of the neighborhood.


The flowers here are gorgeous and are everywhere. There are flowers of every color growing in the areas.

A vegtable stand by the entrance to the school. One of these days I will check it out.

For now, it has been mainly my ears exploring Malawi as there is always something to hear. Instead of the cacophony of cars, buses, planes, phones, TVs, etc. that I have been accustomed to in the states, there is the constant sound of birds chirping, kids laughing on their way to school, and Mabel, the assistant here at the Foundation, singing in Chichewa.