Malawi 2004 - 2007 |
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Some Things Can Still Make You SadTales From The Hungry Season
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I was reading a book about the Turkana in Kenya, whom I troubled last year. The book was talking of the legendary fierce toughness of these people and how since time immemorial they had been decimated by drought and famine. It was just natural that in the cycle of life certain generations had to accept their fate. Here in Malawi hunger has been an issue over several years. In spite of having a huge lake covering one fifth of the land surface, poor rains , low cropping agriculture and cultural resistance to change of diet, hunger is a fact of life between November and March, when the new crop starts to come in. This year the hunger was noticeable even in the azungu supermarkets where rice and maize prices rose weekly and eventually the few bags left were spread out to cover what they could of the extensive shelving. In this atmosphere the newspaper reflected the growing crisis in rural areas and particularly in the densely populated south. More infants were dying of nutrition related illness in Thyolo hospital, crocodiles were killing people trying to collect bulbs from the Shire River, someone was shot dead in a rush to get maize from an ADMARK depot. Here in Town only the supermarket shelves and the occasional brush with the hunger brought home how tough life can be. ******************* As I drove into work I was aware of figure lying on the dirt track at the side of the road. Another drunk? People were just walking past. Before I had time to begin my mental moralising I realised that the figure was an old woman. What to do? I brought Shadreck, our kindly and gentle accountant to speak to her in Chichewa. " what's the matter mama?" "Njala" (hunger) she said without stirring. We asked a passing woman to help lift her into the shade, where she sat against a tree her wrinkled breasts hanging from her open blouse. The stranger helped her to regain her dignity by buttoning her blouse. We went and bought her a soda and some food. After 30 minutes she was able to stand again and resume her walk across Falls to beg for alms. She showed no self-pity. In her world it was normal to feel hunger at this time of year. An old person on her own must expect to depend upon the generosity of others. ***************************
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