Wow. It’s been an interesting last few weeks! Why?
First, next Thursday will be my last day in my village. The thought of leaving these wonderful people breaks my heart into pieces. 3 months isn’t long enough to embrace all of this – it just isn’t.
Second, the reason that next Thursday will be my last day in Liwone is because of the threat of political protests in Malawi on August 17th. I will still be flying back to Canada on August 27th. If you haven’t been following the news, you can check out a great post written by fellow JF Robyn (http://heymalawi.wordpress.com/2011/07/25/all-quiet-on-the-mzimba-front/). Our time in Malawi has been cut short about 2 weeks, as we will all head to Zambia to stay away from any potential violence or incidents. This was a smart choice by EWB, but that doesn’t make it easy. For myself, I’m here to help and learn from Malawi with everything I’ve got. To leave this country during one of it’s most challenging times feels stale, and hurts. I’ll be hoping and thinking good thoughts for this country in their hopes to resolve these issues.
And third, I was privileged with the opportunity to attend a Yao initiation ceremony last Saturday. “Yao” refers to the tribe that dominates the northern part of the southern region of Malawi. The Yao people are majorly Muslim, and this was reflected greatly in the ceremony.
We started off at 7:30am. Jackson and George (my friends), and myself biked through the hills of Balaka district, until we reached our destination 15km away. Compared to my trip to the mountains of Neno, this distance was a piece of cake. As we arrived, Jackson’s family greeted us – mother, father, brothers, sisters, and cousins – the list goes on and on.
The initiation ceremony, known as “Chinamwali” in Chewchewa, signifies the coming of age for girls and boys into adulthood. In different variations of the tradition, this can include circumcision, spiritual cleansing, and other practices. As we waited for the event, Jackson and I sat on a beautifully woven reed mat, in true Malawian style. An hour passed before Jackson pulled me aside, telling me that it’s time to begin.
Everyone stood, and a group of 20 young men joined together to lead the group. These men, skilled in traditional Yao singing and dance, walked us towards the village chief’s house for the celebration of these 6 girls and boys.
The energy took everyone high, and the song took everyone even higher. As we walked, women would proclaim their excitement by making a wonderful noise. Make an “O” with your mouth, shake your tongue from side to side, and scream as loud as you can. Well done!
As we arrived at the chief’s house, the two boys and four girls were blessed with his honor. The two boys, dressed in handsome suits and polished shoes, and the girls, dressed in beautiful gowns, remained silent and solemn – their mouths covered with cloth. Why the quiet? Respect. Why the cloth? To hide their mouths if they get too silly, and start to laugh.
After the children received the chief’s blessing, the Yao dancers escorted us back to Jackson’s house. What’s next in the ceremony? Time for the kids to cash in! As the Master of Ceremonies addressed the group, they invited friends and family to give Kwacha to the children. As the Yao dancers kept energy high, the group celebrated the coming of age of these young Malawians.
Last, but not least, a beautiful feast! This was the first time that I’ve eaten nsima and undeywo (relish) in a communal way. Two dishes of nsima and a dish of goat was shared between myself, 2 elders, and Jackson. It was fantastic, delicious, and very grounding.
As requested by Jackson, I brought my camera along. Before we made our departure back to Liwonde, I took pictures of Jackson and his wonderful family to document this happy day. Fortunately, a Canadian is travelling from Winnipeg to Malawi in October to work on this AfDB project, so I’ll have a chance to send these pictures back to my dear friend.
Riding home with Jackson over the hot African savannah, I could see from the look on Jackson’s face that he was happy. I hope I looked half as happy as he did.
I’ll leave you with a beautiful thought. A few months ago, I sat in a local restaurant, eating a dish of nsima as I watched an interview with a man famous for his research in ancient wisdom around the world. What he said sticks with me to this day:
Ancient wisdom is beautiful, and ancient wisdom is valuable. Yes, we’re different, but that doesn’t make any of us more beautiful or more valuable. Every culture is expressing their own response to the meaning of life, and that is what’s really important.
Be well, and take care.
Kev
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| Jackson (L) and myself enjoying nsima and Halal goat. |
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