The Chronicle, Summer 2019

30 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Nick Coram-Wright

Trip to Malawi By Sixth Former Octavia Hamilton

Sasha Wolcough, Octavia Hamilton, Tabitha Emmott, Louis Harvey Wood, Jade Young Yu, Isabella Sheppard-Capurro, Arn Caesar, Max Lang, Ella Mival, Ella Leeson, Kitty Howard and Emma Wrigley

On 8th July, a group of 12 Teddies pupils and three teachers found themselves in the middle of a bustling Heathrow Airport, relative strangers but about to embark on an adventure which would unite us. As we enjoyed the many films provided by Ethiopian Airlines, the views of spaghetti- winding motorways of London gave way to veins of dusty orange tracks branching off from the main tarmac road of Malawi. When we got off the plane, our faces were hit by the familiar heat of holiday. A bright yellow bus welcomed us at Blantyre Airport and took us to our accommodation. Along the way, we passed the morning market: stalls made from tall, whittled sticks flanked by men, women and children. The smell of burning coal and plastic filled our noses as we gawked at the mountains which circled majestically around us, the sun painting them gold. Finally, we turned off onto a bumpy dirt track which wound its way round hand-tilled fields and a couple of brick houses with their corrugated iron roofs held on by stone piles. Scrawny-looking trees lined the road as our

driver expertly avoided most potholes. Then we heard the children. A few at first who leapt up waving leafy branches after the bus, but then more and more joined in with the song ‘Hey! Ho! The visitors have arrived!’. Our first event was an opening ceremony. We each grabbed a chair and carried it over to the designated spot, but we were hilariously put to shame when some children – perhaps half our size – took over and carried three chairs with ease. The ceremony opened with drums and dancing, and we were encouraged to join in – which we did, despite the heat and our hesitancy over the dance moves, making our hosts roar with laughter. The next day, we made rapid progress on our project, getting used to digging many holes with a crowbar-like pole for the playground and learning how to mix cement and build upon the loo block foundations. Fuelled by delicious snacks ranging from ‘mandazies’ (a surprisingly irresistable Malawian snack made from flour mix and oil) to papaya and pip-full yet tangy oranges, we worked enthusiastically – the wooden poles became climbing frames, windows were put in on the

loos, clothes and skin became spattered with paint and we soon mastered the flick of the wrist – a sophisticated plastering technique. Our evenings provided time for much- needed rest as we scrambled for our sun-heated bucket showers. Whilst some evenings were spent with the children, we also squeezed in group games before supper, such as the adrenaline-fuelled ‘satsuma game’ and a few lively rounds of ‘Empires’ or poker to keep morale high after long, sweaty days. On some days we helped out at the nursery’s feeding centre for 80 hungry young mouths. Spending time in the kitchen learning how to cook the traditional meal of rice, beans and cabbage with our wonderful head cook, Fanny, was great and also gave rise to some interesting conversations about women’s role in society. Max also got the chance to show off his butchery skills in preparation for our chicken lunch. The safari on the last two days was a complete treat and the highlight was the dazzlingly beautiful sunset on the river listening to the brays of the hippos. Back at our campsite the faint smell of animals and heat