TRAVEL REPORTS

REPORT: TRIP TO RUARWE JAN. 2018 - PDF


FIRST STEPS TOWARDS NEW BUSINESS AREAS IN RUARWE - 2017
honey

Kelvin Mthega making beehive

finished beehive - the goal of the young men is to make many more beehives

hay for rabbits

This is John - often the forerunner of new developments

drying leaves in the shadow in order to keep the nutrition in the plants

toilet designed for humanure 

Again John is taking the first spade stick for this new kind of toilet

the cover of the pit with the hole for this-and-that

John constructing the wooden frame of the toilet building





MALAWI - JANUARY 2017

AT COPENHAGEN AIRPORT. OUR LUGGAGE CONTAINS 12 LAPTOPS, APPR. 300 PIECES OF CLOTHING, 5 BICYCLES, 20 SOLARLAMPS, APPR. 50 CELL PHONES, SCHOOL MATERIALS, 10 FOOTBALLS AND MANY OTHER THINGS.

ARRIVAL AT KAMUZU INT. AIRPORT IN MALAWI. OUR RENTED 4 X 4 GETTING PACKED

REPACKING OF LUGGAGE AND ASSEMBLING OF BICYCLES BEFORE THE FERRY TRIP

ALMOST AT THE FINAL DESTINATION: THE LUGGAGE IS UNLOADED FROM THE FERRY TO THE SMALL BOAT THAT WILL SAIL US TO THE BEACH

ARRIVAL AT RUARWE BEACH

VIEW ON ZULUNKHUNI RIVER LODGE - OUR USUAL HANGOUT

THE BAR AT THE LODGE

VISITING JOHNS HOME IN RUARWE - JOHN COORDINATES THE SCHOLARSHIPS AND THE ENTREPRENEURSHIPS

AT KHONDOWE SECONDARY SCHOOL: RELATIVES OF THE SPONSORED STUDENTS WELCOME US WITH HOMEMADE GIFTS (ON THE FIRST TABLE) AND FOOD (INCLUDING A ROOSTER - WAITING ON THE GROUND). THE RELATIVES COOKED FOOD FOR US DURING OUR STAY AT THE SCHOOL

TEACHING COURSES - USING YOU TUBE VIDEOS TO VISUALIZE

- WHY IS AFRICA THE POOREST CONTINENT ON OUR PLANET?

- THE AFRICAN DREAM ABOUT LIFE IN EUROPE AND THE NIGHTMARISH REALITY:  EXPLOITATION OF AFRICAN DAY LABORERS ON SOUTH EUROPEAN FARMS - WITHOUT RIGHTS, WITHOUT ACCESS TO MEDICAL TREATMENT AND WITHOUT THE MEANS TO RETURN TO AFRICA. THE STUDENTS WERE CHOCKED WHEN THEY SAW A SHORT DOCUMENTERY ABOUT AN AFRICAN WORKERS IN ITALY
which brought me to the last subject:

- OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP IN MALAWI. WE WATCHED YOUTUBE FILMS ABOUT:

         - PRODUCTION OF AVOCADO OIL AND DRIED MANGO

         - BEEKEEPING AND RABBIT FARMING

         - THE 'FORGOTTEN' FERTILIZER THAT SITS DEEP DOWN IN MILLIONS OF        AFRICAN LONG DROP TOILETS 

MORE TEACHING.... GATHERING AROUND THE LAPTOP TO SEE YOUTUBE MOVIES

BRAIN GYMNASTICS WITH DONATED BOARD GAMES

SELECTION OF SCHOOL BAGS AT KHONDOWE SEC. SCHOOL

COMMON MEAL WITH THE SPONSORED STUDENTS (THE TIME IS 2PM... AND THIS IS THE STUDENTS' FIRST MEAL THIS DAY.....)

DISTRUBUTION OF DONATIONS

FAREWELL AFTER 2 DAYS AT KHONDOWE SEC. SCHOOL - MOST OF THE STUDENTS WITH NEW JACKETS AND T-SHIRTS FROM THE HA85 SPORTS CLUB IN SILKEBORG, DENMARK. BIG THANKS TO HA85 !!!!

ON THE WAY TO BUNGA SEC. SCHOOL

COURSE AT BUNGA SEC. SCHOOL - HERE THE NEW SPONSORED STUDENTS ARE THAUGHT ABOUT AFRICAN HISTORY

ANDERS TEACHING THE STUDENTS THE BOARD GAME

EACH SCHOOL GOT 2 REFURBISHED LAPTOPS THAT WERE DONATED BY PEOPLE IN DENMARK

FAREWELL AT BUNGA SEC. SCHOOL

CHALLENGES ON THE WAY BACK TO THE SOUTH: RAIN AND BROKEN 4 WHEEL DRIVE

VISIT AT MY FRIEND AUPHANS. ABOUT 1½1 YEAR AGO HE MADE HIS FIRST BEE HIVE. WE ARE HOLDING HIS FIRST HONEY HARVEST. HIS PLAN IS TO BUILD 30 MORE BEE HIVES THE COMING YEAR. ALSO HE WILL BECOME A MENTOR FOR THOSE STUDENTS WHO WANT TO BECOME BEEKEEPERS.

ON THE WAY BACK TO THE AIRPORT! WE MADE IT SAFE AND SOUND. AND IN TIME!!!


DECEMBER 2015 - JANUARY 2016

ON THIS TRIP (from right to the left): ANDERS, MAGNUS (ANDERS' SON) AND ME (picture taken on a hot day at Bunga Sec. School, 2nd of Jan. 2016)

THE 25th OF DECEMBER 2015: CHECKING IN LUGGAGE AT COPENHAGEN AIRPORT: 6 BOXES, EACH WEIGHING APPR. 35 KGS.; CONTAINING 6 BIKES, ABOUT 60 PAIRS OF SHOES, LOTS AND LOTS OF CLOTHES + 1 GUITAR

26TH OF DECEMBER: AT THE MAIN AIRPORT IN MALAWI - ALL OUR BOXES ARRIVED WITH THE SAME FLIGHT! 

LATER THAT DAY: AT THE MAIN BUS STATION IN LILONGWE, THE CAPITAL OF MALAWI. WE MANAGED TO GET SEATS IN THE LATE BUS TO THE NORTH

LATE AT NIGHT WE ARRIVED IN MZUZU - 400 KM. NORTH OF THE CAPITAL. WE FOUND A TAXI AND DROVE 40 KM. THROUGH THE DARK NIGHT TO THE SHORE OF LAKE MALAWI

THE SAME MORNING WE BOARDED THE WEEKLY FERRY ALONG THE LAKE SHORE TO THE NORTH

THE SHORE ALONG THE NORTHERN PART OF LAKE MALAWI

OUR FINAL DESTINATION: RUARWE VILLAGE. THIS VILLAGE HAS NO HARBOUR, SO DISEMBARCATION IS DONE WITH A DINGHY 

YEAH!!! ALL THE BOXES ON RUARWE BEACH!

THEN CARRYING.....

IN THE PINK SHIRT: JOHN - THE INDISPENSABLE YOUTH COORDINATOR OF RUARWE. HE IS IN CHARGE OF YEARLY SELECTION OF THE STUDENTS

AFTER MORE THAN 2 DAYS OF NON-STOP TRAVELLOING WE TOOK A DAY OFF AT CHARLIES LODGE JUST OUTSIDE RUARWE

THE DAY AFTER: WALKING TO KHONDOWE SECONDARY SCHOOL ALONG THE LAKE SHORE

PASSING A MIGHTY BOABAB TREE

NO ROADS ALONG THE LAKE SHORE; ONLY STEEP AND STONY PATHS

THE BOXES FOR KHONDOWE SCHOOL WERE TAKEN BY CANOE FROM RUARWE. BUT NEEDED TO BE CARRIED FROM THE LAKE TO THE SCHOOL 

THE SPONSORED STUDENTS AT KHONDOWE

HAVING A TALK WITH EACH STUDENT ABOUT SCHOOL AND FAMILY LIFE

AFTER TALK AND A HISTORY LECTURE THE STUDENTS WERE TAUGHT THE GAME 'SET'

DONATIONS WERE DISTRIBUTED AMONGST THE STUDENTS ACCORDING TO THEIR 'SET'-SCORE 

WINNING A BIKE FROM DENMARK IS NOT A DAILY EVENT......

THE DAY AFTER: SAME PROGRAM WITH ANOTHER 12 STUDENTS IN KHONDOWE

AND THEN: WALKING BACK TO RUARWE AGAIN. ON THE WAY WE MET 2 HAPPY STUDENTS WITH 'NEW' CELL PHONES

31st OF DECEMER: WE CLIMBED 'TELEPHONE HILL' IN RUARWE (THE ONLY PLACE WITH PHONE RECEPTION) TO SEND NEW YEAR WISHES 

VIEW ON RUARWE FROM TELEPHONE HILL

THE CHURCH OF RUARWE - BUILT AROUND 100 YEARS AGO BY SCOTTIES MISSIONARIES

 NEW YEARS EVE DIVE!

OUR NEW YEARS EVE DINNER: ONE OF JOHNS RABBITS

WITH LOTS OF VEGGIES!!

1st OF JANUARY: WALKING TO BUNGA SECONDARY SCHOOL

ALSO AT BUNGA SCHOOL WE SPENT 2 DAYS: TALKING WITH STUDENTS, DOING LECTURES 

AND OF COURSE  TEACHING 'SET'

DONATIONS TO BE DISTRIBUTED

STUDENTS WITH DONATIONS AFTER THE 1ST DAY

AND THE LAST GROUP OF STUDENTS WITH THEIR WUN DONATIONS AFTER THE SECONDA DAY

AFTER WE FINISHED AT BUNGA SCHOOL WE WALKED DOWN TO THE LAKE

A BOAT WAS ARRANGED AND WE PADDLED DIRECTION SOUTH TO THE VILLAGE OF USISYA - A VILLAGE WITH A ROAD! 

LAST MORNING AT THE LAKE SHORE IN USISYA

BYE BYE LAKE MALAWI

BUYING SOME BANANAS ALONG THE ROAD SIDE

MORE BUMPY ROAD....

ON THE WAY TO THE SOUTH THE BUS BROKE ... SO WE HITCHHIKED A FEW HUNDRED KILOMETRES

IN THE TOWN OF DOWA, CLOSE TO THE AIRPORT, DRINKING SOME CARLSBERG

LAST KILOMETRES TO THE AIRPORT BY BICYCLE TAXI!

ANDERS AND HIS TAXIDRIVER

MAGNUS ENDED UP BEING A TAXI DRIVER HIMSELF

BACK IN SCANDINAVIA!!!