Mphatso Group Today and Leaving Tomorrow

I realize that many of the adjectives that I have been using to describe this trip often do not come close to the actuality of my experience.  Pictures help, of course, but believe me when I say this has been an amazing trip for me.  And a very successful one for Knit Around the World. 

It's quite different coming to a new country, not for vacation, but to connect and try to better the lives of those living with HIV/AIDS.  With Kelly as my guide, I learned more about knitting and crocheting patterns, marketing ideas for both Malawi and the US, and being patient with bureaucracies (this I knew already from the States but in foreign countries, there's always a new wrinkle or two).  I learned to board, be cramped, and disembark a minibus.  I learned that you can actually ride on the cushioned back of a bicycle and live to tell the tale.  I learned that you can capture mosquitoes inside your mosquito net, much to your annoyance.  I learned (again!) how to say no to the various sellers on the street and in the markets.  And, finally, I learned how warm the people of Malawi are and how you never stop smiling here. 

Today we visited the Mphatso group.  As you know, Kelly brings new pattern and item ideas to all the groups.  The Mphatso group was the first group to solve the bowl made from plastic wrappers.  Here's a picture of the bowl that Kelly purchased in the US from Darn Good Yarn and is made by Indian women.

And here's the Mphatso version (note - there are some of Kelly's Kit-Kat wrappers in here):

I am so impressed with these women and their ability to look at a pattern and then replicate it.  They are also working on a version that will be a tray.  We cannot wait to see it!

Once again Kelly was our model for new products.  A hat that the group had originally made in a infant size, in an adult size.  And a tie made from VHS tapes.  The group also makes bags, hats and small purses from VHS tapes.

And, then it was time to go.  One final group picture with Kelly as we waited for the driver.  They are holding the orange bags full of items that we bought for sale in the US.

The work of Knit Around the World is making a direct impact on these lives.  Your donation is doubled in the month of May and no donation is too small.  Please consider donating at Knit Around the World.  


It's been an honor and a blessing to have had the opportunity to meet these groups.  And many thanks to the best daughter-in-law for inviting me and bringing me here. 

Leaving tomorrow morning!  Goodbye to Malawi!

Visiting Area 50 - We are gifted!

It's becoming real these days that we are leaving here soon.  Last visits and lots of goodbyes!  Today's visit was with Area 50.  Due to last week's holiday, this was only our second visit with them.  You may remember that this is the group that I danced (or tried to dance) with in the first week.

As you can see, they had been hard at work.  When we got there, they had already arranged all the goods and put pricing signs on the piles.  So organized!  When we buy, the process is like this: we have a budget for purchasing and we select items that we know or think will sell in the US,  then we tally the total and reassess if we're over or under.  The group is very quiet watching these deliberations as they don't know what the amount is and they don't know which items will be selected.  Sometimes, we have feedback for them about colors, or sizes.  

Once we're done, there's a palpable sense of relief and joy.  It's quite a sizable amount of money by Malawi standards and it helps to sustain the circle of production and sales.  After we selected the purchases for Knit Around the World, I purchased a child's hat that I just loved.  And, of course, Kelly had to model it.

As we got up to leave and wait outside for the driver to return, the group presented up with gifts!  They had asked us what our favorite colors were at our first meeting and said they wanted to give us something.  I had forgotten this so I was a little surprised.  They presented us with chitenje - a traditional wrap that Malawian women wrap around their waist over their skirt or pants.  Kelly's is orange (of course!) and mine is blue.  Here we are modeling them.  You can tell I am not very good at the wrapping thing, haha.

And here is one of my favorite views of Kelly.  As we were waiting for the driver, we all sit down and the women and Kelly start knitting and doing other work.  It's quite the serene picture.

Out last visit is tomorrow!  And a bit more souvenir shopping and on the long way home on Saturday!

We are "Invited Guests!"

We started very early today - Tasha (one of the district coordinators for NAPHAM and our main contact) picked us up at 7:30am.  We were going to attend the launch of the SMS Real-Time treatment monitoring facility for Malawi and Tasha needed to get there early to help set up.  One of the mobile companies, Airtel, has joined a partnership with the Ministry of Health of Malawi, UNAIDS, NAC, NAPHAM, MANET+ and others to enhance information and communication via cell phone messaging.  The texting is free and it allows information to be gathered in a timely and easy manner, so that problems can be solved and data can be collected.  The ED (executive director) of NAPHAM, Master Mphande, had invited us during our meeting earlier this week.

What we didn't realize was that we were going to be on the stage with the dignitaries.  What an opportunity to promote Knit Around the World!  Here's a picture of the dignitaries arriving. Among them: the Director of HIV and AIDS, Ministry of Health, Dr. Frank Chimbwadira, UNAIDS Country Coordinator, Ms. Amakobe Sande, and Executive Director, NAC (National AIDS Commission), Mr. Davie Kalomba.  As you can tell, I am making sure I am spelling the titles and names correctly here.

Kelly handed out business cards to the three of them and Ms. Sande was kind enough to inquire further about Knit Around the World.  It was a great experience.  In between speeches, there were singing, dancing, and drama group performances. 

Then, straight from there to visit the Chigwirizano group.  This was our last visit with them on this trip and that always means it's time to buy items to sell back home.  They are a new group for us, so we also had a sign made for them to help promote the group and their merchandise.  Here's the lovely Jane, posing with the sign and the group.  Kelly always makes me look good!

They have taken Kelly's ideas for new patterns and items and have been working hard.  We bought 20 knitted bracelets...

20 small purses, 11 headbands and 1 tie.

The money that they make now will go to buying more yarn, as well as supporting the group as a whole - with food, transport and other things as decided by the group.  Two more groups to visit before we leave on Saturday! 

Tikane and Chisomo groups!

We are on our last week here in Malawi and now we are visiting groups for the last time on this trip.  One of the HBC (Home Based Care) team members, Joseph, had invited us to meet his group, Tikane.  They primarily make beads from paper and then make jewelry with the beads.  Joseph had shown us pictures of their beautiful work to whet our interest.  The Tikane group did not disappoint! 

Here they are cutting very thin and long triangles from an old UNICEF calendar - the bright blue will make stunning beads.  Kelly and I both bought necklaces, bracelets and earrings.  And we ordered 2 bracelets and 1 pair of earrings using the new blue beads.  Here's Kelly wearing earrings and a necklace.

Back to the house for lunch before going to visit the Chisomo group.  Kelly had ordered two sweaters for herself - I've already posted about the orange one but her green one was almost done.  It was just a matter of sewing on buttons and making buttonholes.

  In the meantime, I interviewed Amos who is both a regional volunteer/coordinator and a member of the group.  Here's Kelly helping him tie one of the new patterned ties to wear for the interview.  Helping him look his best!

The Chisomo group already knew that yellow was my favorite color, so they insisted that I get a yellow sweater.  It's quite bright and Kelly says that it will be good to wear at night.  It's also very warm, but I modeled it anyway, lol.

Looks smashing with my blue shirt, no?  Another busy day tomorrow - read all about it here!

Crazy Day!

The start to our last week in Malawi was very hectic. Some appointments got moved and some cancelled then uncancelled. We took the morning to buy groceries and for Jane to get some souvineers. While eating lunch I got a call for a meeting and we raced out of the house. 

Our meeting with NAPHAM went well and we were even invited to an event this Wednesday for the launch of a new project. We are looking forward to attending and schmoozing with individuals from UNAIDS, WHO and government officials in Malawi. 

From NAPHAM we traveled to Heifer International. It was quite an adventure and the most terrifying thing I'd ever done. I have plenty of experience riding on minibuses and even more now with chickens but today Jane and I rode on the back of bicycles. We were going to take pictures but as soon as we got to Heifer I jumped off. Thank goodness I was wearing leggings under my skirt, I had to pull up the skirt and stretch to get on the bike (it was a little tall for me). I'm also a stickler about safety and we had no protection or helmets which is scary enough. We rode up and down a hill along side with cars where the pavement would mix with dirt causing the roadside to be uneven. I gripped the handlebars so tightly that my arms hurt and all my blood drained from my hands in fright. As my bicyclist flew past Jane and Moses my face was scrunched up and I was whimpering in fear. Again, the scariest thing I'd ever done, I had to concentrate on keeping my body balanced and couldn't see much of where we were going. I felt like any moment we'd hit a rock and I'd go flying over the handlebars. I did survive though!

We had a wonderful meeting with the Country Director at Heifer International, Petronella. Our meeting was to start an conversation between our organizations about yarn producing animals and fibers that we can make into a co-op to have yarn made in Malawi. We have discussed many things and both organizations have a lot of research to do but it is a great start. 

Tomorrow is a very busy day visiting Chisomo!

Wild day with the animals!

Jane and I made my annual trip to visit the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust which is an animal sanctuary here in Malawi. I have been many times and it was great to take Jane. We have less than a week left an we are excited to see what the groups have been up to over the past week.  Here are pictures of our tour of the LWT. 

Crocodiles

Monkeys

Baboons.

Bella the Lion.

Day Off in Malawi, Sorta

As it is the weekend we don't have any meeting planned for today or tomorrow so we are using the downtime to catch up on sleep and time out of the sun. Many of you know that one of the reasons I started Knit Around the World is because I love to knit so much. Even in my down time here in Malawi I've been knitting to give and I have already finished one blanket. 

It is incredibly soft and I'm giving it to World Camp for them to decide who has the most need.

Besides knitting we picked up the sing for the Chigwirizano group and exchanged money to prepare us for the week ahead. Tomorrow we might venture into the more touristy areas of Lilongwe so Jane can see a little more our busy week and having to leave.

Don't forget that in May a donor will be able to double their impact with a matching donation up to $2,000 in honor of our anniversary.

TGIF!

Yesterday was Kamuzu Day, a national holiday honoring Hastings Kamuzu who, while a dictator and president for life, brought much infrastructure, modern education, and rights for women to Malawi.  He was responsible for jailing and torturing his political enemies but quietly stepped down when the Malawians voted him out and asked for forgiveness before he died.  So, a mixed bag.

But that meant that our appointment with the Mphatso group was canceled and most businesses were closed for the day.  We took the opportunity of a quiet day to watch Harry Potter #4 and Kelly re-taught me to knit!  I had learned very many years ago, but had not pursued it. 

We started today on a frustrating note.  We were supposed to see both Lighthouse groups today but, due to unforeseen circumstances, there was only one driver for the whole Lighthouse offices.  After waiting, we decided to cancel the appointments for today and see the groups next week. 

So, we started walking out to where the minibuses are, and then Kelly's phone rang.  It was Micrina calling from the office to find out where we were, because she had figured out a new plan.  We walked back to the office (and by now, were getting quite hot) and we had to walk back to the minibuses to take a bus to the Mphatso group.  The Area 50 group is a long walk from the bus stop, so we only got to see one group in the end.  One was better than none, of course.

Once you get to the group, your whole mood is lifted.  The Mphatso group has been very industrious and has tried many of our suggestions.  Here are some baby hats that they've made - we love the colors and mix of patterns!

 
Kelly is always willing to model everything the group has knitted.  One of her new ideas was making a bow tie that you can wear as a bow tie or as a headband.  We were so pleased to see the results.  Check it out!

Hump Day!

 This is Day 11! Halfway through our trip!

We had the morning free, so Kelly took me to the fabric market.  This market is run by all women and all the tailors are men.  What an overwhelming selection!  Not to worry, I was able to find fabric that I loved.  The lengths are in multiples of 2 meters.  But, if you find a piece you like that's not long enough, the women call to each other and usually find more and send it over. See what you think of my selections:

We got to meet the new group from Chigwirizano again today.  They had been very busy since we had been there on Saturday.  They were very enthusiastic about the stitch patterns and item ideas and had knit up a storm.  Kelly had given them an idea to make Christmas stocking, which they had tried to do but it was too small.  Kelly explained to them to make a sock for an elephant, which elicited many giggles.  Here's some headbands with flowers on them - and Kelly modeling one of them.

We talked to the group about creating a business proposal for a knitting machine and getting a sign for their wares at the local market.  Then, Kelly joined the knitters to knit under the trees with a gentle breeze.  She says she could do this forever!

Our second visit to Chisomo Group and the Chicken in the Minibus!

We had quite the full day.  We went to the head office of NAPHAM but, unfortunately, the Executive Director could not meet with us.  We met instead with the Program Manager and Kelly gave an update on KATW's efforts with the support groups.  NAPHAM is always ready to have us work with additional groups, but our current monies only go so far.  You can help by making your donation count twice this month!  Knit Around the World

In the afternoon, we went back to the Chisomo group to see how they were doing with the new stitch patterns and new item ideas.  But first, we had a new experience in the minibus.  It was the normal overcrowded crazy ride but then a young man got on with a box and a chicken!  The chicken was not too happy about getting on the bus and was squawking!  A bit later, the young man asked the girl sitting next to him to hold the chicken, which she did.  And when she got off, she handed the chicken back over two people.  Of course, Kelly got a picture.

The Chisomo group had been working hard and had finished a lot of small items that we think will sell well, both in Malawi and in the US.  Kelly had also ordered two custom sweaters and the orange sweater is mostly done. 

Tomorrow, we are going to visit the new group, Chigwirizano (neither of us are good at pronouncing this!).  And, I get to go to the fabric market to buy some fabric for myself.  Check out this picture of some dramatic clouds on the drive home:

Administrative Work

Although we didn't see any groups today we got good work done. Tasha took us to the bank to help us better understand the best way to send partnership payments so both NAPHAM and KATW get the most for our money. In the afternoon we stopped by Heifer International Malawi to try to get a meeting to discuss fibre animals in Malawi. Currently most of the staff is in the field with employees of One Campaign. Hopefully we will meet next week.

In my free time I have been knitting more swatches for the groups and relaxing. This week is going to be busy will all of the meetings we have booked.  So much to do in such little time. Tomorrow we are meeting with the Executive Director of NAPHAM and Chisomo group.

Don't forget to double your impact in May!

Happy Mother's Day!

Today we spent a relaxing day gearing up for a busy week. Jane enjoyed her Malawian Mother's Day with a cold beer, chocolate, cheese, and tea. We also watched movies while I knit new swatches for our groups.

Over the past week we've enjoyed getting to know the many great mothers in our support groups that work hard to keep their children HIV negative. It is hard work and expensive with all the travel to get the medications but it is life changing. 

Thank you mothers!

New group, Chigwirizano!

Today we got the opportunity to meet our new group. Now ou may be wondering about this but NAPHAM has decided we should work with this new groups instead of Mtsiliza who is having leadership issues. 

The new group consists of men and women but the women are primarily the knitters and the men are tailors. They were very excited about working with us and all the materials that we brought with us. We spent a good deal of time teaching the women some of the new patterns. 

It is amazing to be able to teach despite the language barrier, we all speak knitting. We will be meeting with them again on Wednesday to see their products and if they have any questions.

Tomorrow will be a great relaxing Mother's Day with no real plans. It will also be our last day to relax before a jam packed week, so much to do when we are in country. Don't forget, this month to celebrate our 3 year anniversary a donor will be matching all donations up to $2,000, so now is the time to double your impact. A donation is also a great Mother's Day gift!

Beautiful Malawian Days

Yesterday was a very exhausting day and therefore both Jane and I were very tired and unable to post everything that we wanted to about our day. This will be an update for yesterday and today.

At our very early start we went to Lighthouse Trust at Kamuzu Central Hospital and got a tour where I could take pictures because it wasn't officially open and therefore no patients (patient confidentiality is very important).

We then got to sit in of the Home Base Care department meeting and heard all the updates about the various groups. We learned about a group in Kawale that makes beads from paper and turns them into jewelry, we are hoping to meet the group to see their work before we leave. After the meeting we traveled to see the Mphatso group, Mphatso means gift in Chichewa. They are doing some really amazing things and we learned all about the hard work they have been up to in the past couple of months.  They sang and danced for us when they were excited about the new materials that we brought in addition to new pattern ideas for both the US market and the local market. When we left Mphatso my cheeks were hurting a lot from all of the smiling I was doing. It is great to see your dreams become reality and this group is exceeding my wildest dreams.

After meeting with the Mphatso group we went back to the house we are staying at to relax for a while but I was so energized that I went for a walk at the curio market down the street. I was incredibly surprised at what happened next.....it started to rain. Unlike in the United States, Malawi has a specific rainy season where it rains everyday and doesn't rain in the other seasons. We are just leaving the rainy season and entering winter but still, the rain was unexpected. It wasn't a bad rain, it was very light but I was one of the few people not selling items in the curio market. I got to see a lot of new items and browse uninterrupted. Although I promised myself that I wasn't going to buy anything, I caved and bought a bowl that the workers were able to turn into a yarn bowl. While they were making the changes I got a chance to watch them work and ask them questions about their daily lives. They state that they replant trees from which they use the wood to make items. I also suggested they might want to try to make Christmas ornaments, which would probably sell well with the tourists. After that exciting sojourn, I came back to the house to prepare for today.

This morning we once again got up early to go to Lighthouse Trust to sit in on their entire staff meeting to hear each department's updates. After the meeting we drove to Area 50 support group where everyone was excited to see us. We again spoke with the group about what they had been up to in the past few months and the progress they have made. They have been able to pay wages to a few members of the group so far and are gearing up for the winter season with more items. It was thrilling to give them more materials and ideas of items to knit, they immediately took the ideas and started running with them and even more items they could make. I'm really looking forward to the next 2 weeks to see what will come of these ideas. Lastly, before we left Jane was able to dance and sing with the group!

Today Was Truly Inspiring!

We had been invited at attend a departmental meeting at Lighthouse Trust (an HIV/AIDS facility at Kamuzu Central Hospital) and it was at 7:30am.  The early start meant that we got to see Lilongwe as it was waking up and going to work.  A lot less traffic and the minibus was not crowded.  The temperature was lovely and the early sun was not too hot.  A great start to a great day!

KATW has been supporting the Mphatso group just since last August but they have been working hard.  These members are a true inspiration.  Almost all of them are housewives who make time to come together and knit because the community is so important to them. 

Their strength, creativity and determination are wonderful to witness.  Tomorrow, we are visiting the other Lighthouse group that KATW supports. More to come!  And I leave you with a picture of me with the group.  I am so excited to be part of this organization and to see the results firsthand!

My First Trip to Africa

Last year, when I retired, the first thing Kelly did was invite me to come to Malawi with her for Knit Around The World.  Ah, the joys of retirement!

I was really excited about this trip and couldn't sleep too well the night before - which was good because there was plenty of time to sleep on the flights.  We've arrived just after the rainy season was over, so it's really green here.  There's a beautiful passion fruit vine just outside the kitchen door.  And the night we had a power outage for an hour, you could see the stars and the bright full moon.

Malawians are very friendly and warm.  After all, Malawi is called "The Warm Heart of Africa."  When I met the members of the Chisomo group and interviewed them, they were very understanding about my difficulty with spelling their names.  We had many a laugh over that (and I reminded them that Trevithick was no piece of cake).  It turns out that one of the Chisomo members is also named Jane and we were joking that Kelly had two mothers-in-law.  I am quite impressed with the talents of these knitters.  Kelly was showing some samples and swatches and they quickly understood the patterns.  They are committed to their group and KATW and many of them told me to thank the donors and that they were anxious to get their next knitting machine to increase their customer base.

We've been walking a lot, which is a great way to get your vitamin D.  The weather is lovely, very sunny and not very humid.  In Malawi, they drive on the left like the UK.  Even when I go to London, it takes a few days to look in the correct direction.  There are many paths but not much actual sidewalk, so you are sharing the road often and the cars can come close.  Kelly is a great guide since she's been here before, so that's a big help for a geographically challenged person like myself.  Minibuses are a relatively inexpensive way to get around but they are an experience!  They are minivans that have been modified to jam as many people and their belongings.  As you drive along, you get to see more of the countryside. 

We're visiting more groups Thursday and Friday.  And I will get to do more interviews.  What an honor to get to know these people.

Seeing our good friends at Chisomo!

Today was a great day. Jane rode her first minibus which is always an adventure. We got to Chisomo group early and were able to just catch up with the members before starting the meeting.  They look great with their knitting machine, so far 3 members have learned and will start teaching the others. We bought a bunch of swatches and items that they could make. While we were there 2 school girls stop by to look at some items that were made. 

Chisomo group has been making amazing things on the machines including these school jumpers: 

I love everything that they have made I'm requesting 2 custom sweaters for myself!  The members love the items I brought as sample items and I can't wait to see them produced.

Jane was great by interviewing different group members and the impact we've had on their lives. I think she loved hearing the stories. 

I'm happy to report that Olive, a 18 month old of 2 group members, is still HIV negative. Everyone is doing well and they are increasing in numbers of people joining the group. While it is sad that more people are contracting HIV they seem to really enjoy being part of a group and having people they can talk to about their status. 

I love working with them because it is so invigorating! There is still so much to be done!

Day of Preparation

Today was a nice relaxing day. Jane and I ventured out for grocery supplies and knitting needles. It was really nice to get out and see the different changes in the city since my last visit and show Jane some awesome sights. We walked towards the large Mosque where you can hear the calls to prayer. We also saw the vegetable market and the river. I think right now Jane is still in awe of everything because it is so new and different. It is wonderful to see everything through fresh eyes again. 

I have also started looking for Malawi Soccer jerseys for a couple friends back home and it is suprisingly difficult. Many people with soccer jerseys had them for other countries, I was hoping there would be more Malawian pride. 

Tomorrow we are meeting with one of our first groups, the Chisomo group. We will have a bunch of pictures of them with the knitting machine and so of the products they made with it. I'm looking forward to hearing about them selling the items and speaking more with students about HIV/AIDS.

I'm also working on knitting a bunch o new swatches from inspirations I saw at Stitches South about a week ago. 

So far the trip has been great!!

We have arrived!

It is great to be back in Malawi so soon. Just a brief walk around our area shows changes since August. Although our plane arrived late we still we able to enjoy the beautiful weather. 

We mostly relaxed today and caught up with sleep to help with jet lag. We are starting to make plans for the week and when we will meet with each group. 

I'm really happy to get back here and check in on everything. 

Here is a picture of Jane looking happy finally making it to Malawi.