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.
