July 2010
16 posts
Tuesday 27 July Mulanje
We had intended to visit three villages today but one of them, Phalombe, was so remote that we decided we couldn’t safely fit it in our program and ensure we would be back for our flight home tomorrow. We drove East to Mulanje and the beautiful countryside around Mount Mulanje, the third highest peak in all of Africa, to see Soza and Nambiti villages. Soza was our first Mothers’ Union goat...
Monday 26 July Shire and Malawi Parish
Today’s program included visits to Shire Parish and Malawi Parish. We began at the home of Fr. Medson Mulomole of St. Mary’s at Chigaru, and saw our very first kitchen garden designed by a priest at his own home. Pastor Joseph was terribly impressed that Fr. Medson is studying kitchen gardens and it is a clearly a huge advantage for One Village at a Time projects to have a priest advocating...
Sunday 25 July: Church, Chileka and the Black...
This morning, we headed to church at the Anglican Cathedral of St. Paul’s, Blantyre, accompanied by Leeanna Varga, Pastor Joseph and Yasinta. Kate had been invited by Dean Auster Kalilombe to preach at the 9 am Eucharist, held in Chichewa, Malawi’s national language. The service was lively and joyful, filled with exuberant songs led by the choir. Drums and electric organ blended in with the...
Thylo Parish on Saturday 24 July
Today was spent in beautiful Thylo Parish, site of the gorgeous tea plantations. We didn’t know there could be so many different shades of green! Our first stop was Kalinthulo. Pastor Joseph was very impressed. The kitchen gardens were quite far along, with lovely designs and a good variety of plants. The walk to the demonstration garden was a bit of a work out but it felt good to really...
Friday 23 July with the Mothers' Union and Balala...
After a farewell tea at Fr. Martin and Evelyn Mgeni’s home, we started off for Blantyre. We had a bit of drama—car trouble just as we entered the city—but our incredible driver John had us back on track in no time. We checked into our lodge, dropped all our bags, then headed to several meetings at the Diocesan Offices. Yasinta Mtambo, Mothers’ Union Coordinator and Love’s Harvest Director for...
Thursday 22 July Mpawa, Mmanga and Millennium...
We returned to the Kamungu Theological College after breakfast to visit their piggery and walk the land. As we were preparing to take our leave, Retired Bishop Jack Biggers, formerly the bishop of the Diocese of Northern Malawi and now retired in Zomba, pulled up to say hello. Fr. Leslie Mtekateka of Karonga had spoken to him of our project and he wished to meet us and wish us well.
Jane, John...
Kamungu Theological College and Mpinganjira
We slept in a bit today and arrived at the Leonard Kamungu Theological College for a 9:00 am business meeting about Love’s Harvest and the Theological College, now in its third year of partnership. With Dean Alinafe Kalemba, Fr. Martin Mgeni and Fr. Goodwell Timverane, we reviewed the past year, made plans for shifting the mostly conventional demonstration garden at the seminary to Permaculture...
From Mzuzu to Zomba Tuesday 20 July
We said farewell to the North at 6:30 am for the eight-hour drive down to Zomba, in the Diocese of Upper Shire. There is not much to report today, as we were on the road most of it, although we had a bit of excitement when we came to a bridge that was under construction. Some of the planks had worn down and were being replaced by a number of men. Our group got out of the car to stretch our...
Back to Mzuzu
We departed Karonga early for the long drive back to Mzuzu, but stopped along the way to walk across a suspension bridge built in 1904 out of what looked like vines and branches. Once again the lake delighted us with its beauty. On our way, we stopped at Ekwendeni to establish a connection with the team working on healthy soil and nutrition, as featured in a 2009 National Geographic article,...
St. Anne's Mothers' Day Garden in Karonga
Our day began with a teeming rainstorm and worship at St. Mark’s parish in Mzuzu. We left immediately after church to drive north to Karonga, the site of St. Anne’s in the Fields Permaculture Garden project. As we drove, the skies cleared and after about two and a half hours, Lake Malawi appeared before us in all its splendor. We arrived in Karonga at about 1:30 pm to be greeted by the...
To the end of the road
Our day began with a 6:00 am departure from Lilongwe to visit our two new Love’s Harvest “One Village at a Time” projects in Mfula and Embangweni. We drove off the main road for many hours, and at Embangweni we finally had to abandon the car and walk. Leaders at both villages have done very well with the first steps of Permaculture, both at their demonstration gardens and at...
Permaculture Meeting at St. Michael's in Chinsapo
We are having trouble posting photos from Malawi, sorry to say. Our first full day in Malawi was chock full of new teaching, new gardens, new friendships and a commitment from 41 individuals in 13 individual permaculture groups to network and support one another in our various efforts in Malawi. Fr. Davie Chingoka graciously hosted us at his church, and Stacia Nordin, an American...
Love's Harvest arrives safely in Malawi
Within two hours of landing safely in Lilongwe, the Love’s Harvest team enjoyed the hospitality of the newly consecrated Bishop of the Diocese of Lake Malawi, the Rt. Rev. Francis Kaulanda.
The bishop articulated his developing vision for the diocese and his commitment to working creatively with priests and laity to serve the people. We were joined by Mothers’ Union leaders and...
Permaculture Celebration Planned for 16 July
Pastor Joseph Chawawa and James Mnelemba of Love’s Harvest will be joined by Yasinta Mtambo, Agnes Mkoko and others in the Mothers’ Union as well as by Stacia Nordin and Permaculturalists from all over Malawi to celebrate Permaculture and our partnerships. We will gather at St. Michael’s and All Angels Church in Lilongwe, our pilot parish kitchen garden, for an all day event to...
Travelers prepare to leave for Malawi
Five Love’s Harvest travelers from Boston and New York depart on Wednesday 14 July for two weeks in Malawi. We’ll visit current projects from Karonga (North) to Blantyre (South), meeting with Permaculture experts and Mothers’ leaders to lay the groundwork for 2011 and 2012. Highlights will include a Permaculture Festival designed by Stacia Nordin and hosted by St....
May 2010
5 posts
“You don’t have to immediately eliminate world poverty, bring world peace,...”
– William Easterly
Love's Harvest Plans Trip to Malawi in July 2010
Co-directors John Springer and the Rev. Kate Malin, along with their fellow travelers John Kania, Cindy Malin and Jane Appleyard Roel, are planning their July trip to visit Love’s Harvest partnership projects in all four Anglican Dioceses in Malawi.
