When February started this year, the rains really started to
pour. We had one week of totally continuous rain where everything went mouldy
and the ants invaded the house. Clinic became much harder trying to hear
patients talk over the drumming on the tin roof of the clinic and all the children
got frustrated at staying inside. It did make for some weird creatures coming
inside to escape including a fresh water crab wandering around the hospital car
park and a moth in the A&E where I work.
 |
| Very lost crab |
 |
| most Malawian's idea of a tasty snack |
 |
| our garden in the rain |
 |
| and a very lost moth |
Gav has been travelling a lot to talk about kidney medicine
in Malawi which now has an international profile in the field thanks to his
efforts. The African Association of Nephrology and the International Society of
Nephrology both invited him to talk in Accra, Ghana and the UK about what he
has been doing here, and both events went really well. His talk at the ISN
unfortunately coincided with world kidney day – Gav set up the Malawi
celebrations and I went as his stand-in, although not wearing the T-shirt.
Ladies ululating down the highway singing about kidney attacks and over 100
people coming along to listen to the talks were very Malawian and it was a
shame for Gav to miss it. But it did mean he could surprise Jason by turning up
unexpectedly at his stag do in London to great acclaim.
 |
| The dialysis team set up the bus at the highway |
 |
| Gav models the official T-shirt |
 |
| Ululating ladies sing down the highway |
 |
| The minister for health talks about kidney disease outside the A&E |
While all that was going on, Sir Mark Walport the outgoing
director of the Wellcome Trust came with a group of scientific advisors to MLW
to decide if we were good enough to be kept in business for another 5 years.
After lots of anxious practising we all presented our work, and they agreed to
re-fund the programme for another term – the sense of relief in the air was palpable when they left. We don’t know yet who the new
director will be, but hope he is as supportive to what MLW is trying to do for research
in Africa as the Walrus.
I had fun going to see Zahara who is a fabulous South
African singer while Gav was away, and had a great time. I also made the trip
back out to the tea plantations with Jen and Selena and a lot of visiting
psychiatrists, and hung out with Georgie who lives on another estate and has a
daughter who is a similar age to Joshi. We have been hanging out with old and
new friends, it is amazing how some new people fit right into life here, and
how after some good friends leave, their friends become our friends. Karen who
has been here for 4 years so far and I knew through friends and lives up the
road has become my regular dog walking buddy since the arrival of Ruby from
Laura, and she took us up on a dog walk to a local hill where we had the most
amazing views of Zomba, Mulanje and Lake Chilwa all in the same view at sunset.
I have also achieved one of my major ambitions for living in Africa this time
around, to grow passion fruit. Our vine, thanks to Kate’s cuttings, is now
bearing fruit which we should be able to eat in a couple of months.
 |
| Zahara, so cool |
 |
| Dog walking with Karen and Rosie - Zomba in the far distance |
In between Gav’s trips, we made it down on a green season
special to Majete for the weekend. Joshi announced to our driver ‘joshi want to see
elephants please’, and when he did see his first elephant he was standing up
shouting ‘ellie ellie!!’ and was so excited it was really lovely. He was so good on all the drives, not getting bored and enjoying spotting all the animals. We hung out
at the pool and Ngona lodge and slept under the stars in Thwale tented camp. We
saw lots of elephant, sable, zebra and other antelope plus a snake eagle, we chased the lions around but they hid from us in the new long grass – next time.
Joshi continues to thrive and grow, although he has recently
discovered the phrase ‘mummy don’t want!’ and we know we are entering the ‘terrible’
twos – although hard to think how terrible it can really be when he is so funny
and sweet 90% of the time. We are so excited to be sharing his second birthday
with his grandparents in South Africa this year, on a much anticipated holiday
for Jason’s wedding to Margot in Cape Town.
We have had some political drama here. When Bingu died last year it was alleged that some of his cronies conspired to stop Joyce, the Vice president, taking over. She set up a comission of enquiry into this, and it reported this month. All the report was published in the press and made for comi-tragic reading. The report for the day of his death starts 'the presidential food taster declared that his breakfast was safe to eat'. I do feel sorry for the junior MP he was meeting when he arrested in his office - not a great start to the job. And his doctor who left his medical kit at home that day and managed to injure his arm so could not do CPR or intubate him when required. As a result of the report, the leader of the opposition and his cronies have all been arrested for treason causing rioting here in Blantyre, and they have been allowed out on bail but not allowed to discuss the case publically. The judge assigned to try them has gone into hiding, and all the lawyers are sweating - it is never more true than anywhere I have lived that a week is a long time in politics.
We also marked one year left to go in Malawi – we plan to
come back to the UK in Feb 2014, which means only 11 or so more blogs to write,
so have to pack in as much as we can this year of Africa before we head home.
So far on the list is Nyika, Cape Town, Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Botswana – any
other ideas are most welcome.
 |
| Camilla helps Gav plot our road trip |
We are very excited to come home as well after so
long away, but for now the treat of seeing so many friends and family in Cape
Town beckons us.
Lots of love to all
Emma Gavin and Joshi
