This past December, I planned and conducted the third Malawi Music Project in the capital city of Lilongwe Malawi (with lots of help of course). I was a counselor at the previous camp which was started by Peace Corps volunteers three years ago and was so happy to help keep it going. My past year with Music Crossroads has been such a rich and rewarding experience, and I was happy that they were willing to partner with Peace Corps to keep the camp not only moving forward, but getting stronger and stronger. Check out the following article written by PC volunteer, Brianna Scroggins:

LILONGWE, MALAWI, AFRICA December 2011

Lackson Chazima, a well-dressed man with pressed white shirt, black dress pants and polished black shoes and belt claps his hands in a three eighth note progression. The circle of three dozen people around him replicate his actions.

Clap. Stomp. Clap.

Clap. Stomp. Clap.

Clap-Clap-Clap. Stomp. Clap.

Clap-Clap-Clap. Stomp. Clap.

“Ho! Ho! Ha!”

“Ho! Ho! Ha!” The group’s voice echoes off the concrete floors and walls.

“Brrerrrrerrrrerrrr. HA!”

“Brrerrrrerrrrerrrr. HA!”

After a brief silence the group realizes the warm-up exercise is over and bursts into laughter. Chazima, 40, from Lilongwe, Malawi, is a music theory teacher and vocal trainer for Music Crossroads Malawi, an NGO that helps develop the musical environment in this small East African country. He leads the group back to its seats to continue the second day of the Malawi Music Project.

Peace Corps Volunteers started this annual music camp two years earlier with just 15 participants. Malawi Music Project Coordinator, Phillip Rich, 30, from Montrose, Colorado, is a second-year Peace Corps Volunteer who started working with Music Crossroads Malawi nine months ago. To strengthen the effectiveness, diversity and sustainability of the music camp, Rich decided to make Music Crossroads Malawi a key partner in running the camp.

“I was a counselor at the previous music camp and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,” Rich explains. “What I am seeing right now is a lot of cooperation between the students, the Crossroads staff and the Peace Corps Volunteers. It’s a fantastic collaboration because one thing that we share from all over the world is a love for music. It’s one language that we all speak.”

The Malawi Music Project is a weeklong music camp for aspiring young musicians who practice instruments and vocals. Participants attend lessons on music composition and harmony, rhythm, improvisation, singing a cappella, music appreciation and different styles of music from across Africa. They also learn about traditional drumming, handling of electric instruments, stage presence and audio engineering.

Second -year education Volunteer, Chris Murphy, 40, from Los Angeles, California, is a counselor at the Malawi Music Project and taught music appreciation. The group used traditional wraps called “chitenjes” to blindfold themselves before listening to different styles of music from across Africa.

“Music heals the youth of all countries, inspires them, accepts them, guides them in their future,” Murphy explains. “You can’t grow up a bully and follow the beat of harmonious melodies at the same time.”

What makes the Malawi Music Project more than just a music camp is its additional lessons on HIV/AIDS and discussions on other social issues Malawians face.

“As a musician, I am at high risk of contracting HIV/AIDS especially when we’ll be known worldwide,” singer Chrispin Kachilika, 16, from Mulanje District in Malawi, explains, “so if I want to live a long and healthy life, I should use the ABC [Abstinence, Being faithful and using Condoms] methods so that my talent should not be killed.”

Gayighayi Matthews Mfune, 41, of Lilongwe, Malawi, is the Director of Music Crossroads Malawi and Co-organizer of the Malawi Music Project.

“Using music as a medium can affect the social environment of our young people,” Mfune explains. “There are various issues such as HIV/AIDS and environment where Peace Corps is also very much involved. So we found it a very good thing to partner with them for this Malawi Music Project where we will be addressing these issues through music. Once [the participants] have been empowered through music we expect that when they go back to their areas they will continue with these songs that they will address these various issues in their villages.”

Laughter Liwotcha, 12, from Balaka, Malawi, has been playing the keyboard for two years and wants to be a musician promoting positive topics.

“My father inspires me to be a musician because he’s also a musician who plays guitar, keyboard and harmonica. I want people to hear my message and my message is the prevention of HIV/AIDS.”

As the end of each day participants gather together in “bands” to write a song on HIV/AIDS, the environment, women’s empowerment, or any other social issue. Peace Corps Volunteers and Junior Counselors (participants who have attended previous camps) assist the bands as they work. At the completion of the camp, each band performs their song on stage.

First-year Peace Corps Volunteer, Andrew Goforth, 37, from Spartanburg, South Carolina, plays guitar and mandolin and sings. As a counselor at the Malawi Music Project, Goforth is working with “Angel Band,” a roots-oriented band that uses acoustic guitar and traditional drums and is singing about HIV/AIDS.

“Music is one of the most important things in my life,” Goforth explains. “I couldn’t imagine life without it and I feel it is important to give people a chance to experience music at an early age. It gives them an outlet for expression where they can be themselves and not feel any pressure from peers about how they may or may not feel about something. It is a part of their culture that is quickly disappearing.”

After the battle of the bands on the final day, the participants’ progress was undeniable.

“The kids’ improvement really showed at the battle [of the bands],” Rich said. “They not only used the messages and techniques they were exposed to, but were confident in doing so on stage. It’s really inspiring to see young people become confident in who they are simply because someone took the time to encourage their talents. Simply believing in someone can change you both for the better.”

Kondwani Kalukusha, 21, from Nkhotakota District, Malawi, has been playing guitar and singing for eight years. Hand-making his first guitar of three strings and gradually adding to five strings, Kondwani’s passion for music is undeniable.

“I have learned how to play the electric guitar and I am very, very happy,” Kalukusha explains. “So the purpose of this skill is not to move back but to move forward so that I can see and I can obtain the real meaning of this skill. I am a musician and I will be a musician for the rest of my life.”

For further information on Music Crossroads Malawi, the Malawi Music Project or Peace Corps Malawi:

mcmalawi@music-crossroads.net

www.music-crossroads.net

www.peacecorpsmalawi.org

philrich66@gmail.com

For photos:

https://picasaweb.google.com/101408737177664181443/MalawiMusicProject2011#

I made the move out of my village and arrived in Lilongwe yesterday!! What a headache to move all my meager belongings halfway across the country in rainy season, but all well that ends well. I am currently staying at a guesthouse with my soon to be roomate, Antonia. Peace Corps is telling us that we should be able to move into our new house sometime next week and then I will be able to start work with Music Crossroads soon after that!! Although I was sad to leave my village and my PC friends in the North, I am very happy and excited to start working with Music Crossroads and teaching music to kids as well as HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention here in the capital city. Also, Antonia said she loves to cook!!! Those of you who know me personally know that cooking is a big part of what I like to call my "nonexistent skillset", so I'm happy she enjoys it and is willing to help contribute to my survival here. So, what's gonna change, you ask? Well, I am now living in the capital city with access to a lot of things I previously did not:

Electricity

Running Water

Easy Internet Access

Food, glorious food!!

Access to PC Office (resources/help)

These are the big ones for sure, and it's gonna be a big change for me. Not sure how I'm gonna cope or adjust, ya know? Pangono pangono [little by little](they speak a different language here, Chichewa, so I will soon be tri-lingual in Malawi!) Anyway, thanks for all the support and kind words from back home. Here's my new address if you want to send letters or packages:

PCV PHILLIP RICH

BOX 208 LILONGWE

MALAWI

SOUTHERN AFRICA

Thanks again to everyone who has sent stuff already, it means a lot. All the best.

Peace,

Phil

Random shout out to a reader: HI, JO'S MOM!!!

Hey everyone,

Just wanted to say thanks for the interest/quick response to my request. The mother of another Peace Corps Volunteer contacted me and expressed her interest in helping my friend Paulos! I just wanted to let everyone know and to say thanks to her and others who are interested in his cause. I have moved out of my village and am now working on getting my things to Lilongwe so that I can start work with Music Crossroads asap. Thanks for the support, and I'll keep you posted on any upcoming projects once I start my new job!

Peace

Living as a foreigner in Malawi, it becomes commonplace for people of all ages to come up to you and ask you for money almost everyday. People here believe that all white foreigners have lots of money (except for Peace Corps volunteers). It is just part of life here, and it is easy to become callused/suspicious of the many people who ask after living here long enough. It is just the way it is, and like it or not, I believe that giving someone that money will not help them in the long run, but only teach them that begging works and they should always ask foreigners for money. Having said that, however, there are times when you come across someone in need that you know deserves it and will use it to better themselves, their family's way of life, and hopefully all those around them. The following letter is a request for help from my closest friend in the village, Paulos. Paulos very often has me over to his home where he and his wife feed me and help me with the many things I lack the skills/know how/communication ability to accomplish here in Malawi. He approached me yesterday to ask if there was anyone I know who might be able to help him with his school fees so he can finish secondary school (high school). Paulos has been an incredible friend to me, and is someone who I trust completely. I told him that I would post his request on my blog to see if anyone back home would like to give what I cannot, money. Here is what he wrote:

My name is Paulos Anderson Kayange, Malawian citizen aged 27 male by sex and I am married. I live at Chisansu village 8km south from Chitipa district northen region of the country, Malawi.

I am kindly asking for help in terms of funds so that I can use it as school fees to continue my last two secondary classes. I did the other first two unfortunately, my Father who was paying me past away in August 2007. I am now holding a family. My wife who is now pregnant for the first time, my Mum who is aging 60 and my two young brothers who are doing their free primary education.

My aim is to return to school if I can be finacially assisted and to be educated so as to stand a chance of getting employed inorder to support the entire family living in beyond poverty and contribute to the development of the village and the nation as a whole.

Truely yours,

Paulos

Paulos told me that it would take about 30,000 Malawian kwacha (about $200 USD) for him to pay the school fees for his remaining two years of education. It tore my heart out to tell him I didn't have the money, but I am very happy that I can at least make his plight known to others. The next school term starts in September so I am hoping to be able to find a way to make this happen for him. I have no problems vouching for this man's sincerity, honesty, and hard work. He will do what he says he will do if someone will give him a chance. If you are interested in helping Paulos, please contact me via email at philrich66@gmail.com The above picture is Paulos and his wife, Mable at their home in my village.

Thanks for listening!!

Thanks so much to everyone who sent an entry into the "Most Useless Item" competition. Here is the list of all the entries I received/or was able to remember:

Wooden Napkin Holders

Car Key and keychain

Wooden Nickel

Cork Screw

Kokopeli Rock Carving with magnet

Zombie Survival Guide

All pretty damn useless for me over here, so great work, and thanks so much for sending these things as well as all the treats that made the trip with them! However, the winning item was sent by a U. Selles from the University of Texas. I can't seem to remember this person, so my belief is that it is just someone who read the blog and decided to take the competition to another level...so thank you Mr.or Mrs. or Miss Selles for the extremely useless item known in the Western World as..............

A Carpet Toilet Seat Cover

No real update on the music NGO thing, but PC admin assures me that it is most likely going to happen by the end of the month. Take Care everyone, and if you are a new volunteer getting ready to come to Malawi, don't worry...We are all very excited that you are almost here and You're gonna love it.

I had my meeting today with my boss and the NGO, and we have begun the process of initial question/answer/paperwork it takes to make a big switch like this. Luckily, so far, the process has not been denied in any way, but it should take some time until I have a definite answer. The next step is for the NGO to decide if they can pay for my housing in exchange for the work I will be doing there. If that is approved, I should be good to go, but I don't want to jump the gun and get too excited about it until I know its for sure. Pachoko pachoko (little by little). I'll update this thing when I find out more. Should be some type of development in the next few weeks. Keep your fingers crossed for me!!

Peace

Here are a couple of links to check out:

This one is for a Picasa Web album of photos from the music camp. (they seem to upload easier here for me) Malawi Music Project

And here is the address of the Music NGO, Music Crossroads, I'm trying to get the ok to work with here in Malawi.

If the link doesn't show up, here is the address: www.music-crossroads.net

I just met Rachel through a mutual friend while she was on vacation. She is a former VSO volunteer who was in Malawi and has a lot of great songs. Check out her video so we can guilt her into making more. Also, I have added a banner at the top for an organization call Playing for Change. Pretty cool stuff!

These are pictures of when Peter Mawanga (famous Malawian musician) was recording the PC volunteers and other students' songs at the Music Camp. Enjoy!

So, I tried to add a few photos, but am having trouble. The internet keeps timing out before I can get them uploaded. Will try again later, but wanted to share a new thing I'm working on here. As I said in my description of the Malawi Music Project, the experience was absolutely incredible for me, and I have decided to try to pursue such activities full time during my time here in Malawi. I have been in contact with a music NGO based in Lilongwe (capital city) called Music Crossroads International (link here:). I first contacted them and went to visit their office back in July of last year to introduce myself and see if they had any interest in being involved with our Music Project. Although we weren't able to swing anything for the project, I have stayed in contact with them and always inquire about what they are doing/direction they are heading. So, after my experience with our music camp, I have decided that I would like to work with Music Crossroads full time in Lilongwe. I contacted the director of Music Crossroads and he said that they would love to have me come be a part of what they are doing. How can I do that from Chitipa (the Northernmost district in the country)??? Can't. It would mean that I would relocate from Chitipa to Lilongwe for the remainder of my service. So I have presented my idea to my boss, who has promised to talk about it with our country director. We have also scheduled a meeting with the director of Music Crossroads, myself, and my boss next Friday to discuss how it might be worked out. Its not a yes yet, but I feel fairly confident that it is possible. It feels so great to finally find something that I am truly passsionate about and am hopeful that I might pursue it here where it is so needed. After telling my friend Jo about it, she said,"You should write a manifesto to state your case to Peace Corps." I thought it was a great idea, but of course, didn't know how to write. Jo, without being asked, decided to take it upon herself to put to paper what we had discussed. The following manifesto pretty much sums up why I feel this project is important and beneficial here in Malawi:

Jo's Music Manifesto

It’s hard to get lost and still feel safe, to not know where you are, but to feel comfortable in not knowing, to not know what comes next but to find that exciting and right. There is something about this kind of getting lost that if you can find, it guarantees a certain comfort, a comfort that rests in the fact that the world is unfair and filled with lost, but that one can feel, and feel safe in the face of lost, in the face of a world that presents so many ways to get lost. It’s easy to feel a certain non-existence in a world that often seems to want to crush the existence of so much. It’s easy to feel numb in a world that is degrading and filled with injustice. It’s easy to lose the need for responsibility when you feel nothing at all, when you have numbed yourself to the inequalities and unfairness that composes so much of the world. And maybe that’s why feeling in the face of so much numbness, feeling real in front of the continual push to not exist is incredible, though hard to achieve. But possible and easily attainable often in art and specifically through the art form of music. In the pursuit of social change people lose their grounding, they lose faith, they lose hope in their work to preserve what so many work to destroy and not only work to destroy but succeed in destroying.

Organizations, individuals, governments, and volunteers all work tirelessly on forming ideas, on implementing plans, and on attempting sustainability of a change they see the world needs. And so much fails often because people lose their hope, they lose the energy, and most importantly they lose the ability to sustain and ground themselves and with this loss comes the loss of development. This loss leads to numbness and people assume it’s a result of their failed efforts, the result of being part of a world that often offers little and takes a lot. Not only do people lose feeling they lose the need for feeling and without that, little change takes place, inspiration shrivels and a needed creativity dies.

Music allows people to feel and not only allows but demands it. An offered escape that finds feelings even if nothing on the outside offers up any, or any reason to feel. And that gives people motivation to change. To change because they feel something for no reason, and they don’t mind the lack of reason. Music commands feeling and commands a force and with this, people have unfounded hope to instigate change and unfounded hope is the most sustainable kind. A kind of hope that is unbreakable as it unfounded in the first place; there is no way to challenge it, in the same way that the feelings brought on by music are unchallengeable therefore making music a key instigator in social change, one that grounds, prompts, and activates a way of feeling that people can work from.

In every type of work; in environmental work, in social action, in HIV/AIDS work, health, and education, there is a great lack of creativity, and a lack of sustainability. Organizing for social change does not exist in a sole pursuit of projects and proposals, but in an attempt to find grounding and meaning beyond what the world offers. And in order to do that there must be representations of beauty that exist beyond words and that provide sustainability through feeling anything but numb. One can pursue many projects, one can plant a million trees, start a thousand programs on HIV/AIDS prevention, but none of these will survive without the feeling that they survive in the face of all the injustices the world presents, and this feeling can only exist if the leaders of the projects, the programs, and the planters of the trees feel it too. To work for the environment and the world people have to learn also how to work for each other and inherent in this, is a need to work for oneself and to feel this without explanation, which often can only be done with the motivation of a song or a tune. The world presents a complexity of challenges and we fire back with a complexity of answers, but nothing will be sustained without a self-grounding that exists beyond complexity and instead in a realm of unexplained beauty and a feeling of being real.

Play to feel, feel to change, change to feel.

You rock, Jo!

I'll let everyone know how things turn out next weekend hopefully.

Peace

Holy crap, I think this worked!!! The following pictures should be:

-The arrival of the kids from various parts of Malawi

-Me talking with my band on what songs/music/band name they wanted to work on

-One of the stars of the camp, Clifford, showing the bridge and nut he made for his banjo at the camp

-An impromptu jam session with the kids

-The head planner/fundraiser PC volunteer, Scott (aka The Griz)helping with a banjo

will try to post more tomorrow!

Just wanted to send everyone a quick Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! I’ve been really busy these past couple months so its been hard to keep this thing updated, but I wanted to assure everyone that I’m happy, healthy, and had a great holiday season here in Malawi.

During the week of December 12-18, myself and five other volunteers put on the Second Annual Malawi Music Project. This was, without a doubt, one of the coolest things I have EVER done, and was definitely the highlight of my service here so far. Based on applications from kids all over Malawi between the ages of 13 to 23, we selected 19 students to attend the camp focusing on instrument building (using locally available materials), music theory, creativity, dancing, voice lessons, as well as how music can positively affect your life and the people around you. The group of kids had various talents/interests, but overall really enjoyed the camp and learned a lot. They even got to take home their very own homemade banjo they built during the camp. I will try to post photos with this update, but it might not work. The first day/evening we were very happy to welcome our special guest, Peter Mawanga, who is a very well known and respected professional Malawian musician to welcome the kids to camp. He was even kind enough to bring some recording equipment and lay down some tracks and make CD’s for the kids who were brave enough to sing their own songs on the first night. This was absolutely incredible for those kids because you have to remember that these kids all come from various villages and are very poor, then all of a sudden they are hangin’ out with one of the most famous Malawian musicians ever, getting pointers from him, and HE is recording THEIR SONGS FOR THEM. It would be like me going and hanging out with Eric Clapton for a day and playing my songs for him. (Amazing, but very intimidating) Regardless of the intimidation, the kids that played did great and each got to take home a CD with all the tracks on it. Anyway, during the first few days, we split the kids up into three bands who were each assigned a Peace Corps volunteer as their “band manager”. The goal was that each band would compose at least one original song with an important message and perform that song at the end of the camp in a sort of “Battle of the Bands”. I got to “manage” a great group of kids and was very impressed with their talent and attitude towards the project. It was so great to get to know them each individually and as a group and see them open up and become comfortable enough to share who they really are and bring their various contributions to the song. (Most kids here are very shy, so this was very quick progress) We also had plenty of classtime to teach them about music theory and were able to expose them to a great deal of diverse music they had never listened to before. Each PC volunteer also brought something unique to the camp and taught the groups different skills or gave them advice/ideas in order to help them achieve their desired goals with music. Our group of counselors (PC volunteers) worked wonderfully together despite our different musical interests/talents and we all stayed busy through the whole week. (And even found time to jam with each other and the kids after hours!) The camp was one of the most rewarding experiences not just of my time here, but of my entire life and I am very excited to be in charge of planning the camp next year. It was so great to get the message across that music can benefit you as a person even if you aren’t making money doing it. I tried to explain that for me, music is something that helps me through even the hardest times of life. NO MATTER WHAT I can always turn to music, and there is no better feeling than when you fully express what you feel inside through song.

So, all in all, it was a super successful week thanks to all the hard work of the kids and of course the PC volunteers as well. We set the bar pretty high for next year, and I will be looking for ways to fund the camp starting soon. Hopefully with a year to plan and fund raise we will have an even better camp at the end of this year!!

Gonna post this first, then try to upload some pics...

So, I was sitting next to one of my favorite individuals(Jo) over here, and was telling her how much I enjoyed reading her blog... I told her I have a hard time updating my blog, but wished I could be as diligent as she with her updates. So, I did the next best thing to updating this thing,...I had Jo write my blog entry. I didn't read it before posting this, but I'm sure we're in for a treat. Enjoy!!

In Lilongwe there is a lodge which on the outside is somewhat reminiscent of a 1970’s office complex. One of the corners of the cement wrap-around porch is the bar of the lodge. If walking in the street below you can often see many a Peace Corps volunteer’s feet sticking off the edge. Beers in hand, the porch juts out crowded and packed with a collection of dirty volunteers tired from packed buses, failed hitch hikes and all sporting attractive back sweat compliments of their hiking bags. Far away from village life that often centers on early nights, lots of books, shadow dances, and way too much thinking time, volunteers find themselves realizing their general list of things they can tolerate has expanded quite extensively. They are spurred to think on how more tolerant they are when watching a music video of Will Smith’s daughter whip paint out of her hair, realizing that they are finding it entirely enjoyable. Those who back in America preferred to trek into cities for underground indie concerts, end up finding that watching MTV in a tiny African bar is incredibly entertaining. Those who found micro-breweries as having truly delicious beer become quite entranced with any beer that is ice cold. Transport that breaks down, falls apart, and consistently puts you in close quarters with sweaty, smelly, bodies are appreciated as long as they actually get you where you are going. Girls, who would in other circumstances think about freaking out, find themselves calmly sitting on buses while watching ants fall out of her hair extensions, deducting that in fact “yes there were ants briefly living in my fake hair.” Dance moves normally saved for confined spaces of cars, come out in full force and are greeted with smiles and more beers. Hair and beards usually kept in careful check seem to match more with the new dance moves as opposed to the word “careful.” And maybe someone might make a comment on people being more tolerant of each other as we are often, as volunteers in Malawi, “all we got.” But I think most of us would end up saying “all we got is actually a lot.” And it’s not about tolerating. It’s more about being lucky to have friends. Friends who like yourself, lack budgeting skills and will after spending money at the bar to fuel crazy dances and rationalize out-of-control-hair, will then head off to expensive Chinese restaurants. Not because it’s a good budgeting decision or because there is a lack of cheap eating options, but because its worth knowing a large part of why you trek around with sweaty back packs from village to bus to city, is because you have friends who will go with you to Chinese restaurants and back to village, onto bus, and into bars and who will validate your craziness with theirs. And that’s definitely beyond tolerance.

This picture was taken at a friends house. So, since I last updated this thing, a lot has happened. At the end of September, my group went back to Dedza for our IST reconnect and training. The event lasted two weeks with the first week being just for us volunteers, and the second week, Peace Corps brought in all of our counterparts (people we are assigned to be working with in our villages) to be involved in the trainings. We covered IGA (income generating activities) such as soap making and jam making as well as some training on beekeeping and fruit tree budding and grafting and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention activities. The Peace Corps even hired a new chef to feed us while we were there, and the food was outstanding. We even got ice cream 4 or 5 times while we were there. Funny story with that, my friend Colleen’s counterpart was very excited to be there and was really happy about all the different foods they were giving us, but didn’t know exactly what all the different kinds of food were, so the first day for breakfast he just mixed EVERYTHING together. It ended up being a big pile of potatos, onions, ketchup, sausage, peanut butter, jelly, hot sauce, etc… Then for dinner, they gave us ice cream as a dessert, but he had never had it so, he put it on his rice until Colleen told him that might not be the best idea. I had to laugh when he finally tried the ice cream, loved it, then ate it so fast he got his first “brain freeze” (insert Encino Man parody here). All in all, it was a pretty good time and was great to reconnect with everyone again. It was nice to be “pampered” by the Peace Corps again for a while, but after being on our own at site for 5 months, I was happy to be done with the training and get back to being on my own again. Since then, I’ve been working on a couple small projects involving water and HIV/AIDS prevention as well as continuing on with the Health Post renovation in my village (panandi panandi. “little by little”). As of right now, the 4 other volunteers in my district and I are planning on hosting a big Peace Corps gathering for Halloween involving a pig roast, volleyball match, and costume contest. We are pretty excited about our costume ideas (we are collectively going to be the Planeteers while our other Malawian friend who’s house we will use will complete the team as Captain Planet). It’s going to be great! After that, I will be continuing on those projects and possibly attend an Environment Camp in November, then Thanksgiving at the country director’s house in Lilongwe. And finally, the second annual Malawi Music Project at the beginning of December!! I’m really excited about this project. It’s basically a small weeklong camp for about 20 Malawian youths where we get them together to teach them about music and creativity. Some other volunteers came up with the idea last year and it turned out to be a big hit here, so I’m really looking forward to being involved. There are a pretty good handful of talented musicians among the PC volunteers, and we have all been working on different songs/activities for the event. After that, Christmas somewhere on the lake I think. My friend Justin and I are hoping to plan some sort of little mini-vacation for the holidays and trying to go out to the islands in the lake for some R&R if possible. That’s about it for now. I’m still doing well and enjoying the experience and seem to find more than enough time for playing the guitar and have begun writing some of my own songs too.

Before I forget I just wanted to let some people know I have received their packages, and the “worthless item” competition is getting pretty good so far. MATT-got your package with the “Chuck Norris quotes” and the “How to survive a Zombie attack” book . NEAL-got yours as well with the Nashville newspaper. DAVE AND DEBBIE-got yours too with the “Debbie Approved” magazines. All of these were great and had a lot of wonderful treats and things, so thank you VERY MUCH. But, I have to say, I think my Mom is winning the competition as of now with the wonderful, wooden napkin holders I just received! Thanks Ma!! Hope everyone is doing well back there, and can’t wait for some of you to visit. Just wanted to give a belated congrats to Dave and Debbie on their marriage, and a future congrats to the biggest Jonas Brothers fan in all of Tennessee, my boy Neal on his upcoming wedding as well. Love you guys and wish you the best.

Peace

About a week and a half ago, I went to Mzuzu to meet up with the two new Health volunteers that will be coming to Chitipa. After meeting Kara and Briana, we travelled north together so I could show them the villages where they will be living. After that, they were scheduled to do a week of language intensive in Chitipa boma, so myself and Colleen got to hang around town and help out with the training as much as we could. It was alot of fun to get to know the two newest members of our extreme northern family, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them both. One of the cultural activities that PC had planned for them this last week was to visit a Traditional Healer in the village. In Malawi, it is still quite common for people with ailments/problems to seek the help of these healers who use a variety of secret herbal recipies and magic to help those in need. It was very interesting to talk with him and hear about the most common things people come to him for help for, such as joint pain, malaria, fevers, and also getting his help to reveal who has stolen something from them. Many people in Malawi find this practice to be quite silly, when you ask them about it, but there are obviously plenty of people still seeking help from these healers and convinced that what they do works. I found it absolutely fascinating, and I was kinda wishing something was wrong with me (physically, not mentally. we all know I'm not all there in the head) so I could get his help and see how well it worked. However, being that he caught me in between my usual cycle of sicknesses, the only thing I could think of asking his help with was my guitar playing. I finally convinced our interpreter to ask the Magic Man if he knew of something that would help me to become a better guitar player. (and yes...I too had a fleeting thought of the story of selling your soul to the devil at some deserted, dusty crossroads to become the best, then quickly tried to forget that image) So after the interpreter asks him, the Healer ponders for a moment, looks me in the eyes, and says, "Practice". I laughed so hard because I came all the way here to be told what my Mom has been telling me since I was 6. This place is awesome!

I know what you're thinking...Phil posted twice in one month! I'll bet he keeps it up...but no promises. But I had the opportunity so I thought I better try to get some more stuff on here. After returning from the Fourth of July, I have just been settling back into village life and continuing to look for potential projects that will be helpful/doable. I have been chatting with the local health worker for the village, and we have discussed some of the possible ways I may be able to make an impact on the "health center" for Chisasu. Right now, it is just a mud brick building with no doors/windows where people come to get any medical attention they may need but only if the health rep is capable. If he is not, the health worker will call an ambulance to come get the sick person, but because of the distance/conditions of the roads/availability of vehicles, the person might be waiting anywhere from 3 hours to 2 days to get picked up and taken to the nearest hospital. The only other option is to physically carry the sick person 2 hours down the mountain to the main road and try to find transportation on their own. As you can see, this causes many problems. The health worker and I discussed the possibility of renovating the current health center, as well as building housing for a nurse to live in while she works to assist the current health worker. I don't know if this will happen for sure, but currently it is something that I believe would help the community out a lot. I will be looking at this possibility in more depth and discussing its feasability with the Peace Corps administration in Malawi over the next couple months until I return to Dedza for more training at the end of September.

Other small news...the local elementary school kids came by my house last week to help me build a privacy fence around my house (they were actually forced by the school teachers, but they still had fun) so I am very happy to not feel like the newest attraction at the local zoo anymore.

I have been receiving all your letters and packages, even though it takes some time, but just wanted to let everyone know that the mail system IS WORKING so feel free to send stuff, or a letter explaining why you did not want to send said stuff...

Stuff you might want to send:

-candy (chocolate/starbursts/hard candy)

-seasoning packets

-beef jerky

-magazines (guitar or music magazines/reader's digest/Time or Newsweek/anything you have laying around is fine) I like the colors/pictures/pretty ladies!

-guitar tabs (if you know what I'm talking about send if not, no worries!)

-pictures (of you doing something stereotypically American) if not, any pictures will work.

-As always, don't let yourself be constrained by my meaningless guidelines...anything you want to send will be greatly appreciated, and I will definitely find a use for it. As a matter of fact, let's start a competition to see who can send me the MOST USELESS item while in Malawi. Please label the item as, "Useless Item" and I will take pictures of the most ridiculous ones and put them on here. The winner, in return, will be sent a useless item from Malawi. The deadline will be Christmas. And points will be awarded for creativity, not the blatantly obvious. And if it is embarrassing in any way, YOU MUST PURCHASE IT YOURSELF.

Thanks for all the love and support. I feel it and its working.

Peace,

Phil

P.S. I took a bath in a waterfall the other day. It was liberating...cold, but liberating.