Light up Malawi

Starfish Malawi Day at Ysgol Craig y Don - lots of Christmas Costumes and loads of resources to sent to Malawi in the New Year.
We've had two exciting Connecting Classroom days at Ysgol Craig y Don over the past few weeks. We heard yesterday that we have secured a £550 grant from the Edwina Trust to help develop a sustainable energy project called 'Light up Malawi'. The funding will secure a visit to our school by a solar, hydro and wind energy expert to work alongside Year 5 and 6 to make simple solar bulb kits that we can produce and send to Malawi to help the children there do their homework in the evenings. As it gets dark in Malawi at around 5.30-6pm, and with no electricity in most homes, many children cannot read or do work during the evening. Our hope is to use the grant to make simple 'solar' kits to send over to Malawi so the learners in our partner schools can work into the night using the energy produced by the sun during the day.
Thursday saw our 'Starfish Malawi' day at school. Starfish Malawi (click to see their web-site) is a charity, run by Mr Chris Knott, and helps with Educational projects in Malawi. He is visiting Llandudno schools on January 5th and 6th to take assemeblies and talk about his work in Malawi. On Thursday our chidlren dressed up in Christmas costumes and came to school with many items to donate to our partner schools in Malawi. These include pens, pencils, paper, football boots, wool, knitting kneedles and many more things. Llandudno Town Council have even donated a full football kit and tracksuit! A species thanks to everybody who has donated. We are grateful to Asda who donated many packs of crayons and especially to Theresea Evans and the Pearl knitters who donated two large bags of amazing knitted clothes, hats, blankets and mats for us to sell to help fund sending the items to Nkhata Bay, Malawi. Mr Chris Knott will be taking the crammed boxes back to his home in Kent so that they can go in a container which is travelling to Malawi in the New Year. It's been lovely to hear from our friends in South Africa this week too and we wish them all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
We can't wait until Next Year when our Connecting Classrooms project will really take off.

Projects start for real.

During our vist to Malawi, the teachers of the three countries involved decided that we would concentrate on the following projects during the next academic year.
1.Improve Communication between countries – Skype, Letter, E-mail etc
2.Litter – reducing litter in all schools.
3.Sustainable Energy – wind, solar, hydro etc.
4.Playground games
5.Food from different countries
6.Visit to Port Elizabeth, South Africa 2012


This week we started our litter and waste project. Our goal is to reduce the amount of waste produced by the school. Last week our eco-council collected all the waste left by children who are on sandwiches and have school dinners. We filled 12 full black bin bags - a shock to us all. Imagine this over a school year! The bin bags were shown to all the children in school and we had a long discussion about waste. Our first decision is to remove the bins from our school hall at lunchtime. This has had an immediate impact with only half a bin bag of waste collected in two days. The children and staff have made ourselves a challenge to reduce the number of bin bags per week from twelve to a maximumn of two. Next week we are also starting on our reduction of energy waste challenge. We have noted the readings for gas and electric consumption and are producing an action plan to reduce this.






Our school eco-council with the unnecessary waste produced by the staff and pupils of Ysgol Craig y Don.

Nkhata Bay gift for Conwy Education Authority

Today, Mr Price and I visited the Conwy Education Authority Directorate to present them with a wonderful gift from the Nkhata Bay Department of Education Ministry in Malawi. It was presented to the Primary Director of Education, Mr Gwyn Roberts. While there we talked about our visit to Malawi and how it has benifited our schools and us as individuals. It was also an opportunity to talk about the role of the British Council and to promote Connecting Classrooms as a fantastic opportunity for schools. They thanked Mr Mzondi Moyo and his staff for looking after us while there and also for their kind gift. Last night a presentation was given to school governors about the visit.

International Week in Llandudno schools

Ysgol Craig y Don and Ysgol San-Sior have been celebrating different countries and cultures by holding International week in the two schools. All classes have been studying different countries and have produced work and presentations on that country. Today the children in Ysgol Craig y Don dressed up in the colours of flagsof different countries or dressed up in traditional costumes. The school was full of colour. Mr Hughes has been around every class talking about his visit to Malawi. Today he dressed up in Malawian costume.

Back to our own lives.

Dressing up in Malawian costume.

We've been back in Llandudno now for five whole days and we are slowly fitting back into our daily routines. It's felt strange, almost as though I've been living in a daze. I sometimes have to pinch myself to remind me that I really was in deepest Africa this time last week. It's taken a few days to adjust to UK time, not through jetlag, or daylight hours, but the pace of life back in Wales. At times, I've wished I was back in the Malawian relaxed way of life with no time restaints and no deadlines. But in reality, I'm grateful for my home comforts, happy to be back at home living the way I'm use to. Today I started my class presentations about the visit. Year 1 enjoyed the animal and bug tales, while Year 2 got excited when dressing up in Malawian costumes and pretending to cook 'sima' on the chorcoal cooker. It's difficult to convery what I really saw through words and pictures, to get the children and teachers to see beyond the photographs. The questions that kept coming from the floor were mature and thoughtful and I hope I've given them a little insight into the wonderful country I visited. It would be nice if one or two went home tonight with a little thought about how lucky they are and how grateful they should be.

Having a good feel of a Malawian hand brush.

Mr Hughes teaching using a digital whiteboard, a computer, resources and sitting on a chair! A bit different from the classses we were in a week ago.

Home, sweet home. But where is our luggage?

After the arduous journey which started back on Monday we finally reached home last night. Catching the flight soon after 11pm on Tuesday from Lilongwe airport we flew overnight to Nairobi in Kenya. We chatted to a Malawian gentleman on the way. He was the president of the Malawian Paralympics team and he was off to Kenya to meet other African counterparts to discuss London 2012. He is an athlete, racing in the wheelchair sprint and will be competing in London in 2012. After meeting him we'll certainly be looking out for how they are doing and giving them our full support. He talked about the struggle he is getting for support back at home, how no-one gives those with disability a chance and that they are left by the wayside in life. His dream is to change this; good luck to him. After arriving in Nairobi at 6am we had a wait of a few hours to catch the next plane back to Amsterdam. This was a nine hour flight and the three of us did our best to catch up with a little sleep. Luckily the journey ran smoothly and after a quick dash in Amsterdam, to catch our connection to Manchester we were on our way to the United Kingdom. On arrival we headed to collect our luggage but heard our names called out over the tanoy system. Worried that our baggage was being searched and that the wooden gifts we had bought back might contravene customs and excise rules, we wandered off to the office. When there, we were even slightly relieved to hear that our bags were still in transit; at least we weren't in trouble. Somewhere along our flight our suitcases had missed a connection. However, we have been assured that they should reach us sometime today...we shall see. After arriving home I said my hellos, gave my family hugs and disappeared off to bed with my last few ounces of energy. This morning I have woken up and got out of my bed without having to untangle my mosquito net, not had to look on the floor incase a cockroach was lurking, taken out my clean clothes that smell of lovely perfumed conditioner, had a nice warm shower and had lovely cold milk on my cereals; all things I usually take for granted. I wonder how long it will take me to fall back into not appreciating these simple things in life. I've turned on the computer without worrying about the fact that there may be no electricity, the internet connects immediately and my lamp lights up my work area. We've had an amazing time, a life changing experience and hopefully this will enrich what we teach at school. We're looking forward to share what we have seen and learnt with the teachers and learners in our schools as well as with the wider communities and our own families. This blog doesn't end here. I'll be updating it with photos of the visit as well as work we are doing in our own schools so that all can see, please call back often. Thank you for reading the blog, with 1000 hits over the past 11 days it has been worthwhile doing. Perhaps it will have inspired you to one day visit the wonderful Malawi....the warm heart of Africa.

Crocodile Hunter

We waved goodbye to our South African friends this lunchtime; Cosmo Bartman, Craig Hendricks, Nilla Fass and Musa Zokufa. They were travelling back to their home town of Port Elizabeth and should be there by the time we take off from Lilongwe airport at 11.55pm. This afternoon we're chilling waiting for our lift from the lodge. Mr Price is playing a game called 'bawo', a traditional game using beans and a wooden board. He has become quite addicted to the game, even buying his own board. Today he beat a local for the first time, so he know thinks he can take on the world....watch out Llandudno, bawo is coming! This morning we popped to the city centre to buy a few gifts for those at home. As soon as a group of 'muzongos' arrived we were swamped by sellers desperate for trade. The craftsmanship in Malawi is second to none with lovely wooden carvings and original art on canvas. The traders were our best friends and lots of bartering for the best prices took place. The traders had great names, each one introducing themselves and wanting to know who we were and where we came from; Chicken Legs, Love, Happiness and Combo amongst our new best friends. Unfortunately it was obvious that these boys were desperate, accepting next to nothing for some beautiful pieces of art, crafts and jewellery. After lunch PC Williams and I went to the local nature reserve while Mr Price rested. We went with Mzondi as our guide, although he was more than pessimistic about our chances of seeing anything of note. However, we were more than surprised. Great birds such as Chin-spot Batis, Grey headed Kingfisher, Green Wood Hoopoe and the amazing Schlaw's Turaco amongst many species seen. However, for once, birds weren't the highlight. A small movement in the water below and a focus of the binoculars revealed an eye. Slowly the eye emerged into a fine Crocodile, we backed away and suddenly the crocodile disappeared without a ripple. Made up with our sighting we continued along the track on tiptoes watching out for any movement. A group of 30 or so Monkeys ran through the forest towards us, many with young. Some were inquisitive and came close, never has the camera been so snap happy. As I rounded a corner my eyes peeled to the tree tops, Meirion sternly but calmly announced that we should stop as a crocodile was on the path. I looked down and there just in front of me was a huge male croc, right out of the water and more than that I'd nearly tripped over it. The sweat poured down my face. I suppose Meirion can now claim to have saved my life! The camera went into over drive once again with the lenses only 6 ft away from the magnificent beast. With a flick of its tail and a huge splash the giant reptile had gone back to its home in the river. At times it was easy to forget where we were and how careful we should really be. An antelope appeared from the undergrowth. No sign today of the Hyenas, Bush Pigs or Porcupines though, but we'd had our sighting of our modern day dinosaur and we were as happy as larry.
This evening there is a big thunder storm. Fingers cossed it will have cleared in a few hours!

It's a long way home.

If we had driven from Llandudno for seven and half hours, we could have reached France! The journey from Nkhata Bay to Lilongwe is a long, tiring one and we've just completed the first leg of our journey home. PC Meirion Williams left early to the regional capital, Mzuzu. There he met the assistant commissioner and the commissioner. They had a long chat about policing in both our country and theirs. He returned two hours later to pick us up and off we went on our journey. Through bouts of sleepiness caused by an exhausting but satisfactory week, many sights could be seen along the way. There are few cars on the roads, just small crammed buses, pick-up trucks jam packed with people and large American type juggernauts carrying timber, tobacco or fuel. There are no curbs, cats eyes or pavements just one long tarmac road joining the north and south. This road is a lifeline to society. Bikes, carts being driven by cattle, and walkers. People walking everywhere, some north, some south, carrying allsorts. Timber, Water, fruit and vegetables carried on their heads, balanced perfectly ; it has to be seen to be believed. Huge bales of hay balanced on bicycles, 15ft towers of logs sitting on the back with the person pushing the bike to get to their destination. All along the route people were sat at the roadside selling their fruit, vegetables, charcoal or timber in the hope that someone stops. This really is etching out a living, making a few kwacha to raise their families. There are so few passers by in the remoter areas that I wonder how they survive, surely they must go day after day without making a penny. We stopped to buy some fruit. The joy and surprise of the two boys was evident as we pulled over, rushing over with beaming faces. A big bowl of small crab apple type fruit for 50 kwacha, that's about 17p in our money. The scenery was magnificent, huge boulder like mountains raising from the plains. Rolling hills covered by woodland, lowland plains farmed by the people and bush covered hillsides, home to Baboons and Monkeys. Where the countryside was natural, we marvelled, where it was not we were shocked. Miles and miles of bare hillsides where loggers had cut down the trees for timber. De-forestation is something we read about in the newspaper, but here it is real. Hundreds of men live in small huts, using their hands and primitive tools the make planks and logs. The bare hillsides stretch for miles adding to global warming. I can't help wondering if these areas will ever recover, or will they now be useless for everyone and everything. You can't blame the loggers as they are getting a pitance of a wage for their work and without this job how would they feed their families. It's the big companies that are at fault, exporting the timber for inflated prices and also the buyers like us who don't check where the timber we buy comes from. How little these people earn was brought home to us when the driver of the vehicle carrying the South African teachers was stopped for speeding. Not only was this unlucky due to the fact that it was probably the only speed camera in Malawi, he ended up with an on the spot 5000 kwacha fine. This is money he didn't have and had to use the money saved for our meals to pay the charge. 5000 kwacha is around £20 to us, not much I hear you say. However this is almost a month's wages to our driver, money he doesn't have and certainly he can't afford. We finally arrived in Lilongwe at 9.30pm and settled into our lodge. We are all tired and ready for bed. The mood has changed tonight with the smiles and friendliness not as evident. I think the 3 day journey home is on everyone's minds. Tomorrow we say goodbye to our friends and take the short journey to the airport. This has been an amazing trip, a real eye opener to another part of the world, another culture and people. We have hundreds of photos to show, stories to tell and experiences to share. However, something tells me we will not be able to convey what we have seen here; the magnificent scenery, the genuine friendliness of everyone we have met and the poverty and conditions the Malawian people live in. It's an experience none of us will forget.
Deforestation in Malawi - a big problem.

Grown men crying.

Today I cried for the first time during this visit. I'd somehow prepared myself for the poverty I would be seeing, but I was totally unprepared for what I saw today. I awoke to the sound of the cockerel crowing. Mr Moyo is making me feel very welcome at his house. The days here are different as life begins at first light, today it was around 4.45am and finishes early with most people in bed by 9.30pm. There is a lull in the middle of the day as it is so hot, around 35 + degrees Celsius. As we are close to the equator, daylight hours don't vary much and the hours of light don't vary much all year round. When we get home it's going to be difficult to adapt back to our working hours as we have been waking at 4.30am (which is 2.30am at home) every day. As Mr Moyo is well placed in the community his house has many things that aren't affordable to others, these include a car, fans and an old box television. I watched some 1990's Mr Bean episodes with his son this morning. It's funny to think that he finds exactly the same things funny as my own boys and all other children in Llandudno. Last night he refused to go to bed as he wanted to stay up to hear the adults talk, again just like at home. This morning we had a Connecting Classroom meeting. The proposed starting time was 9am, but as this is Malawi only the Welsh contingent had arrived at this time the meeting finally got going at 10.10am! We talked and talked; the things we had seen over the past week, what we had learnt, what we will take back to our own schools, things we could help the Malawian schools with, the success of the project this past year and what we hope to achieve in the future. The past twelve month have been exciting and lots achieved in all schools - growing of vegetables in all schools, the keeping of chickens, knitting projects, sending letters and postcards and learning about each others countries. However next year will be even more exciting; strengthening the communication between the learners and teachers in all countries, working on sustainable energy projects, reducing litter and learning about waste, studying foods of each others cultures and also sharing the games we play on our playgrounds. We talked until lunchtime, sat around a table outside in the shade under a palm tree next to the lake. I wish our meeting venues at home were similar! After lunch, we set off on the half hour drive to Mkondezi School where the school netball and football team were playing local rivals Chingulele school. The pitch was out in the bush and consisted of a dusty, hard surface. The supporters were out in their hundreds and we soon got them singing and dancing and doing the Mexican wave with PC Williams running up and down the front of the crowd whipping them into a frenzy. The netball was a close affair with Chingulele winning by a single goal. The play was fast, fair but fierce! The football was similar, with great skills shown on each side, especially considering half the boys wore no footwear and played barefoot. Mkindeze scored and a pitch invasion of celebration ensued. Chingulele battled to the end, however, the home side increased their lead towards the end and another invasion took place! As the teams settled down, I noticed a player lying on his back having sustained an injury. As no-one was reacting Cosmo Bartman, a South African colleague and friend and I ran to assist. What greeted us was not nice, with the boys bone protruding through his foot. We called the teachers over and they immediately moved him and started wrapping bandages. This was not how first aid is taught in Britain. However, with one in ten suffering from HIV here, and no gloves available I was unable to help as I wanted. Suffering is part of life here and I felt that the Malawian way was far too relaxed in the situation, this boy should have been in hospital. However, with the cost of transporting someone to the local doctor falling on the patient it seemed they would have preferred for him to stay in the village and hope for the best. The project teachers insisted that he took our taxi to the hospital, but with petrol so scarce our hosts insisted the game be finished, the speeches take place and the boy accompany us in our transport when it was time to leave! What happened next, I was unprepared for. We arrived at the hospital in Nkhata Bay (after pleading with the driver to take him first and forget about taking us home). I ran into the hospital as the boy was now going into shock. It took me a while to find a nurse and I walked into a few wards asking for help. People were lying on hard beds, skin and bone, cooped up in dark, sweaty conditions. How could this place be clean? Wards were full and people sat everywhere both inside and out waiting to be seen by a doctor, or waiting for a relative to get better. I'm sure many will never get better as several looked very ill. I couldn't help thinking how many of these people had HIV, Malaria, Cholera or Typhoid. The whole time I was there I saw one Nurse and one Doctor attending to all these patients. I couldn't help staring at one man, probably the same age as me, skin and bone, his ribs protruding through his body. He had little life in his eyes. I wished the boy well, left and cried. This evening we had our farwell gathering. We were humbled by the kindness of our hosts, showering our schools with gifts; locally carved wooden items , flags and a prospice Malawi t-shirt. Our hosts included the District Commissioner, the local magistrate, the chief of police and many other dignitaries. Speeches ensued and we finished with dancing the evening away. These are kind hearted people with much warmth and friendship to give. From the dignitaries and those who have accompanied us each day, the teachers and their families and even the locals who are etching out a living from the land, all have been so kind, greeting us with a smile and wanting to talk to us. Despite the poverty and conditions, we in the western world could certainly learn a thing or two from them. This small landlocked country has proved it certainly is the 'warm heart of Africa'.

Great support at the football match


Football teams about to take the field and one poor boy carried off to hospital.

In the jungle, the mighty jungle.

A typical malawian house made of homemade bricks coevered in mud and a straw roof.

Mr Lewis showing us one of his amazing and lifechanging contraptions. this is a simple water pump made from old bits of scrap.

Today is Saturday so the weekend has started. We awoke at 4am in Bandawe and walked out onto the beach to watch the most stunning sunset you can imagine. A group of Hammerkops, a strange looking bird, were noisily squabbling on the fine golden sand. No school today, so a chance to explore the country side. I walked along the beach with Mr Price passing a collection of fishermen villages on the water front. In this paradise there is such poverty. Families were waking up and appearing from their straw huts. Their washing basin is the lake and many were splashing about at the waters edge freshening themselves up ready for another day etching out an existence by catching a few fish. The lake contains many hundreds of types of fish called cichlids, an amazing feat of adaptation as over 200 are unique to Lake Malawi. It is thought that they evolved from one species that was in the lake when it became separated from any other water. A cichlid differs from most fish as they care for their young by looking after them in their mouths! Charles Darwin would have been in his element here as each type of cichlid has adapted to some way of surviving in the lake. Some have even evolved so as to suck the young out of a other species mouths to get their food! Young children were collecting their breakfast for the family by using a large bamboo stick to knock down mangos. Even though they don 't have any money or resources, at least the land is kind to them here with many fruits to pick and fish in the lake. New birds to me came thick and fast; Fire-bellied finch, Mousebird, Helmeted Guinea fowl and a magnificent Hornbill. Our plan was to travel to Vwaza Marsh game park today, but after a discussion with all parties, it was felt that with the fuel strike and the extreme poverty we had seen over the past few days it seemed unfair to us that our hosts should spend their valuable money on us, so that we could see Elephants, Lions and Hippos. Instead we opted for a trip to a waterfall and visit a gentleman who had built a homestead using the natural elements to give energy to his house. By visiting here instead we would be saving on fuel and entry fees to the reserve and we asked for the money to be distributed to the schools we had visited to help fund essential resources. We picked up Charles , the head teacher of Luzi secondary school and the chief of the local tribe and headed into the jungle. Monkeys bounced across the road as we went deeper into the forest. It was like a scene out of Tarzan with vines hanging from the trees, birds singing and insects making loud strange calls. The waterfall was stunning with hundreds of butterflies landing on the rocks around it. The waterfall was used to work a pump which in turn created electricity through hydro-electric power. The pump sent water up to this forward thinking Malawian's house, while a pipe plummeting down sent water through the force of gravity to the local hospital. The couple who lived here (he married a Kiwi), utilised every available item by turning it into a sustainable resources. Wind turbines, solar energy and hydro energy machines were shown to us; from big plans like the waterfall to small ones like simply using a coke tin to make a candle. The gentleman had devised a way to light up a small room using an old small solar panel linked to a white light LED bulb. This would light up a room so that a group of children could study in the evening (it's pitch dark at 6pm here) for as little as £3. It was agreed that we would try and promote him to the Malawi Education Authorities so that they could use his expertise to use these simple, cheap ideas in local school and to teach the locals communities of the possibilities of no-cost, environmentally friendly power. We'll certainly use his ideas which our children when we get back to our schools in Llandudno. During the afternoon we visited Mzuzu for a look around the market. We spent most of the time sitting in a local bar drinking bottles of Coke and Fanta watching the world go by. Our driver's sister had fallen ill and had to be transported from Mzuzu Hospital to Lilongwe, some 5 hours away. He left us for a few hours as he went to sort out his problem. Our driver had to take her money as she couldn't afford the trip. There are no ambulances here, you have to get yourself to hospital, and for that you have to pay. The town was full of football supporters today, with the colour of blue and white and celebrating Mzuzu fans could be seen everywhere. It was amazing to see 15 people crammed into a people carrier or over 30 crammed stood up on the back of a small lorry. It looked so dangerous but here it is a way of life. You walk everywhere as you don't have a car, if you are lucky to be offered a lift you take it no matter how many people are already in, or on, the vehicle. Driving is a game of and odgems - people all walking taking advantage of the flat tarmac road, goats and chickens everywhere. Apparently if you knock down a goat you have to pay the owner, that's if you are still alive to tell the tale! This evening we went back to 'The Butterfly' for a meal and met volunteers working in the country. They come from all over the world - UK, USA, Albania, New Zealand, Australia, Japan; all to lend a helping hand - builders, teachers, agriculture specialists, all here to do their bit. Once you've seen the conditions in this beautiful country, you cant help but wanting to help. Tonight I am staying at Mr Mazondi Moyo's house, the Director of Education for Nkhata Bay, along with his wife Katie and eight year old son. He has invited me as a thank you for letting him stay with me and my family at home in Wales last year. We spent the evening talking about the problems that face the country; the apparent corruption that is rife in the country, money that is spent in areas that they shouldn't. It does seen strange that a minute fraction of the people here drive around in jaguars or range rovers and live in huge houses on the hillside outside the big cities, while the vast majority of the people have next to nothing. Something is going wrong somewhere and for those who speak out it can be a dangerous place. I know I keep harping on about it and to those who are not here it's difficult to comprehend, but we all should be extremely grateful for what we have in our country and the way we can live our lives in comfort.

Bandawe welcomes us.

A bedroom on Bandawe School for the Deaf. Eight children share a blanket on the floor!

It's nine o'clock at night and so much has been packed into the day I find it hard to remember the morning. I walked out from my lodge at 4.40 am only to find PC Meirion Williams sitting on the sand waiting for sunrise. Ladies were already at the lakeside washing their clothes and young men were collecting mangos that had fallen during the night. A Giant Kingfisher, the world's largest kingfisher showed amazingly close at it fished the lakeshore. Nearly the size of a crow, the splash it made as it hit the water was incredible. Mr Price joined us as we watched an incredible sunrise over the horizon before washing with our soap bars in the freshwater lake . PC Williams was due to travel to Mzuzu today to meet the Chief Constable of Northern Malawi. It was strange to see a fully uniformed UK policeman standing all in black on the beach in Malawi! He got some very funny looks from the locals. The rest of us were to travel to Bandawe, some 50km south of Nkhata Bay. Unfortunately for PC Williams the visit to Mzuzu didn't make it to Mzuzu as a riot had started in a local rubber plantation and all police were needed. PC Williams offered to help assist the police on the front line, but this was turned down much to the relief of everyone else and therefore rejoined the rest of the group. We arrived at Bandawe, a community set up in the 1800's by Scottish missionaries. The area was visited by Dr David Livingstone where he helped start the abolition of the slave trade as at one time hundreds of thousands of Malawian people were being exported to Europe and America to be slaves. The original church is still here which we fortunate to see. On arriving at our first school of the day, the Bandawe School for the Deaf, we were greeted by Mr Andrew Chulu the head teacher. We visited classes and watched how the 36 children here were taught sign language, lip reading and producing sound. Fascinating. All the children were completely deaf and dumb with some being mute as well. However they had the most wonderful smiles and were excited about our visit. The teachers were very skilled and concentrated their work on giving these children skills that would be able to use for the rest of their lives; vegetable planting, producing crops of trees and cereal, looking after livestock, knitting and cooking. As Bandawe is linked to Ysgol Craig y Don we had taken some resources that we had raised money for in our harvest festivals and I think the thinks we took were an instant hit. A large parachute which we had lots of fun with, Balls, Puppets, Paper, Pens, t-shirts and bags, all graciously received. It was sad to see their living quarters; no beds, no mosquito nets, no duvets. The children slept on the stone floor on blankets some five to a small, dirty looking room. We were served a traditional meal of goat, chicken, mashed maize and rice by the head teachers wife. Everything they eat here is from the land. We said our goodbyes and walked the path to the secondary school, walking over old rickety, or even dangerous bridges. This was the path used by hundreds of children every day on their way to and from church and school. Bandawe secondary school is linked with Ysgol John Bright and Timothy, the head teacher was keen to greet us and show us his school. We observed lessons and sat with the children taking part. We had an opportunity to teach the children about Wales and discuss various things such as the behaviour of the British towards Malawi in the past! Luckily it all ended up in smiles and a handshake. These pupils are the brightest students in the district and have to pass an exam to get here, their parents also pay a little for them to stay here for three months at a time. Their prospice project was an inspiration and a group of students showed us around their work; chickens, tree planting and vegetable patches. The children certainly were involved in this project and were proud of the fact. They guided us to their sleeping quarters which nearly had us in tears; crammed three to a single bed on which they also had to store their suitcases on or under. One room contained twenty bunk beds. There seemed like no room to move or even breath in there. The walls were crumbling and the stone floor covered in dust, windows smashed but again there were only smiles on the children faces. No wonder Malaria is rife here in these conditions. As we were there a poor girl was taken to hospital to be put on a drip due to suspected Malaria. There are over 200 cases at the school a year, that's half the school's population. It is a fact of life here and one they seem to just accept. We then visited a local lodge for a drink. This was also disheartening but in another way. At 200 dollars a night, almost half a year's wage for an average Malawian this hotel was only inhabited by the rich. Business men from the city and western tourists. I felt quite guilty being there which even the drinks were out of the price range of the locals. On little boy who didn't speak English had fun mimicking the local birds with me - Broad billed Roller, Little Beeater and Gunning's Akalat (the only place in the world where this species lives). After our whistles, he asked for my empty plastic drinks bottle which when given, immediately strapped to his belt which some grass. He had a new water bottle and was over the moon, running back to his mud hut smiling and shouting in excitement. I don't think our children would be so happy to receive something so simple. A local lady ran by carrying wood balanced on her head, each one around 12 ft long. I asked if I could have a go, to which she was most surprised as men do not do this here. The pile was lifted onto my head which assistance and after five yards my neck, head and back were aching so much I had to stop. Even getting the wood of my head was dangerous and cut my scalp. The woman laughed and showed her muscles before carrying on running down the path with the wood back balancing perfectly. We finished the evening off with a wonderful meal prepared by the older girls at the school. Mr Price played the game 'boyo', a game played by the all the men here. Hopefully he can remember the rules as I was lost throughout! The boys DJ'd a hip-hop disco and lots of dancing ensued. Their rhythm is amazing and I was embarrassed at my moves. The children had also written a play which they took part in dressed in traditional Malawian dress. What a great finish to the night. We are staying in a different lodge tonight. There is no air conditioning and mosquitoes are all around. The squeaking of cockroaches has woken me up and as I'm writing this at 4am in the morning a gecko has just run across my room. Even in the stifling heat I am grateful as at least I have a been to lie on and a plug to connect my laptop. I hope I remain as grateful for these small things long after I get back to Wales, however something tells me that this wont happen when I get back to daily routine. I hope not........

Mi welais Jack y do!

Typical Malawian classrooms.

We visited another two schools today, a primary school and a secondary school. Sunrise at 5am was breathtaking and the lake like a millpond. We have no water at present and power cuts are happening all the time so today's wash was in the lake while we had to take buckets of lake water to our rooms to flush the toilets. While we waited for our vehicle we watched two local boys climb a huge Mango tree. They climbed right to the top, some thirty to forty feet up. We watched with baited breath as they clambered around shaking branches and knocking mangos to the ground. Underneath several young boys ran around trying to catch the ones that had fallen; great fun for them and even better to watch. We travelled to a primary school, a large school of 400+ children which feeds the local area. Many children walk many miles to reach there. The children's smiles and the enthusiasm of the teachers help lift our spirits as we hit a bit of a low this morning. Walking into a class of 102 six year olds, all sat on a bare dusty floor in front of one teacher made me well up. I bit my lip to stop it quivering and talked about where we had come from and why we were here. . We sang ' Mi welais Jack y Do' with actions as well as 'Head, shoulders, knees and toes'. They loved it and joined in with all the actions and after a few practices were singing along as well. They also sang for us, their amazing melodies and rhythm making the place light up. Older children were learning English and were keen to practice with us. PC Williams did his usual pumping up of a ball and presenting it to the sports teacher, along with a background of screaming, excited and I'm sure grateful children. After introductions to village chiefs and elders we said our goodbyes and continued on to our second schools. Here we met the headteacher and he gave us a free roam of the school. Only four classes in the school, but it is in a remote part of Nkhata Bay district. We travelled down a 20 minute dirt track in a 4x4 to get there, an experience in its self. The children were studying electricity in Science and were listening to the teacher. They had no resources or textbooks but just listened to the knowledge given by the teacher. The children remembered it all at the end and it went to prove that with enthusiastic teaching and giving a chance for the learners to discuss and respond, they will learn. However, I think I would find it difficult to teach a subject without a single resource, a testament to the creativeness of these teachers. We also watched a teacher showing the children how to sow crops, a valuable and life long skill for this part of the world. After a traditional Malawian lunch of rice and vegetables we continued on to the regional capital of Mzuzu. Here we met the Regional Director of Education. She was an interesting lady and listened intently to what we had to say about schools in Wales and South Africa and was very honest with us about her opinions about education in Malawi. It was agreed that the sharing of each others knowledge was the most important part of the village. Along with this I can't help hoping that our visiting is bringing a bit of happiness to these people. Their smile is certainly infectious as the whole connecting classroom team were all beaming arriving back out our lodge this evening. Still no water, but at least I have a bit of electricity so that I can charge my camera's battery!

Highs and Lows

The past 24 hours have been a time for emotions at the opposite end of the scale. Real highs and moving lows. During the evening, a happy care free local Malawian named George with his tightly curled jet black Rastafarian curls and infectious broad smile took us out on his wooden boat to the bay around the corner. We had paid him a few pound to take us to the magnificent African Sea Eagle. On the shore he had mesmerised us with his tales of being able to call the Eagles and make them take fish from him just yards from the boats. It all sounded too good to be true. George swam out to sea until he was a dot on the horizon carrying a hook and some bait and returned some 10 minutes later with seven lovely fish - Chumba and Bluefish. He placed bamboo through their mouths and placed them carefully on the front of the boat. Off we went to the next bay watching different types of Kingfishers, Herons and Cormorants as we went. It wasn't long before we spotted the Eagle and George starting a loud whistle. The Eagle looked up. He then through a fish some 10 yards from the boat and almost immediately a bird flew towards us. It kept coming. Only when a few yards away did it stretch out its wings and with a huge splash hit the water in front of our noses and caught the fish. Amazingly a second bird then appeared and we were treated to the same. Truly mesmerising and a never to be forgotten experience. George's idea was typical of the creativity of some of these locals. They have to etch out a living in what ever means they can. By training these birds over the last five years he has been able to make a small living by taking travellers who pass by, out to see his Eagles. Later we went for our evening meal and visited the Butterfly Foundation where Alice, a British ex-pat and her Malawian Husband Combo prepared us a meal. They run a charity who help the local people. We heard how they bring the community together by starting clubs and groups to develop skills such and gardening, cooking and building. They help those with the HIV disease through paying them to cook lunches for guests once a week (one in ten people here have the HIV disease!). The help local special needs children by offering multi sensory experiences. Through their local training programs they have built several local playgrounds for children. They provide care and support for albino children and people who have no pigmentation on their skin. These people have been persecuted in the past and they suffer greatly in the sunlight; many are blind or have horrible burns and blisters due to the sun. It was extremely moving listening to the problems and inspiring hearing what lengths some people go to to help. We are very lucky to live in Wales, however we can learn a lot from the people who live in this country.

Blogging by moonlight.

I'm sitting near the beach. The moon is bright in the sky and illuminating the beautiful coastline of Lake Malawi; at the opposite end of the beach a fire is burning and drums are being beaten creating a rhythm that makes my feet move. An end to one of the most satisfying days of my teaching career.
Malawi is called the Warm Heart of Africa, and that heart beats rhythmically and infectiously all around Nkhata Bay. Today we were privileged to be a part of this rhythm when visiting two schools, Mvwalamani and Mkondezi.
Mvwalamani is only 20 minutes away from Nkhata Bay town but a 4x4 vehicle was required to take us up the rutted mud road to the school. On the journey there we passed through areas that had been cultivated to grow food such as cassava and maize. We bounced around in the back of the vehicle amazed at the hilly countryside that we were passing through. Upon arrival at the school we were welcomed by the Head teacher who took us on the tour of the school. The school is in a very rural area with rolling hills all around, dotted with homes each an area cultivated nearby to provide food for the family. Pupils welcome us politely into their classrooms and answered our questions without too much shyness. The younger children looked at us behind the older children not too sure what to make of these visitors at their schools, but slowly they started saying hello to us and giving high 5's.
The head teacher, along with the local Primary Advisor took us through their sparse classrooms where the children sat on the floor and learnt quietly. To answer a question they would put their hand up but then click as well to hopefully get the teachers attention. Again we saw some great resources that they had created; I have photographed the resources and will use them back in school. Prospice was set up to share educational knowledge and we are learning from our Malawian hosts.
After the classrooms we walked down the path through the head teachers cassava field and banana plants down to the area that the school has set aside for the Prospice project. Here there were saplings being prepared to be planted. They were first going to propagate an orange bud onto the lemon tree, to create tangerines. Two pupils carefully cut open the thin lemon sapling with a razor blade and then put the orange bud into the opening, this was then wrapped in clear plastic, within 10-14 days the bud would start to sprout and there will be the start of a tangerine tree. The school had also created a large pond that they had filled with fish. Both these initiative were hopefully going to help the school as they were going to sell the produce, fruit and fish, to the surrounding population and the profits would then be used within the school.
We were very impressed by their vision.

We left by the rutted track to a school I was very excited about visiting. Ysgol San Sior's partner school Mkondezi Model School with Mary Nyierenda as the head teacher. Again we were welcomed graciously by our host. Mary invited us to walk around freely the school and I went in search of year 5 so that I could give them the letters that my pupils had written for them. When I found them I asked the teacher if I would be allowed to sit in the lesson and he kindly allowed me. I went to sit down on a metal stool next to some pupils who were busy learning about fractions. While looking through the book I saw some of their previous work, long division! I look forward to showing the pupils at home their Mathematic ability. I was then allowed to share out the letters and the pupils couldn't wait to see what I had bought. Their English is not yet that good as year 5 is when they start to learn through English but they looked carefully at the pictures of the pupils on the letters. I took other letters that had been written by classes from San Sior to their respective classes around the school.
I am so grateful that Mary allowed us to freely move around her school. Everywhere I looked the Prospice members were conversing with groups of children around the school grounds. PC Meirion was showing his police helmets, Mr Hughes was singing, I was showing them how to pass a rugby ball; our smiles were from ear to ear.
We were then invited to plant some trees as our Malawian and South African friends did while in North Wales. The trees were Guava and I hope that they grow strong and provide many years of fruit to the children and teachers.
Somewhere around the school we could here the drums being beaten and we were all drawn towards it. Under some large, shade creating trees were two drummers playing enormous drums and around them were ladies dancing. The rhythm was infectious, pupils surrounding the dancers were moving in time, the songs were being sang with joy, Mr Hughes, PC Meirion and Mr Cosmo Baartman couldn't help themselves and joined in.

So many moments of pure joy were experienced today that this days blog could go on for many more pages. I am so thrilled by our visit and what we are learning from our hosts and our Port Elizabeth partners. This Prospice project is bearing fruit for all our partners.

Nos da/Good night

Too hot to handle!

Today has been very hot and under the midday sun we felt our skins burning and sweat pouring off us. After a relaxed breakfast we sat on the beach waiting for the car to pick us up. It took a long time to arrive due to the fuel crisis. Amazingly petrol prices here rose by 30p a litre today and now costs about 160p a litre; much more expensive than in Wales and a price no-one can afford here! We eventually headed off to the centre of Nkhata Bay where we were due to meet some important people. We toured the education offices where each room was stacked to the rafters with papers. We met various education officers and had a short meeting in Mzondi's, the Director of Education for the Nkhata Bay region's office. Behind him on his wall sat a picture of the president of Malawi, Dr Bingu. This man's picture is everywhere you look; on advertising boards at the side of the road, in all offices and classrooms too. The offices were very hot and we couldn't stay in them long. We then headed off to a school near Nkhata Bay were we were met by the Head teacher. Children came running from everywhere to say hello to us. We spent a fantastic few hours visiting classes and watching lessons. As it had passed 1pm, only the older children were left at school as those under 11 had finished their lessons (they had been there since 7am though!). However, when word got around that a group of 'mzongus' had arrived, many came back to school. There were 'whoops' of joy from the children as our camera flashes went off or they viewed themselves on the screen at the cack of the camera. It's amazing how the children all smile and are all polite, even when they come to school barefooted and in old scruffy looking clothes. The lessons we watched were very interesting. There were 64 children in one class and 70 in the other. In the class of 70 all the children were sat on a bare dusty floor. With them they had one old exercise book that they take to and from home each day. None had a pen or a pencil and they only use these on very special occasions. We talked to them about Wales which many hadn't even heard of, except some of the boys who knew of Ryan Giggs! We were treated to singing and dancing, they have such good rhythm here and love a sing song. They enjoyed it when we joined in and danced with them. PC Meirion Williams gave the children a leather football, which they were all very excited about as children use rolled up wool and plastic bags to make footballs here. One boy managed to header the ball over twenty times on his head without it falling to the floor! We visited the cooks where they were peeling and cutting vegetables ready for the children's lunch. They have one hand pump in the school from which they get their water from. Children push up and down on one end and water comes from the spout. It is from this that they get their drinking and cleaning water. Mr Price enjoyed showing the children his juggling skills(I have to say it was much better than his dancing skills which they all laughed at!). All the children just want to shake our hands, give high fives and touch our hair (they think fine light hair is funny to touch as theirs is so coarse and thick). It was amazing to see what they used as resources. In one class we saw an abacus made from a cardboard box with sections for Hundreds, Tens and units and bundles of sticks rolled and tied into hundreds, tens and units. Another abacus was made using old bottle tops stuck on nails; very creative ways of recycling and making things that are effective for teaching maths. We really don't realise just how lucky we are in Wales. After a lunch of 'Chumba' fish, rice and a tomato sauce we headed off to meet the District Chief of Police. There are only 33 police stations in the whole of Malawi and one is in Nkhata Bay. The policemen are very smartly dressed in khaki green while the police ladies dress in blue uniforms. PC Meirion Williams and the Chief talked and discussed how police work in our countries. One thing that is very obvious, both in the police and in schools is that we are both trying to do the same things, even though the circumstances are very different. We even saw a prison where the prisoners were dressed all in white. They were doing lots of jobs like cutting logs, breaking stones and making charcoal. We couldn't understand why they didn't escape, but the chief assured us that his policemen kept them all under control. On our way home we joined in a game of football with a group of Malawian boys. It was 12 boys against Mr Hughes, Mr Price, PC Williams and Mr Bartman (a head teacher from South Africa). We started brilliantly going 2-0 up with our silky moves (and great finishing from Mr Hughes!). However our celebrations seemed to inspire them and tire us out. With the sweat pouring off us and the boys skills starting to show, we soon went behind 3-2. We had to give up before we ended up in hospital due to exhaustion! Tea this evening was eggs and rice in a tomato sauce which was delicious. We met a few other 'mzongus' who now live here; Americans, South Africans and Australians. Some were over helping the Malawians to build libraries and school buildings. We finished off the evening with a game of pool, with the final result being Wales 1 South Africa 1. We'll have to wait to see who wins the decider! We hope everyone is well back in Wales and we hope to speak to you tomorrow (although a power cut each day is making this difficult). Hwyl am y tro.

Paradise?

I awoke to the sound of the waves lapping against the sandy beach. I felt I was back in Llandudno, I was reminded that I wasn't by the red mosquito bites that now decorate my face and arms. The mosquitoes obviously enjoy the taste of Welsh blood.
It was 5 am and I opened the curtain to look out across lake Malawi at the sun slowly illuminating the sky. The clouds were turning from grey blue, through purple and pinks as the sun rose in the East. I didn't want to miss the show so I put on my clothes and went outside, making sure that I had covered myself in deet (mosquito repellent). I walked the 10 meters down to the lake edge and placed my feet in the warm water. I had to remind myself that the water was fresh and that Lake Malawi is not a sea such as the Irish Sea. I could, if I wanted, happily drink this water without making myself ill with salt.
Mr Hughes, who lives by the proverb 'The early bird catches the worm', was surprised to see that he was not the first to wake and he came out to meet me five minutes later..
Mr Hughes and I stood by the lake both amazed at the beauty of the scene in front of us. I was then given a lesson on bird watching as Mr Hughes spotted birds that he had never seen before - Malachite Kingfisher, Pied Kingfisher, African Wagtail and an amazing Bat Hawk. Out over the lake we saw dark clouds slowly moving across the horizon, these were the clouds of insects that we had heard swarmed on the surface of the lake. I would not like to be near these clouds!
During our morning we went for a walk passed Mr Mzondi's house and saw local children walking to their school. They looked oddly at Mr Hughes who was looking through his binoculars at the birds. They had not seen a pair of binoculars before and when invited to look through them they were suspicious. When they saw the image magnified they laughed out loud and had big smiles across their faces.
This was all done before 7am when we met with PC Meirion, Cosmo and Craig and had our breakfast.
What a start to our third day, can't wait to see what else happens today.

Day 2 - Long journey to Nkhata Bay

It's been a long, long day, but its been an incredible one. I'm writing this lying in bed at 11pm after a day that started at 5.30am! After a breakfast of omelette, stone cold baked beans and a spicy sausage we packed the car ready for our long journey north. A slight delay was had as a tool had to be made to pour the diesel that our driver had managed to get, from the jerry can into the car. On our way to the Government buildings it became apparent that there was a shortage of fuel in the country. Never will we complain again about having to wait a few minutes at a petrol station. The queues were incredible with people having obviously slept overnight in their cars waiting for a petrol tanker to arrive. Every petrol station was like a car park with hundreds of cars lined up and guards on the forecourt entrance ready for the mad dash when the petrol arrived. Some people have been waiting for over three days! We arrived at the Department of Education and after a short wait were introduced to the Minister, who is in charge of the whole Education system in Malawi. He gave a speech about the schools in Malawi and the challenges children, teachers and the LEA faced. He talked very well and was quite inspiring - a very clever and interesting man. We then moved on to meet the British Council officers who are based in Malawi. The British Council are funding in project and it was great to be able to tell them how schools in Llandudno are contributing to the work. After saying our goodbyes we went into the Capital City to change our money. They use Kwetcha here and we changed our pounds and dollars in the local bank (except for Mr Price who made a deal outside with a dodgy looking guy in a Mercedes). At the bank we got 270 kwetcha for every pound we gave them, however Mr Price looked smug when we came out as he'd got 280 kwetcha from the mafia looking suited man with dark glasses outside. Our journey then begun up to Nkhata Bay. The landscape was stunning with flat cultivated areas and a backdrop of mountains. It soon became very obvious that the country is a very poor one. Mud huts with thatched roofs lined the road with children and families selling mangos, sugar cane, charcoal, tomatoes and water melons along the whole route. We stopped at a few places to buy a drink and stretch our legs and everytime we did we were surrounded by inquisitive people, especially children. They came running shouting 'mzongu...mzongu' which translates to 'white man...white man'. Everyone smiled and wanted to shake hands, many trying their broken English. I gave a few pens out to some children and they were genuinely over the moon. One very interesting moment was when we stopped in a town for a lunch of roasted corn on the cob, or roasted maize as they call it. Suddenly the attention turned from the mzongus who had arrived in their village, as a mob was developing. They chanted and ran down the road, the mob getting bigger and bigger. At the front was a boy, no older that 14 years old and he was being held by some older boys. He had been caught stealing and the local was of reprimanding them is to parade them down the street shouting at them and bringing shame on them. Even though he had done wrong, we actually felt a little sorry for the poor thief! PC Meirion wasn't sure of this type of policing, it wouldn't work in the UK. One thing that struck us about the journey was the number of people walking along the road. Where did they come from? Where were they going? Hundreds, even thousands of people walking, some going north , others south. Very few vehicles were on the road, but when we did pass one they were packed to the rafters with people. It was quite usual to see 15 grown men crammed into the back of a pick-up truck. Bikes are used a lot too, old 1950s type bicycles which are also use to carry large loads on the back. One the way we saw a group of Monkeys running along the side of the road, while some amazing birds were seen; African Fish Eagle, Hammerkop and the star bird a Pennant winged Nightjar in the car headlights (well worth googling if you get the chance). The journey was an incredible one, quite humbling in many ways. We have never seen such poverty and it was real eye opened of how lucky we are in the western world. One striking thing is though, is that everybody was smiling, seemed relaxed and genuinely happy, greeting us with a wave or a 'Moni' which means hello in the chewa language. This evening we arrived in the darkness Nkhata Bay and we are staying in lodge at the side of the lake. We have had our supper which was prepared by Mrs Moyo, Mzondi our host's wife. We were thrilled to see a picture of Mzondi amongst the children of Llandudno taking pride of place in Mzondi's living room. We ate chicken, rice and a beautiful warm tomato sauce - scrumptious. A lovely end to the day. I've just put the mosquito net up above my bed and am listening to the waves of Lake Malawi lapping at the steps of our lodge. I can't wait for the morning to open the curtains and see what view is waiting for me.

Tionana (goodbeye in chweze)

We've arrived!

We finally arrived in Lilongwe, the capital city of Malawi at 2pm on Sunday afternoon after a long, tiring journey. Nairobi airport was an experience; a bustly, dark and warm long corridor. We didn't stay there for long and were soon on the Kenyan Airways flight to Malawi. An unexpected stop was a 90 minute wait in Lusaka, Zambia where we sat in the aeroplane on the tarmac in the baking heat. During the wait we had the joy of having the cleaners hoover and clean the plane under our feet. Many people got off here and after about an hour another group of people got on and joined up, including an international youth football team called 'The Lepoards'. We were soon on our way and an hour later arrived at our final destination. After a longish nervous wait to see if our baggage had followed us and having to open everything up and repack in customs , we walked out into reception to a wonderful welcome by Mzondi, Andrews and Mary. Our South African friends had arrived an hour earlier so we also greeted Cosmo, Craig, Nila a Mousa. Our convoy of 4 wheel drives made the 26 km drive into the city to our lodge for the night. The sights and smells were all new; ladies carrying big baskets on their heads, men on bikes carrying big bales of straw, fruit being sold under every tree, lambs hanging and being skinned from a branch and the meat being sold to passers by. The land is dry and dusty, but with areas of trees and bushes with brightly coloured birds and new to all of us - sunbirds, rollers and storks.
We arrived at our lodge which is nice and comfortable. It has lovely showers and very few mosquitos! We even watched Wolves vs Wigan on Sky Sports! After refreshing ourselves we set off to down town Lilongwe for a meal, via 'SPAR'(we're keeping an eye out for Asda!) to buy water. We enjoyed a meal of Chicken piri piri and chips. Everyone is so relaxed and calm here, always smiling. By using a bit of Chichewa language and saying 'Zikomo' which means thank you brings our smiles all round. An early night due to our long journey had us all in bed by 9pm! Nos da.

Windmills in Amsterdam

Noswaith dda pawb. After an hours delay in Manchester Airport (after PC Meirion Williams checked the aeroplane tyre and found it to be illegal) North Wales recovery changed the plane's tyre and we were off. We arrived in Amsterdam at 5pm and are now sat in the airport waiting for our nine hours Kenyan Airlines flight to Nairobi. We have had food at the local delicatessant called McDonalds and found it to be pretty much the same kind of food as in Wales. What a fantastic airport though. There's even a museum, a library and several meditation areas. Here we are having a coffee while waiting:-

Next time we blog we should be on African soil! Hwyl fawr am y tro.

At the airport,

Arrived at Manchester airport. Waiting for our flight to Amsterdam.

Out of the door.

PC Meirion Williams is he driver this morning. He's picking Mr Hughes and Mr Proce up in his car (as his car has a bigge boot than the rest) and driving us to Manchester Aiport. Our flight is at 1pm and we fly to Amsterdam. We have a bit of a wait there so we're taking books to read and a pac of cards to play. This evening we fly to Nairobi in Kenya on an overnight flight. We are due to arrive there at 7am tomorrow. It will be the first time Mr Hughes and PC Williams have set foot on African soil so we're quite excited. We will be passing over the Sahara and the equator during the night. We have a couple of hours in Nairobi airport before catching our flight to Lilongwe. We arrive in the Malawian Capital soon after mid-day where we will be met by Mzondi, Andrews and Mary, our friends in Malawi. Mzondi is the Director of Education while Andrews and Mary are head teachers of primary schools. We will also meet up with three teachers from Port Elizabeth in South Africa who will be travelling north to meet us.
We spend a night in Lilongwe where we are visiting the Ministry of Education so we will be wearing our posh suits. Hopeully we will be able to update the blog while we're there. Speak soon ........

24 hours to go!

We'll be leaving Llandudno in 24 hours to travel to Lilongwe in Malawi. Mr Price from Ysgol San-Sior, Mr Hughes from Ysgol Craig y Don and Mr Meirion Williams the school's Police liaison officer are travelling via Amsterdam and Nairobi to Malawi to visit our partner schools in Nkhata Bay in Northern Malawi. Click on this link to find out where we are going.
http://www.malawitourism.com/pages/attractions/the_attraction.asp?AttractionsID=7
The journey will take 24 hours to arrive in Lilongwe the capital city and a further 8 hours drive to the north of the country. We've had all our injections, taken our first Malaria tablets and packed our suitcases full of resources to take over to the schools.
Thank you to all the children, teachers and parents in our schools who have been busy collecting school work, raising money and making things for us to take over.
We are meeting some teachers from South Africa here too who are travelling north to meet us.
The schools we are visiting are:-
Bandawe School for the Deaf
Bandawe secondary School
Mkondezi Primary School
We will try and update our blog as often as we can so that you can see what we're up to.

This is a picture of some young people from Bandawe school. We are looking forward to meeting them.