Saturday Mornings

Everybody has a Saturday morning routine.

Mine has changed since coming home and starting work again. I have a recurring calendar entry to remind me to do laundry!

That’s the difference with living back in the first world, as my fellow VSO Malawi returned volunteer, Beth Connolly explains perfectly. Do go read her final blog post: Tionana Holy Family

But I still get a reminder of what it used to be like. Courtesy of Nyack and Catherine, who now run the new Breakfast Club. Nyack keeps me in the loop by WhatsApping me photos of the kids. Thanks big fella, they always brighten up my day!

At the risk of repeating myself once too many, today was worth posting. Because together with a big shout-out for our poster girl Beth, the kids received the photos I sent over with my friend Auden, and you can see the extra sparkle in their eyes. I should have done this sooner.

Photos

More photos

Still remembering to wash hands (I hope)

Iron Man fans: Georgie (George), Jeradi (Gerard), Dani (Danny)

Still loving rice!

And apples, that unaffordable treat!

The Karate Kids

3 of the happiest and funniest kids you’ll ever find.

Here are Georgie, Dani and Gerard, doing The Karate Kid crane kick.

Cobra Kai, watch out!

The crane kick – Johnny vs Daniel-san

Bye Bye Hermany

As I re-adjust into life in the first world… tackling the dreaded “reverse culture shock”, finding a job, rebuilding relationships… I am slowly moving on.

But I still think about my time in Malawi almost everyday. I am staying involved on our iHRIS project and keeping in touch with friends.

One of my overriding thoughts on anything to do with Malawi is the Breakfast Club and the kids whom I saw everyday for 18 months. Which, after finally getting broadband installed in my home again, leads me to upload this video.

A couple of weeks before I departed from Malawi, the kids got together and performed a little concert for me. They also gave me a package of notes, letters and photographs which would have cost them a small fortune.

Luckily, David was in town and filmed it. You can’t tell but there were sand in my eyes (T_T)

Lake trip group photo

I was going through Facebook last night and found this group photo from our Area 11 Breakfast Club Lake trip.

Not all the kids are in it and the ones who are, look absolutely knackered! They all slept well in the minibus on the way back (after their treat from the famous Canoe Ice Cream Den).

Good memories!

Lake trip

Back in September last year, we took the Breakfast Club kids to “The Lake” (Malawi).

It was a huge team effort. Starting with renting the minibus, making permission slips and getting them signed for all the kids. Thankfully, most of the regular kids were allowed to come. Then cooking enough fried chicken, rice (topped up with “chipsy” bought on the day) and banana cake for 30 people! Regie and Dens took care of that thankfully.

A group of other VSO volunteers and friends went with us. Including our good friend Seth. I’m still haunted by that horrendous frisbee over-throw, which ended up on top of a thick, thorny bush… which then you went in to retrieve! Sorry buddy!

It’s a real shame that most Malawians never visit the Lake, which is their best and most beautiful natural resource. Travelling for leisure is simply too expensive for most people. So we’re really happy to have been able to do this for the Breakfast Club kids and a few adults (Harold, Yohane and Francisco) too.

As always, there was no shortage of local kids on the beach to have a game of football with. It was funny watching Harold and Yohane (our night guards) run around with the kids. It’s by far the fastest I have ever seen them move!

It was a really good day out for all of us. And yes, we (Harold and Yohane) bought some fish on the way back, which we hung on the minibus wing mirrors!

A big thanks to Sam, the owner of Cool Runnings 🙂 (the best, chilled out lodge on Senga Bay), who allowed us to park our minibus and use their facilities. I, for one, needed the deck chairs to sit down and catch my breath from all the running around!

Regie’s famous fried chicken. Tons of it!

Our humble minibus, with me driving

Happy passengers, ready to go!

A big bag of Kamba Puffs and Danny

Freddy distracting the kids to jump the lunch queue

Lunch time!

Seth and Francisco washing up, Malawian style

Lost frisbee… my bad

Cool Runnings

Ice cream, some for the first time!