The past two weeks - where's Denis?

***Please pardon my mistake - CPAR is Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief, not AIDS Relief - although they do a great deal of work to address the issue of HIV/AIDS.***

Training

Training was a whirlwind. I got to know the eight other JFs going to Malawi, and the 17 JFs going to Ghana. It flew by, and I learned many things. I have learned some things I have never even thought about before, and there are other things that EWB has touched on in workshops or at the conference but taken three steps further. I’ve got a book full of notes that I can share with you when I return if you are interested.

Flying

After 20 hours in the air, many hours waiting in airports and many in-flight mini-feasts, I have at last arrived at Malawi, in Lilongwe. Flying over the area, I was able to see crops growing in perfect circles. A little odd I thought at first, but later found out from David Damberger (Director of Southern African Projects for EWB – he stays in neighbouring Zambia) that the method of irrigation used in that setup involves a type of sprinkler that pivots around the center. Also while flying over the area, it was beautiful to see the vast landscape of fields, trees and streams. Flying into the capital city of Malawi, I did not see very large buildings, but rather smaller buildings of one, two or sometimes three stories at most, in clusters along roadways spread out over a large area. It was quite a view, definitely a huge change of scenery after spending a week in the middle of Toronto.