Africa Journal Day 23, Sunday May 15

Sunday, May 15, 2005
Day 23
Linlongwe, Malawi

We arrived safely in Malawi thanks to the impressive service on Kenya Airlines. With a slogan, "The Pride of Africa," they seem to be one of the African Airlines doing well with a reputation for reliability and service. The in-flight magazine was well done, the staff were friendly and helpful, and the Boeing 777 was new. We arrived in Linlongwe on time and we were so happy to see Dave and Joy’s familiar faces. We cleared customs without any hassles and there were no porters swarming us this time.

Malawi is quite a contrast from West Africa this time of year. Being south of the equator, the dry season has started, so the air is dry and cool, mid 20’s Celcius in the day, quite cool at night. The rainy season apparently didn’t bring the rains needed for an adequate crop, so Dave and Joy anticipate drought and hunger. Infrastructure wise, Lilongwe has running water, fairly reliable electricity, and Dave and Joy have dial-up Internet access on their landline. The new part of town is spaciously and quite attractively laid out, thanks to a former benevolent dictator, Kamuzu Banda, who was apparently an excellent leader and brought considerable prosperity and stability to Malawi. The present democracy is riddled with corruption, similar to most African nations.

Dave and Joy live in a very attractive home on the campus of Africa Bible College, founded by Dr. and Mrs. Jack Chinchen. The grounds are immaculately kept with mowed grass, beautiful trees and shrubbery, and brick walkways. Most of the buildings are of red brick, quite a change from the bland stucco typical of West Africa.

After our arrival, Dave and Joy took us to a local hotel pool for a swim and lunch. In the evening there was an English service in the chapel for students and staff, followed by the longstanding tradition of "waffle night" for the expatriate staff in the home of the Chinchen’s, but tonight it was French toast instead. I very much enjoyed meeting the Chinchen’s, who have spent thirty years in Africa, initially in Liberia until civil war there drove them out, now in Malawi. In discussing my interest in chronic pain and depression, they noted how in a recent visit to Liberia, where conditions as the result of civil war are far worse than Nigeria and Cameroon, the people were happy and resilient, and they suspect that we won’t find depression here either.