I was in Lilongwe, the capital, for a 4th of July celebration at the American ambassador's residence. July 6th happens to be Malawi's independence day, also from Britain. Theirs was in 1964 – only 45 years ago. This is a sign about the anniversary. The picture at the top of the sign is the president, Dr Bingu wa Mutharika, who was recently re-elected to a second 5 year term.
The American ambassador reading an inspiring speech from President Obama.
Peace Corps volunteers and other Americans singing the national anthem. Being in a country like Malawi, which is one of the poorest in the world, helps one appreciate how much we have.
Peace Corps country director Victor Barbiero.
Here I am with my new Peace Corps Malawi T-shirt in front of the Peace Corps stand. We were selling T-shirts and items from our villages to raise funds for projects.
An aerial view of part of the outdoor market in Lilongwe. This is only a small part, it is a crowded jumble of stalls selling clothes, vegetables, electronics, tools and many other things. Quite an experience!
Many of the clothes people wear come from the US. Places like Goodwill Industries pack clothes they can't sell into bales and they end up here - I don't know exactly how - where they are separated into piles and sold. This provides income for many people.
These pictures were taken from an overhead walkway across the road. This is a main route heading toward Old Town where there are many shops, stores and businesses, many run by Indians, Pakistanis and Chinese.
This river runs through the center of the outdoor market area. Cities and towns here have a lot of trash, especially plastic bags all over. In the background you can see vegetable gardens.
0 comments:
Post a Comment