I couldn’t have been more surprised when I stepped out of Archie and Mike’s pickup at Chadika Community Based Organization. Although I was in Malawi with another organization and only had one day to visit Chadika, I was thrilled I had the chance to meet the F2F team and members of Chadika CBO. As a student at Colby and member of LuziCare, I’d contacted The Face-to-Face AIDS Projects employees in Malawi to ask for a tour of Chadika to meet the people I’d heard so much about and see the projects I’d helped coordinate fundraisers for.
All the kids waiting to greet us at Chadika
I’d expected to spend maybe an hour with Mike and Archie, seeing the year-round crops and maybe meeting the head of Chadika. Instead, there was a mass of kids who immediately surrounded our truck as soon as it stopped and a group of men and women waiting outside the CBO office. We were about thirty minutes late, which is actually pretty early in Malawi, but the entire CBO had still shown up for the “event.”
There was an introductory ceremony, where I was taken into the office and introduced to Chadika’s leadership team. As we sipped on soda (at 9:30am) we talked about the links between Chadika, Colby, LuziCare, and F2F and were amazed at how connected they really are. We stepped back outside for a few songs and my opening remarks (hadn’t planned on that!).
I was then led on a two-hour tour of Chadika’s catchment area and shown all of the fields that were in full bloom in the middle of the dry season, a rarity and blessing in Malawi. The men leading me also pointed out where they hope to build an early childhood development center in the near future. Everyone was so happy to show me their gardens and so thankful for the work Luzi had done at Colby.
Mike, Archie, and I were served a delicious lunch of nsima with greens and another soda in someone’s living room. Then we were prepped for the real festivities – dancing, dramas, and speeches for a few more hours. I had a comfy chair to sit on, and the entertainment was wonderful. Two Village Headmen and the Group Village Headman (a big deal!) each gave a speech applauding the work of Chadika and LuziCare’s financial support. The women’s support group performed two songs about health issues in the community.
The youth group put on a dramatic play about the importance of accepting orphans into ones family. They talked about the rough life orphans can have and why they shouldn’t be shunned or starved by their new families. It was incredibly powerful and the entire audience was enthralled. After talking with the youth group leader, I was inspired by his dedicated to the issues in his community – he wants to learn as much as he can so he can continue educating the youth group and in turn the community, on ways they can empower themselves.
In their drama about stigmatizing orphans, Chadika's youth group leader (center) lectured the offending adoptive parents on why they need to care for their orphaned nephew
All in all, it was a phenomenal day. Having expected an hour and staying for seven, I’m glad Archie and Mike weren’t offended when I dozed off on the ride back. The members of Chadika showed me unrivaled warmth and welcome that day, a feeling I’ll never forget. Having never met them before, I was incredibly touched by their dedication to their community, and their humble thanks for all of our support.
Me, with all the members of Chadika CBO
