Reunited with F, who speaks the local Chichewa

This time, I entered Malawi through Blantyre, the country's second-largest city.
In Blantyre, I met up with F, a member of the Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. F is 26 years old and is on leave from graduate school to be in Malawi. He aspires to work in international cooperation in the future.
He has been in Malawi for a year and eight months. He's scheduled to return to Japan in November, but perhaps because he has a clear vision for his future, he moves with incredible energy in everything he does. He's fluent in English and can also speak the local Chichewa.
Watching F converse with the children in Chichewa made me envious. However, I haven't studied English since junior high school, so I'm barely managing with English and have no capacity to learn a local language, nor do I intend to at this point...

In any case, F taught me a lot about the local situation this time, and it made me reconsider the nature of "aid."
I feel like F and I can continue to cooperate on various things in the future.

Children at an orphanage in Blantyre

Donated 200kg of rice and 10kg of sugar

Soon after arriving, I purchased 200kg of rice and 10kg of sugar at a local market. After negotiating down from the initial price of MWK100 per kg (about ¥80) to MWK60 per kg (about ¥50), I bought 200kg for MWK12,000 (about ¥10,000). I then went directly to the orphanage I've been visiting continuously since April of last year.

When I arrived, there was no one around, even though it should have been a time for the children to be there. The orphanage door was also closed.
As I wondered what was going on, some children playing nearby called their mother, who came over. The mother hugged me with a smile and let me inside the orphanage.
I learned that they hadn't been able to provide lunch for the children recently due to a lack of funds, so they were sending them home after the morning session. They had also been robbed, with even the light switches stolen, leaving them without electricity.
In Malawi, when drawing electricity from utility poles to a house, individuals must purchase all materials, including wires, cables, and switches, and then hire someone for the installation. The cost is quite high by local standards, and most homes in villages lack electricity.
The mother was truly delighted with the 200kg of rice we brought. Nearby children helped carry the rice into the building, but it was too heavy for them.

Clothes, a hearty meal, and beaming smiles

The next day, when I visited the orphanage again a little after 11 AM, about 70 children greeted us with enthusiastic smiles and cheers!
Seeing the children's smiles, I truly felt I was back in Africa.
This orphanage has about 120 orphans aged one to six enrolled. The mother who runs this orphanage also oversees two other orphanages, caring for a total of 300 children.
Due to limited government aid, the orphanage relies almost entirely on donations. However, with the rapidly increasing number of orphans, management is struggling. The staff are volunteers, and since they are not paid, they don't necessarily come every day, leading to a shortage of labor.
This time, we brought 117 children's clothes from Japan. 100 were purchased at a low price, and 17 were donated by 'Tokuyama Baby,' the shop where I bought them, who sympathized with the project's goals. Their kindness was truly appreciated.

I hope the 'African JAG Project' will continue to expand, even in small ways like this.


The children lined up and were given new clothes one after another over their worn-out ones. These children are truly well-behaved. They wait patiently for their turn. In the rural villages, it's often a scramble for everything...
And then, the long-awaited meal. They said it was the first lunch distribution in a while. What surprised me was the sheer volume of rice piled high on each plate. It seemed like an amount that even an adult man couldn't finish? A small amount of tomato sauce and a boiled egg were served with it. F and I exchanged glances, thinking, "There's no way they can eat all this..."
However... as soon as the meal began, the children's appetites were astonishing. The very young children finished everything in no time. I was dumbfounded! How hungry must they have been? It was as if their tiny bodies could somehow accommodate all that food...

According to the mother, the children love rice. They usually eat rice porridge with sugar added. So, today was a "special day." I watched, stunned, as the children ate silently. The mother said, "Today is like Christmas for the children."
As we left the orphanage, the children, now full and wearing their new clothes, waved goodbye with truly beaming smiles.
The children are so lovely... but a sense of unresolved emotion swirled within me.

Children waving goodbye

Certainly, the children were happy. I believe they were genuinely delighted. ...But this kind of temporary aid doesn't change anything fundamental. The 200kg of rice will be gone in no time. The clothes will soon be worn out. What needs to be done to ensure those children can live properly... I feel I must think about it again, seriously. I was overcome with a strong sense of urgency.
...However, while some thought can be given to supporting adult self-sufficiency, what can be expected of such young children? Despite their age, these children know how to survive. They know how to share a little water among themselves. They don't complain at all, even if they don't get their share.
They live with more strength than I, who grew up in a world of abundance, and they always look forward. Or rather, they don't have the luxury of looking back. Surviving today leads to tomorrow's meal.

In developed countries, if you don't see a friend for a while, you might wonder, "I wonder how they're doing?"
In Africa, if you don't see someone for a while, you wonder, "I wonder if they're still alive?" ... This reality pains my heart.



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