Monday 10 February 2014

A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words

We met with the Board of Directors Saturday morning to discuss our findings and recommendations. They were very interested in what we had to say and how to implement our recommendations. One of the directors wanted us to talk to their government to put pressure on making the payroll remittances. "I don't think they will listen to us," was the best response I could come up with. I encouraged them to work together with MUSCCO to try and put pressure on the government.

It was time to leave and start our  long drive back from Karonga to Lilongwe. I suggested we stop in Mzuzu for a night for a break in between.


We drove along the lake which looked beautiful with the mountains of Tanzania in the background.




















Kids were selling the catch of the day along the side of the road. Ezekiel wanted to buy some fish because it is a lot cheaper to buy here than in Mzuzu. 







































I wondered how he was going to transport it. I hoped he was not going to just put them in the trunk with my luggage but I really hoped he was not going to put them in the backseat with me. Luckily he did neither. I never would have guessed how they would be transported. He tied them to the windshield wipers so “the air would flow through them so they don’t rot.”  Being rainy season and all, it was not a surprise that it started to rain. What was a surprise was to see a bunch of fish sliding across the windshield as we were driving along. It was the most bizarre situation.








We made it to Mzuzu and had a lovely dinner with Ezekiel and his family. His wife took us to the market in the morning so we could do some shopping. Betty and I decided we just wanted to wander around for the rest of the day so we wandered up and down the roads and explored the market.










Sunday 2 February 2014

Small Savings, Big Future

Tikwere is the first SACCO in Malawi to introduce a Youth Savings Group program encouraging the youth in the community to save. I had the amazing opportunity to visit the St Marys Primary Girls School to meet the girls in the savings club. They were expecting us and as soon as we pulled in the driveway they started shrieking. I’m not sure who was more excited, me or them.

It was extremely hot out so we set up under a big tree. As the guests of honour, we were seated at the front with all the children sitting on the ground facing us. The girls ranged in age from about six to fifteen years old. They welcomed us and read us a poem. It was in Che’chewa so I didn’t understand it as it was being read. I loved the translation that stated they want to save for their future because they don’t want a “sugar-daddy”.

The passion these young girls had about savings for their future and the SACCO in general was inspiring. Itai led the girls to different SACCO songs. It is impossible to explain the energy and enthusiasm that was felt but it warmed my heart. This level of passion is missing in the Canadian credit union system.

                                                        Their slogan says it all - “Small Savings, Big Future"