Brightlingsea, my hometown in Essex, England to be specific, on the coast close to Colchester. On the 30th of January 2009 I am going to arriving in Dedza Township, Dedza district, Malawi. I will stay and work in Dedza for three months. During this time I will be affiliated with the district Authority Water Office, for whom I will perform a number of roles that will be explored in later posts. I expect the distance between the two settlement to be greater than the sum of the miles between them; my hope is that through this blog I will be able to share some of the differences that add to this distance, while of course also reporting on some of the similarities that have the opposite effect.
A picture of Dedza market
Importantly, just in case anyone mistakes me or my musing for something other than what they may turn in to… I am travelling as a volunteer, mainly using my own funds; I expect this position to influence almost everything I do and consequently, heavily inform what I choose to report on. Through this assertion I am also assuming that not all sentiments expressed here will be impartial and so ask any reader to bare in mind that my output is not an attempt at objective writing but rather a reflection of my own personal experience, and as such is likely to be emotionally charged – I don’t know if that’s an apology or a promise!?
Beyond these initial apprehensive misgivings, I am very much looking forward to some prolonged sunshine, the opportunity to experience new cultures, make new friends and generally have a good time learning about what I hope to spend the rest of my life doing, I hope you find it interesting too.
