Enjoying the village life

I’d like to introduce you to two especially good friends I made here in Misuku.



My first weekend in Misuku I jumped right into the field to spend some time with a farmer. Mr. Winston Silungwe was gracious enough to welcome me into his home. Thus I joined his wife Winith Kayange, sons Stan and Max and daughter Wez in their rural life in the coffee farming village of Chanya. Mr Silungwe is a very serious coffee farmer with 2600 coffee bushes which he proudly showed me right away. He’s also the local chairman of the emerging honey producers business group with 50 hives of his own spread across the hills of his village. I had the chance to learn from the expert and help him hang one of his new hives while I was there. Although he wasn’t able to complete secondary schooling himself he believes very strongly in education and, while his own children are still in primary which is free, he is financing secondary education for two of his nephews through his coffee profits. It was a bit challenging to break through his serious and business-like exterior but I managed a few laughs as we sat around the fire at night contemplating the world. He is certainly a very driven man and benevolent with his contributions to his family and community.


This first weekend was also my proper initiation to the famous label ‘mzungu’. Walking through the hills I could hear the call before I could see the little faces gathering and staring bright-eyed. “Wisa! Mzungu!” (Come! White man!) It’s a story that’s been told by every EWB volunteer but it bears repeating I think. Calls to neighbouring compounds brought more children to the roadside. What an event! There was a white-man in the village! Some giggled, some waved, some stared blankly and some tried desperately to hide behind something while continuing to gawk. Feeling a bit like a minor celebrity I waved and greeted them “Mwaghona” eliciting either deeper silence in some or gales of laughter in others (Pr. Mwa-oh-na, Good morning). This of course was only the beginning and is bound to continue the whole time I’m here. I certainly don’t feel special but at least I can bring some excitement to their day just by walking by!


Two weeks later I was right back out in the field this time welcomed by Simon Mwanguku of Ndolopa village. Simon is a bit more laid-back than Mr. Silungwe though he’s also a strong farmer as zone vice-chair with 1200 coffee plants to his name. He’s a bit goofy too as you can tell from the photo above. His wife Catherine Simwela is also a strong coffee farmer and secretary of the all-women Business Centre in Ndolopa. Simon is quite proud of this and during one discussion acknowledged ruefully that women spend money more effectively and usually on family development. They have two young children, a son Joles and daughter Aggieness though Simon is aiming to eventually add a couple more to his brood. While in Ndolopa I was worked hard doing some weeding and fertilizing in his field of Irish potatoes, helping plant a bed of onions and harvesting a load of ground-nuts. Finally I had to get back to work at the co-op but we parted ways on great terms and decided we were indeed brothers.

Some reflections on the rural livelihoods in Misuku:

• The largest portion of their average day is spent on food: planting, growing, processing, preparing and eating.
• Farmers are of varying busyness throughout the year but always work 6 days a week for about 5 hours or so in the morning out in the field. During the harvesting season this can double.
• Local social networks are very important whether simply for passing time or for providing impromptu help hanging a bee-hive or harvesting ground-nuts. People love to just stop by to chat in the morning and evening.
• They’re primarily interested in hearing about our food and weather in Canada – this seems to be consistent with the main concerns in their own lives.
• Football is always a good discussion topic!