On the day that Katie-Mae (my soon-to-be roomie for the next nine weeks) and I first arrived in Rumphi, Malawi, we were feeling everything you might expect: apprehensive, excited and also slightly nervous to meet our host family for the first time. We knew absolutely nothing about them except for their surname. However, any anxieties we had were soon calmed by a warm greeting from our host ‘amama’ -our adada, Mr Luhanga was away for work. We were brought into the living room (which to our delight had a TV with British channels!), where we were introduced to a house full of dancing children, amama’s many friends asking countless questions, and our lovely host-siblings - Takondwa, Idah and Mbukane. After just half an hour of arriving at our host home, Katie-Mae and I found ourselves being persuaded into giving an acapella rendition of Simon and Garfunkel’s ‘Cecilia’, much to everyone’s amusement. We were later to find out that singing to a crowd of strangers is a perfectly normal way to acquaint yourself with someone! After all the excitement, we were shown to our bedroom - relatively large with two very comfortable beds, a small chest of drawers, plug sockets and an en-suite with a shower. Despite the lack of hot water, internet and a ceiling, Mr and Mrs Luhanga’s home bore similarities to a British house, and we immediately felt comfortable in our new surroundings.
The next morning we enjoyed a breakfast of pancakes and coffee, and the incredible experience of opening our back door to the sun rising over the mountains and pouring through the windows of the church next door to us. Seeing our new home in daylight renewed all our excitement from the previous night. After a busy day of exploring the town, paddling in the river and seeing the sights of Rumphi, we headed home, which we knew to be just a fifteen minute walk from town, yet I remember the hilarious struggle of trying to remember where our house was. Luckily, everyone knows everyone in the community and were happy to point us in the right direction! That evening, we gave gifts to our family and introduced Takondwa and Idah and their many friends to light-up balloons. Within moments, the sound-system was on full blast and a spontaneous party was in full swing. The legend that is Mrs Luhanga, with the help of her friends, gave us a lesson in African dancing - a feat neither Katie nor I managed to master - let’s say it involves a lot of strength from the hips!
We have now been living with our new family for a month, and we have enjoyed countless more hilarious evenings dancing round the living room, cooking meals for each other and generally getting on like a house on fire. Our cousin George and I shared a birthday at the end of July - him turning five and me 19, and our family threw us a party to celebrate. It seemed the whole town was invited, as well as all the ICS volunteers and field officers, and it was by far one of the best birthdays I’ve had!
Amama is constantly telling us how happy she is to have two more daughters, and even introduces us to her friends as her first born and second-born children - a running joke in the family. She helps us pick out outfits to wear to her friends’ bridal showers, looks after us when we’re feeling ill, and insists on cleaning our room and washing all of our clothes, telling us that our hands are too soft for the hot water. Our adada’s English is almost perfect and he talks with us about politics, geography and football - he’s a huge Arsenal fan! Takondwa, Idah and Mbukane are ever helpful and generally lovely, and as of this week, we have a new addition to the family in the form of four adorable new puppies, one of which Katie-Mae and I are allowed to name!
Although the prospect of staying in a host home for two months can be daunting at first, we feel there is no better way to experience a new culture and to become part of the community. Staying with a family also allows us to practice our language skills and learn more about the Malawian way of life - both extremely valuable when it comes to working with community members. It’s safe to say our ICS placement would not have been the same without the support and kindness we’ve received from our host family - and nowhere near as fun!
Written by ICS volunteer Charlie Rodrick
