JWS01

A Friend of Malawi

JWS Gallery # 1

After I (John Strain, former FOM Web Helper) returned from my PC assignment at Kaphuka Rural Hospital, in Malawi 11 (1966-68), Child Nutrition, I assembled a small number of my 3,000 35 mm slides into a series, which I am pleased to share. I copied them on my flat bed scanner. Have scanner, will scan. Hopefully, you will enjoy them as much as I do. Feedback is sincerely invited. Come and visit one of the most beautiful countries on earth.

I was recently honored with a kind request to paint some of my photographs, for the painters personal use. Of course, I agreed and thanked them for the complement. While I would have the same answer for another, I would appreciate that none of my private pictures be copied for another's profits. Should there be any profits to share, please forward them to the AFOM, on our behalf.

Click on the small pictures below with your left mouse button to see a larger image. Then click on your back button to undo the big picture and return to this page. If you are here and want go to return to the AFOM Home Page, click on Dorothy's little red shoes, below, to return to the FOM home page.

Hey viewers from Malawi, send me your pictures too. Please. If I can, I will post them with appropriate credit to you and your projects.

I split my Gallery page into two, to launch faster. Hope you like my shots.

The Country Overview:

Off the M1 looking west	Same hill looking north to the lake	Mphezi Mt near Kaphuka

A family in
Kaphuka

Sisal protects
Kaphuka

My First House with
my trusty Honda

My very first morning. True story!

05 Kaphuka Sisal Protection.jpg (45012 bytes)

After arriving at midnight in mid-January 1967, I awakened at about 6 am.

Being a guy from Northridge, CA and an avid surfer, I was delighted when listening to Malawi Broadcast Corporation radio on my little radio, when the following song was aired.

I knew I was at home in Kaphuka.

Just Click Here

Mfumu (Chief) Kaphuka and his wife, my local Mother	My best friend's daughter, Teraza	My best friend's second wife, Nabanda and Teraza's Mom

Nakwenda, my friend's first wife, Malango with millet	Kaphuka is on the hill before the mountain in the center

Maize or Corn is FOOD and FOOD is Team Work:

Here is the harvest team at work on the Salima Road	Mary Kaphuka with a strong neck brings home the food	Naele removes corn from the cob Very colorful	Nakwenda removing the corn shell before making flour/'ufa'

The specks are flying white ants or termites, yummy, like soggy popcorn!	Peanuts drying in Chief K's backyard

In the village, a sign of wealth is the size of the herd. Here is a picture of Chief Kaphuka's herd

Master Craft Persons, all by hand, no potter's wheel and perfectly round.

An ancient game, Nchua, or Bao or Nkalaha. This is the master edition, 18 holes in four rows.

Remember my first house? I contracted for a new one, now going up at 12 feet by 20 feet. Total cost $45.00. Watch it grow!

A three sided box is filled of mud and advanced like a coil pot is built, 12 ' high	Walls are done	Rafters done, engineers, please don't look too hard	When it first rains, inside is like out	Would not Frank Lloyd Wright have been pleased?

Village life does produce protein for kids.

A scene from Kaphuka, with elephant grass used as the under layer of my roof.	Mary Kaphuka harvesting groundnuts (peanuts) 27% vetie protein	Classic Kwashiorkor, her Mother knitted the hat	Two years old, 13 pounds	Same but worse!