Tuesday, May 26, 2009

A few highlights this week:

This afternoon:
We’ll go to Mr. Chiunda’s house. Mr. Chiunda is a small, very energetic man who has helped countless vulnerable children and families over the years through, among other things, a breakfast program he used to run out of his house and his former job as National Coordinator of Pendulum Project Malawi. Today he, his family, Arichie and I, and a few young HIV positive people he’s helped over the years will eat a special meal of chapo (a Malawian fish that supposed to be delicious) together and I’ll have the chance to conduct some interviews.

Wednesday evening:
I’ll learn how to make nsima (remember? stiff cornmeal porridge eaten with everything here) from one of Arichie’s friends.

Thursday:
We’ll return to Mitundu area for more initial interviews and some follow-up ones with the two women to whom we gave the cameras.

Friday:
Morning - Paradiso House Home Based Care for a second interview with members of their support group. Last time they drew/wrote a timeline of important things that have happened in their lives (related or not to HIV status) and now all who want to will have a chance to share their stories on the recorder. Something tells me it’ll be everyone. I’ll also collect the Youth Club’s camera.
Afternoon – the University of North Carolina has a clinic at the main hospital here in Lilongwe. I met with the community outreach worker, and Arichie and I will be going out with one of the nurses to meet families and conduct interviews.

Saturday:
Return to Mchenga for initial and follow-up interviews.