Safety in Dzoole Village, Malawi What do other Racers need to know in order to be safe? Current safety protocols/precautions in place? Any relevant issues/concerns? Any precautionary suggestions?
People’s Opinions
SUPER safe within the village. The village elders ensure your safety. You are welcome to walk/run/go where you please by yourself, even at night. Pretty much everyone is friendly.
The town of Ntcheu is 6 miles away, and it’s relatively safe too, but don’t go there alone. Go with a group of at least two, and a member of the host’s family will go with you.
Ministry Summary
Ministry Summary in Dzoole Village, Malawi Breakthroughs? Suggestions? Concerns? On a scale of 1-4 (1 being not at all, 4 being absolutely) how strongly would you recommend another World Race team go to this ministry location & why?
People’s Opinions
2 – We had no clearly defined ministry this month. We “worked” at the primary school as teaching assistants which meant we sat at the edge of the room and graded maybe two math problems, or we volunteered in the daycare for three hours a day. We feel like the village would be a great place for ATL Month but not really for a team at the beginning of their Race.
Lodging
Lodging in Dzoole Village, Malawi Where did you stay? What were the accommodations (sleeping arrangements, toilets, showers, etc.)? Cost (per person per night in USD), Contact info.
People’s Opinions
Lodging was free. We stayed in the pastor’s house, which easily accommodated seven of us. They provided mattresses for us for, and we slept on the floor in private, lockable rooms. They had the nicest squatty outhouse we saw in all of Africa. The bucket showers were pretty amazing too – the pastor’s wife heated the water over a fire for each shower.
Food / Meals
Food / Meals in Dzoole Village, Malawi What did you eat? Where did you get the food? Cost (per person per day in USD)? Contact info (if applicable).
People’s Opinions
Our budget was $2.50/ppd and ladies from the host’s family cooked for us. Daily breakfast consisted of sliced white bread with butter and tea, sometimes bananas or cucumbers. Lunch and dinner consisted of nshima, rice, greens, beans, and an occasional meat dish.
We did eat lunch in Ntcheu twice – Aunt Flo’s and The Grey House. Flo’s was close to our budget and served typical African food – fried eggs, nshima, greens, beef stew. The Grey House was a bit more expensive (2500 kwatcha) and had a buffet.
Transportation
Transportation in Dzoole Village, Malawi What transportation did you use to enter the country? Where were you coming from? What transportation was used to move throughout the country? Be sure to include the cost per person in USD and contact info if applicable.
People’s Opinions
We left from debrief in Cape Maclear via bus with some other teams. We split off from them about an hour in and then took a van into Ntchew for 50,000 MKw – which was way overpriced. Our host met us in Ntchew and arranged for us to get to the village.
Once in the village, you walk everywhere. When you want to go into Ntchew, you can get a bike taxi for 240 MKw/person one-way or walk to the main road to get a mini bus/van for 200 MKw/person one-way.
Our host arranged private transportation for us to return to Cape Maclear at the end of the month for 70,000 MKw.
Medical
Medical in Dzoole Village, Malawi Information on local hospitals / doctors / pharmacies. Where would someone go in a medical emergency? (addresses and contact info).
People’s Opinions
Don’t have an emergency in Dzoole, as there is no doctor/clinic in the village. There are a couple of clinics in Ntcheu; the one our Racers went to (name not remembered) is poorly equipped and overcrowded. Our host sent a couple of Racers to the hospital in Blantyre, but that is an expensive 6+ hour journey via public transportation. Other Racers went to a clinic in Balaka (People’s Care – or something like that), and these Racers did not get a lot of information about what was wrong with them. They were just given prescriptions for random drugs, which was problematic for someone allergic to penicillin. Pharmacies in Ntcheu are abundant.
Communication
Communication in Dzoole Village, Malawi Did you have cell reception / Internet service? Where? Carrier / Provider, where did you get phones / SIM cards, cost? Country code?
People’s Opinions
Team phones worked fine and minutes can be bought when in Ntcheu. Be sure to get the same SIM card carrier as the other teams, otherwise your minutes will be used MUCH faster. Internet did not work in the village, nor was it working at any of the internet cafes in Ntcheu when we were there.
Financial
Financial in Dzoole Village, Malawi Location of banks or ATMs, notes about transaction fees, best places to exchange money, and other money related advice.
People’s Opinions
There are no financial institutions in the village, but there are plenty of banks in Ntcheu. We tended to stick with National Bank and had no issues or transaction fees. We did not exchange any money, but we did ask many banks for USD in order to replenish emergency cash, but no one carried USD.
Translators
Translators in Dzoole Village, Malawi List any local translators – name and contact information, languages spoken
People’s Opinions
The teachers at the primary school spoke English well enough, as they taught in English, but everyone else speaks the native language of Chichewa. Our main host spoke fluent conversational English and some of his brothers knew the basics, so they translated for us.
Off Days / Fun Activities
Off Days / Fun Activities in Dzoole Village, Malawi What activities did your team experience? Recommendations? List locations/contact info. Any locations to be avoided? Any extra safety tips for off days?
People’s Opinions
We went to Liwonde National Park where we went on a boat safari and a jeep safari. There is also a pool here. Be sure to go with the host, Lemani, as he can get you a bunch of discounts otherwise the fees are not worth the experience.
Other Important Contacts
Other Important Contacts in Dzoole Village, Malawi Additional ministry opportunities, local pastors, etc. Relationship & follow up suggestions
People’s Opinions
Comment
Tips
People’s Opinions
Comment
Additional Info
Additional Info in Dzoole Village, Malawi Anything we’ve left out? Any additional suggestions to make travel easier for others?
People’s Opinions
As of Feb 2016, there was no electricity in the village. We did see a transformer be installed, so running electricity to the village is in progress.
Go outside at night a look up.
Make sure you learn how to play Bao (a marble game like Mancala) and play with everyone.
Have songs prepared to sing at church. You will be asked to perform every week.
Don’t be afraid to close the front door because a mass of kids will sit on the front lawn. These kids will also join you on your walks and fight to hold your hand. Even when the path narrows next to a ravine, they won’t let go. It’s precious, so take lots of walks.