Journey to the warm heart of Africa

By Celeah Gagnon
March/April 2012

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For Barbara and Celeah, this visit was a time of renewed friendship.

Sixteen-year-old Celeah Gagnon lives in Windsor, Ontario, and attends F.J. Brennan Catholic High School. In the summer of 2011, she traveled to Malawi, Central Africa, for a five-week visit with her grandmother, Scarboro missioner Barbara Michie, missioned to Malawi since 2004.

When my grandmother first invited me to visit her in Northern Malawi, I had a definite “Yes!” in mind. I knew that grandma taught English and Bible Study at St. Patrick’s Minor Seminary, an all-boys high school in the town of Rumphi, and that she lived in a little house just outside the seminary property. However, I had no idea what was in store or what I was about to see.

I met many people on my visit, people who always seem to be smiling no matter what their situation. And they are happy to help each other. At St. Patrick’s, or “Spatsey” as the students call it, the school motto is, “Better to give, than to receive.”

To provide for themselves and their families, many Malawians have set up their own small business—a little stall in town or at a rural intersection selling basics such as soap, salt, sugar, and candles. Some sell local artifacts— intricate carvings, beautiful fabrics, paintings and jewelry. Many women have a vegetable and fruit stand along the roadside under the shade of a tree.

Celeah with Cikondi at his high school graduation feast. Cikondi attends Chancombi High School in Rumphi and lives with Celeah’s grandmother, Scarboro missioner Barbara Michie.

One enterprise that stood out for me the most was a women’s group in Rumphi known as the Agogo’s Group (agogo means grandmother in the local language). Two older Malawian women lead the group, which helps members to support their families by working together to grow crops, raise cattle and poultry, and make their own clothes. Through their mutual support and efforts, a bond of trust and love has grown among the women. My grandmother has become a friend to this group of women.

Every day I went with my grandma to St. Patrick’s to mend books in the library or to sit in on her Grade 9 classes. I enjoyed spending time with these boys who are with my grandmother every day, and seeing what they do for fun. They taught me to play a traditional board game called Bao, pronounced “bow.”

I also visited an all-girls school called Marymount in Mzuzu, about an hour’s drive away. As soon as I was introduced by Leslie Paranuik, another Scarboro missioner and the school’s librarian, the students were literally attached to my side. I connected easily with these girls who were all in my age group, 12-19 years. This is when I realized that girls are the same no matter where they are—we all want to have fun and to talk about boys, clothes, music, and how hard that test was. Leslie and I and the girls of Marymount hung out in the dorm rooms as though we had all known each other for years.

Students at Marymount School for Girls in Mzuzu welcome Celeah as a sister.

During my three stopovers at Marymount, Leslie became a close friend. I learned that her hometown, Tweed, Ontario, is some seven hours from where I live. I will be sure to visit her when next she’s in Canada.

This visit to Malawi has made me aware of things that I never noticed before. For example, living in Canada I have always taken fresh water for granted. Even though Malawi has regional Water Boards and filtering systems, many people still do not have access to clean water. There is piped water in the cities and towns, but most rural dwellers must carry water from bore holes or rivers, often a long and difficult daily task. We in Canada also have an abundance of clothes for any weather and electricity at our fingertips. These are not an option for most people, in rural areas especially, and many still struggle to find wood fuel for cooking.

Malawi was an amazing experience that I will not soon forget, but I think the most amazing aspect of my journey was my renewed friendship with my grandmother. If you want to get close to someone, spend five weeks with them in a foreign country with good times, super friendly people and breathtaking landscapes.

There is a reason why they call Malawi “The Warm Heart of Africa.” I cannot fully explain the country’s true beauty and how these new places and faces found a home in my heart. Is it possible to get attached so easily to someone or something you’ve only just met or experienced? Yes! I would say I caught a bug—the Malawian love bug.

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