[civsoc-mw] NY Times photo article on Mw

Tue Sep 1 12:08:59 CAT 2020

*Nothing urban about Malawi. Stereotypes should be criminalised.*

*Levi Zeleza Manda, PhD*

*Executive Director, Development Media Consulting*

P.O. Box 30546, Blantyre 3, Malawi, +265888851486/0999661156

Principal Investigator, *Worlds of Journalism Studies*
https://worldsofjournalism.org/

Mentor, *Social Accountability Media Initiative*
https://akumedia.aku.edu/event/the-sami-project/

Editor, *Journal of Development and Communication Studies*
http://www.devcomsjournalmw.org/

Board Member, *African Journalism Studies*,
https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/recq21

On Mon, Aug 31, 2020 at 10:39 PM <cammack at mweb.co.za> wrote:

> [image: Malawi’s Thuma Forest Reserve.]
> https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/travel/malawi.html?referringSource=articleShare
>
> Malawi’s Thuma Forest Reserve.
>
> The World Through a Lens
>
> *A Virtual Tour of Malawi, the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’*
>
> Malawi leaves a lasting impression not because of its location or
> aesthetics, but because of its people, writes the photographer Marcus
> Westberg.
>
> Malawi’s Thuma Forest Reserve.Credit...
>
> Photographs and Text by Marcus Westberg
>
>    - Aug. 31, 2020Updated 10:30 a.m. ET
>
> ·
>
> ·  ·  ·  *At the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, with travel
> restrictions in place worldwide, we launched a new series — **The World
> Through a Lens* <https://www.nytimes.com/column/the-world-through-a-lens>*
> — in which photojournalists help transport you, virtually, to some of our
> planet’s most beautiful and intriguing places. This week, Marcus Westberg
> shares a collection of images from Malawi.*
> ------------------------------
>
> When I stepped off the plane in Lilongwe as a 23-year-old, I had no idea
> of what to expect, though I was excited about the prospect of my first solo
> trip to Africa. I spent the first few days wandering around the city — it
> felt more like a small town than the nation’s capital — before deciding
> that it was time to see more of the country.
>
> Advertisement
>
> Continue reading the main story
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/travel/malawi.html?referringSource=articleShare#after-story-ad-1>
>
> A landlocked country in southeastern Africa, Malawi is often overshadowed
> by its more better-known neighbors: Tanzania, with its abundant wildlife;
> Zambia, home of Victoria Falls; and Mozambique, with its picture-perfect
> beaches.
>
> Image
>
> The sun rises over Lake Malawi, shared between Malawi, Tanzania and
> Mozambique, as fishermen return after a night of hard work.
>
> But Malawi — roughly the size of Pennsylvania — has plenty of natural
> beauty of its own: the clear waters of Lake Malawi (close to 365 miles long
> and 52 miles wide, it’s sometimes called the “Calendar Lake”); the
> magnificent cliffs of Mount Mulanje; the unique highland plateau of Nyika;
> and its wildlife reserves, including Liwonde
> <https://www.africanparks.org/the-parks/liwonde> and Majete
> <https://www.africanparks.org/the-parks/majete>, where cheetahs, lions,
> elephants and rhinos have been reintroduced.
>
>    - Give the gift they'll open every day.
>
> Subscriptions to The Times. Starting at $15.
> <https://www.nytimes.com/subscription/gift?campaignId=9HKRJ>
>
> Still, it was never the country’s natural charms that kept drawing me
> back. It was the people.
>
> Image
>
> [image: An impromptu photography lesson in the village of Mtalimanja.]
>
> An impromptu photography lesson in the village of Mtalimanja.
>
> Image
>
> [image: “Thank you for coming to our country!” This, while I was
> documenting the impacts of a new borehole in the village of Neliyapi, was
> neither the first nor the last time I have had such sentiments expressed at
> me quite literally in passing, usually followed by: “Tell your friends
> about Malawi — they are welcome here!”]
>
> “Thank you for coming to our country!” This, while I was documenting the
> impacts of a new borehole in the village of Neliyapi, was neither the first
> nor the last time I have had such sentiments expressed at me quite
> literally in passing, usually followed by: “Tell your friends about Malawi
> — they are welcome here!”
>
> Image
>
>
>
> The Chewa are Malawi’s largest ethnic group, accounting for approximately
> one-third of the total population. Singing, dancing and drama are important
> aspects of their culture, and educational programs on topics such as
> hygiene are often performed as plays.
>
> As a photojournalist and travel writer, I am wary of clichés and
> generalizations. But few countries have been awarded a more appropriate
> slogan than Malawi, which is known as the “Warm Heart of Africa.” While I
> have rarely been made to feel unwelcome anywhere during my travels, in
> Africa or elsewhere, Malawi has always felt different.
>
> Advertisement
>
> Continue reading the main story
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/travel/malawi.html?referringSource=articleShare#after-story-ad-2>
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Students on their summer break peer in through the gate to the Hampton
> Safe Haven, a primary school founded by the Hampton School in England.
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Over 80 percent of Malawi’s population depends on subsistence agriculture
> — primarily of maize, although soybeans have become an important addition
> because of their high protein content.
>
> Of course, it would be unfair to gloss over the country’s many challenges.
> Crime has risen dramatically since my first visit. Sexual abuse of minors
> remains a significant problem, especially in more traditional, rural
> settings.
>
>
>
> Image
>
> [image: A ranger looks over Thuma Forest Reserve at sunrise. Like the rest
> of his team, he comes from a village on the border of the reserve. Ranger
> jobs helps mitigate conflict over the use of natural resources, which is
> common in many protected areas.]
>
> A ranger looks over Thuma Forest Reserve at sunrise. Like the rest of his
> team, he comes from a village on the border of the reserve. Ranger jobs
> helps mitigate conflict over the use of natural resources, which is common
> in many protected areas.
>
> In addition to being one of the world’s poorest countries, Malawi has also
> been afflicted by severe deforestation
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/21/world/africa/poverty-drought-malawi-water-supply.html>,
> overfishing, high levels of infectious diseases, low levels of school
> attendance and election irregularities
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/03/world/africa/Malawi-president-election-fraud.html>,
> although the newly formed government is receiving much credit for its
> crackdown on corruption and embezzlement of state funds.
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Access to clean, safe water is a challenge in much of Malawi. In the
> village of Neliyapi, until a borehole was constructed in 2018, many women
> would spend 3 or 4 hours per day walking to and from the river — and
> cholera was a serious risk.
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Clean, safe water is a commodity often taken for granted by those who have
> easy and consistent access to it. But hundreds of millions of people
> worldwide lack access to improved drinking water
> <https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/global/assessing.html>.
>
> Advertisement
>
> Continue reading the main story
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/travel/malawi.html?referringSource=articleShare#after-story-ad-3>
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Bringing water from a nearby borehole, in the village of Mtandula-Manase.
>
> The coronavirus pandemic has brought much of the country, including its
> international tourism, to a standstill, adding uncertainty to an already
> precarious existence for many.
>
>
>
> Image
>
> [image: At dawn, people from neighboring villages make their way to Senga
> Bay to buy fresh fish directly from the fishermen.]
>
> At dawn, people from neighboring villages make their way to Senga Bay to
> buy fresh fish directly from the fishermen.
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Early morning is a busy time in Senga Bay. Once the fishing boats have
> returned, the fish needs to be carted off and the nets dried and repaired.
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Lake Malawi sardines laid out to dry in Senga Bay.
>
> On that first visit 14 years ago, I eventually ended up at a small
> guesthouse in the fishing village of Senga Bay. Initially intending to stay
> for a night or two, I didn’t leave for more than a week.
>
> Much like the country itself, the appropriately named Cool Runnings
> <https://www.facebook.com/coolrunningsmalawi/> made a lasting impression
> not because of its location or aesthetics, but because of the people I met
> there. Half a dozen visits later, I never fail to be amazed by the
> ingenuity of the proprietor Samantha Ludick and her small team, all of whom
> come from this small lakeside community.
>
> Advertisement
>
> Continue reading the main story
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/travel/malawi.html?referringSource=articleShare#after-story-ad-4>
>
>
>
> Image
>
> [image: Two children share a meal of nutrient-enriched porridge in
> Mtalimanja village.]
>
> Two children share a meal of nutrient-enriched porridge in Mtalimanja
> village.
>
> The latest in their seemingly never-ending list of projects, ideas, and
> initiatives is Swop Shop, where plastic collected in and around Senga Bay
> is exchanged for points, for which a wide array of goods can be obtained.
> These range from biscuits and stationery (paid for from the proceeds of
> selling the plastic to a recycling plant in Lilongwe) to donated clothes,
> tools and soccer balls.
>
>
>
> Image
>
> [image: Two local boys waiting for the plastic they have collected to be
> weighed at Swop Shop in Senga Bay. Plastic and glass is converted to
> points, which can either be used immediately for a small purchase, such as
> pens, or accrued to pay for something more valuable, like soccer balls or
> shoes.]
>
> Two local boys waiting for the plastic they have collected to be weighed
> at Swop Shop in Senga Bay. Plastic and glass is converted to points, which
> can either be used immediately for a small purchase, such as pens, or
> accrued to pay for something more valuable, like soccer balls or shoes.
>
> An astonishing 40 tons of plastic, and thousands of non-reusable glass
> bottles, have been collected in the two years since the project’s
> inception. This includes 180 pounds of plastic brought in during my most
> recent trip by the Senga Boys under-12 soccer team, in exchange for new
> uniforms. Despite playing barefoot, they comfortably trounced the group of
> visitors I had brought from Sweden in an impromptu match — aided in small
> part by the cows that kept wandering onto the field and in large part by
> being the far better team.
>
> Image
>
>
>
> During a game of soccer, an adult ski glove became an improvised piece of
> goalkeeping equipment.
>
> Experiences like that have colored virtually all my visits to Malawi.
> Whether planned or spontaneous, on assignment or while going to the market
> for vegetables, time and time again I have found myself staying far longer
> than intended. As is true everywhere, mutual respect, curiosity and trust —
> and knowing when not to take yourself too seriously — go a long way to
> establish genuine connections and create meaningful relationships, whether
> they’re are fleeting or last for a lifetime.
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Sunset in Mtalimanja village.
>
> Advertisement
>
> Continue reading the main story
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/travel/malawi.html?referringSource=articleShare#after-story-ad-5>
>
> As a mzungu, the ubiquitous name for a white person in much of southern
> and eastern Africa, my obvious foreignness and my earnest, if seemingly
> hopeless, attempts to communicate in Chichewa tend to create enough
> curiosity to dissolve any awkwardness or tension, especially when
> accompanied by a big smile and an apparent appreciation of the rather
> complex local handshaking culture.
>
> Read more about this series, The World Through a Lens:
>
>
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/insider/letting-their-cameras-transport-you.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>
>
> *Letting Their Cameras Transport You
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/insider/letting-their-cameras-transport-you.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>*
>
> *With some of the finest photojournalists as your guide, The World Through
> a Lens series offers immersive escapes.
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/insider/letting-their-cameras-transport-you.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>*
>
> *Aug. 3, 2020
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/insider/letting-their-cameras-transport-you.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>*
>
>
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/03/insider/letting-their-cameras-transport-you.html?action=click&module=RelatedLinks&pgtype=Article>
>
>
>
> (It is perhaps appropriate to point out that the photos of children
> included here were taken in the presence of teachers or parents while
> working alongside the local staff of the nonprofit organizations funding
> the schools, boreholes or agriculture programs I was there to photograph.
> Whether in a school or a village, my general policy is to not take any
> photos until I have been introduced and done what I can to ensure that
> everyone is comfortable having me there, to the extent that this is
> feasible.)
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Lunchtime at Mtalimanja’s community-based childcare center. The meal,
> provided by the school through a collaboration between U.S.A.I.D., Feed the
> Children and Nu Skin Enterprises, consists of a nutrient-enriched maize and
> soy porridge.
>
>
>
> Image
>
> [image: Bath time in the village of Mtalimanja.]
>
> Bath time in the village of Mtalimanja.
>
> Image
>
>
>
> Bicycles are a common way of transportation in much of Malawi — and on the
> soft sand, sometimes easier to park upside down.
>
> Like anywhere else, Malawi is a complex a society, full of contradictions
> and complications. How could it not be? And yet, if you were to ask me
> where in the world I would feel the most comfortable walking up to a
> stranger — *any *stranger — to start a conversation, my answer,
> simultaneously recognizing and ignoring my own subjectivity, would
> unhesitatingly be Malawi.
>
> Advertisement
>
> Continue reading the main story
> <https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/31/travel/malawi.html?referringSource=articleShare#after-story-ad-6>
>
> Image
>
>
>
> The Shire River, teeming with hippos and crocodiles, marks the natural
> (though not actual) boundary for Liwonde National Park, one of Malawi’s top
> wildlife areas.
>
> *Marcus Westberg* <https://www.marcuswestberg.photo/>* is a photographer
> and writer who focuses primarily on conservation and development issues in
> sub-Saharan Africa. You can follow his work on **Instagram*
> <https://www.instagram.com/marcuswestbergphotography/>*, **Facebook*
> <https://www.facebook.com/MarcusWestbergPhotography/>* and **Twitter*
> <https://twitter.com/thelifeofmarcus>*.*
>
>
>
> --
> This message has been scanned for viruses and
> dangerous content by *MailScanner* <http://www.mailscanner.info/>, and is
> believed to be clean.
> _______________________________________________
> civsoc-mw mailing list
> civsoc-mw at sdnp.org.mw
> http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/mailman/listinfo/civsoc-mw
>

-- 
This message has been scanned for viruses and
dangerous content by MailScanner, and is
believed to be clean.

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0001.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image001.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 26279 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0023.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image002.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 57826 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0024.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image003.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 70063 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0025.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image004.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 82063 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0026.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image005.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 83174 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0027.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image006.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 65074 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0028.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image007.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 69761 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0029.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image008.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 32826 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0030.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image009.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 55855 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0031.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image010.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 45254 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0032.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image011.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 53532 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0033.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image012.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 37263 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0034.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image013.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 59772 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0035.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image014.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 66836 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0036.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image015.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 38724 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0037.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image016.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 71043 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0038.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image017.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 64768 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0039.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image018.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 25765 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0040.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image019.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 205918 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0041.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image020.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 53886 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0042.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image021.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 58513 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0043.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image022.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 70116 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0044.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: image023.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 13877 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://chambo3.sdnp.org.mw/pipermail/civsoc-mw/attachments/20200901/9580e9f7/attachment-0045.jpg>