[civsoc-mw] NY Times photo article on Mw

[Keyboard Boyd Kilembey]

I think the pictures are ok. They are representative of what Malawi is. I
would have been thoroughly alarmed if the pictures were taken at bus depot
Lilongwe or Wenela or Lizulu market as representative of urban malawi

On Tue, 1 Sep 2020, 12:11 Levi Manda, <admanda2002 at gmail.com> wrote:

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