Mary in Malawi

Today I visited a school run by Nkhoma hospital for orphans. It was a very litte school, 30 children and no class rooms, not even a school building. They normally have their lessons under a tree, but now during the rainy season they moved in to an old chicken house close to the tree. It had not been chickens in it for a long time, so it didn't smell. The teacher was a young lady with a baby on her back. She was very enthusiastic, and the children were this day practicing counting 1 to 5 in english and the letters A E I O U. They were repeating the name of the number or the letter while the techer pointed at it on the black board (which was not really a black board, just a piece of wood put up on the wall). It was very fun to be there, the children where happy and eager to learn, they didn't even wanna go for break! =)

The teacher had her own little baby, and sometimes during the day the baby needed food. So she just started breastfeeding the baby and continued the lesson with the baby hanging from her nipple. That was so charming! =) Are teachers allowed to bring their babies to classes at home..? =) Is it even accepted to breast feed in public...? I think it is beautiful, and one thing that i love about Malawi is that no one here cares. a breast is a breast, it's meant for feeding your baby. That's it. No one looks strange at you for breast feeding in public here. They do it anywhere at anytime! =) It is completely natural. I love the simplicity here! =)

The school ends around noon, and then the childrne returns the their villages. Most of them lives with a relative or a family friend.

Did you know that one reason to all the orphans, it's the ceremoni they do in certain parts of Malawi to help a girl become a woman? for a girl to become a woman, she needs to live in the house of an older man for one month after she had her first period. The man has sex with her, and "teaches" her how to please a man. Most of these girls end up pregnant. But because they are very young, around 12, and not married, they are sent away for 9 months to give birth and leave the child with someone else. Most likely a grandmother. Then the child has never happend. the girl never had a child, and the child is classed as an orphan. That is why there are so many old women walking around with small babies on their backs. Sick tradition, huh??