a job well done.... (?)

Dear all,

First of all I must apologize for not haven written my blog 2 weeks ago. I was not sick, I am fine, but you will read below what exactly happend.

Now for the general news: Luviri is HOT! like I sit down and still sweat hot. But some days we are lucky and can have a nice breaze acompanying the sun and then it is a nice summer day. As you all might imagine I prefer the last type of weather more, but you cannot pick your weather :)
The last month I have received Arianne's letter from England, Charles and Yvonne's card (thank you, now I still saw elephants :) ) and 3 cards from my parents with Rotterdam to prepare me for my trip back. I am very sorry that I did not receive the other cards people have send yet.... lets hope they arrive before I leave next week Saturday.... Wow, time did fly by, but I am ready to come home. And I think it was a job well done... or at least, one can only hope :)

Last week wednesday I was in Mzuzu, but we were late (arrived after lunch) and I spend the whole rest of the day in the national library to get 4 boxes of books!!! YES, we could reregister :D:D:D And I was very happy that we could get all the nice books I got before. And then there was another nice surprise the next weekend when 6 boxes of english books arrived from the Netherlands. The last box was all Novels, so we now we have around 600 novels, 25 mathematic and english books, 3 Oxford english dictionaries, 25 multiple literature story books and 50 children books. It was a lot of writing to register them all, but it is a GREAT start of the library. Which opened last Thursday!!! It was a small get together with chiefs, headteachers and youth members (around 30 people) and very official with nice speeches. I used 'the boy who harvested the wind' to say that I hope this library will have a book for everyone in the community in order for them to reach their full potential... And lets hope that will happen.
So far already 30 people came to the library. 15 adults (of which one boy every day to read Romeo and Juliet for his form 4, last year of high school) and monday I got 15 children in from the local primary school who stayed for more then an hour reading the children books and magazines and discussing everything in detail. It was SO NICE to see that. The newspaper is also very happily received and the other book which have been read most is 'the boy who harvested the wind'.
Today I have bought 8 more form 4 books, which they need for their exam and an english-checewa, checewa-english dictionary and we will buy 5 benches so people can sit. Now our money is almost out, but that doesn't matter.
The youth also has conversations with a local chief who will check up on them when it comes to money and the books in general. The start is made and we can see from here how we are going from here to grow.

The nursery also ends well, because the last month the teachers (by themselves I didn't say anything) start to devide the groups in 2 and do the ABC out of their own initiative! Which makes me very happy! One boy has almost finished the alphabet.... isn't that amazing in just 2 months (and not even all days it was done....)! maybe it is not, but I think so :p

The primary school is not going very well, because they keep on cancelling classes while I don't know. Last week is the last 3 days of teaching, so I hope we can finish what we are doing and they can do their last homework assignment which is: read a short story in the library (which I will select) and write a small sumary and your feelings. Lets hope I have the opportunity to do that :)

I love Malawi, I enjoyed Malawi, but I am ready to come home! Lets hope that home is ready for me :) See you all very soon and I will be writing a new message when I get back!

lots of love, hugs and kisses Nienke