Welcome to Malawi

Welcome to my first blogging experience.

I’m in Malawi to explore the potential commercialization of medicinal plants as a strategy to improve incomes of rural Malawians for a development project. I know that sounds a little technical and boring, but it’s been a truly fascinating experience. To be honest, before I arrived I thought this was a bit of a long shot and that even if we found plants that people wanted to buy, there would be too many obstacles to actually making commercialization a reality. I may prove myself wrong.

It’s been a fascinating three weeks so far interviewing traditional healers, walking through forests to see trees with medicinal uses, meeting with government folks, and exporters of medicinal plants (they do actually exist in Malawi). I even sampled one of our high potential products – gondolosi. The traditional healer who offered it to me told me that they eat the outer layer of the root bark to give them strength – what he neglected to mention was that it was men who use it and that it gives them “strength” in one very particular area. In fact, I’ve discovered that what they call “battery chargers” are by far the most popular item for most healers. You see them sold everywhere – even one welder who sold battery charger on the side. If you didn’t know better, you would think they had rechargeable batteries in Malawi! In one community herbal garden, the “battery charger” plant was hidden behind another bush. The women who tend the garden told me (through giggles) that they use that plant more than any other and that they have to hide the plant or their neighbors come to steal it. They also told me about a branch of a tree that you can tie around your waist while getting it on, and it prevents you from getting pregnant…hmmm, I think I might need some more convincing of that one, especially given the birth rate here. That said, I did pick up a piece of bark from one healer and intend to give it a try – he told me that bathing in water with the bark will increase a man’s standing in the community, and help a woman find a husband. I figure it can’t hurt!

The trip has also been a lot more sociable than I thought it would be. There have been other consultants here working on different aspects of the same project the whole time I have been here, so I have not wanted for dinner partners. Before anyone gets too excited about prospects for friends or more, all of these consultants have been at least 55 and all married. But it’s nice to have people to talk to even if it is in the same restaurant every night – at least it’s good vegetarian Indian food.

My other news is that after drumming up lots of sympathy before I left about celebrating my 30th birthday by ordering room service alone in a hotel room in Malawi, it now looks like I will be in Durban, South Africa attending a conference instead. A definite improvement as I have some friends of my parents there so I’ll at least have company for dinner, and at the very least, I will be able to go out and drown my self pity at the mall.