Nyasa

I decided to linger in Ruvuma Region over the weekend and make the trip to the town of Mbamba Bay, which sits on the shore of Lake Nyasa (Lake Malawi to English speakers). I had to wait around for a few hours at the bus stand in Songea but I zoned out and observed the world passing by. A man selling popcorn out of a huge bucket, people arguing about who owes what to whom, sacks of this and that being stuffed into wherever they’d fit.

The journey was slooooowwwwww. But the lake scenery was well worth it. The main reason for coming was to meet a young conservation graduate I have been mentoring, who impressed us last year when we visited here with some donor colleagues. Conservation is hard enough to break into with resources and connections, but I feel both the enthusiasm and frustration of Shadrack who comes from a poor family from a remote village between Mbamba Bay and the Mozambique. He wants to develop his career as an ecologist and continue as a guide for people visiting this region. We walked on the beach as the sun set and talked about his options. He remains determined and I’ll do as much as I can to support his applications and networking.

I stayed in some accommodation attached to a seminary, occupying a prime position, although I appeared to be the only nun in the convent. We ate traditional fish makange for dinner and rested early.

Even in very quiet villages a disco will be thumping out. Luckily the one in the small village next to Mbamba Bay wound up at around 11pm so I could sleep with the sounds of the crashing shore of Lake Nyasa, which is so large that it has waves.