A Little Bit About Malawi

Malawi is considered to be East Africa.  It has three distinct weather seasons.  The Rainy Season starts around November and lasts until March.  Typically during the day it will be about 80 degrees, but it ranges between the 70s and 90s.  It rains just about everyday but is usually short.  So while it rains frequently it is still usually sunny most of the day.  There are bigger storms but mostly in the Evening or at Night.  A major side effect of the rainy season is frequent power outages.  The power will go out a few times a week.  Sometimes due to problems and sometimes the power company will switch off the grid if a big storm is approaching to avoid additional problems from lightning.  After the Rainy season is the Cold season which I dont know much about yet, but it is supposed to get down into the 50s and 60s which is pretty cold for the people around here.  The hot season is very dry and most of the vegetation dies.  If there aren't enough crops from the rainy season, the end of the dry season is the most difficult time for those with little money.  The temperatures for the hot season are usually in the 90s.

 

Malawi's defining feature is the Lake Malawi.  It is one of the deepest freshwater lakes and has the most species of fish.  It also plays a big role in the nation's economy along with the growing tea and tobacco.  The main food crop is a white corn called chimanga.  Other than corn, beans and rice are important and they have a lot of different fruits including bananas, mangos, papayas, avocados, pineapples, and coconuts.  The Balaka region is in the plains so it is very flat, but there are a lot of mountains on the horizon and other parts of the country.  The cities and the bigger towns have access to electricity, but most people live in rural areas and the grid only goes as far as people can pay.  Our school is the end of the grid on this side of town.