MALAWI

READ

No Easy Task, by Malawian author Aubrey Kachingwe, follows the life of Jo Jozeni, a young man living in an unnamed British colony in Central Africa. Jo would like to study law, but cannot obtain a scholarship to study abroad. Instead, he goes to work as a cub reporter for the Kawacha News in the city of Kawacha, not far from the village where he grew up.

Living and working in the city awakens him to the politics of being African in a country that is ruled by the British. Although there are a few Africans on both the Legislative Council and the Executive Council, they are appointed to those positions by the British, rather than nominated and elected by the people of the country.

The Kawacha News is owned by white British men as well, although shortly after Jo goes to work for the paper, the white editor and his partner quit and sell the paper to new owners. They give the editor position to an African man, but the new owner is still white and British.

It seems clear throughout the book that the country is trying to move toward independence. On the British side, however, there is the belief that the “country has reached its present progress and prosperity mainly because we, the non-Africans, have provided the capital, the initiative and the know-how.” Therefore, they are reluctant to give up their leadership role.

Naturally, the Africans whose country has been colonized have a different view. Jo’s father, who describes the British as guests, has this to say: “We are full of human love. In our hearts, we are full of generosity. We give a place to sleep and food to eat to our guests in our houses. We treat them like members of our own families. Good guests ask no more than we can give. But a guest who wants the best that can be had in our house at the expense of us – such a guest we will ask to leave our house. We cannot have him. We don’t want him.”

While most of the plot of No Easy Task involves politics, Jo’s day-to-day life is chronicled as well. Moving away from the village to the city is a big step for him, and he has to learn whom to trust. At first, he lives with his sister Mary and brother-in-law Felix, but after Felix gets into trouble for being involved in an unlawful protest, he loses both his job and his employer-owned housing. It seems that some kind of trouble or another is always in Jo’s path.

I found No Easy Task to be interesting and thought-provoking, showcasing colonialism as it winds down, rather than when it’s at full strength.

COOK

Although eating certainly occurred in No Easy Task, specific dishes weren’t mentioned. I searched the Internet and found several recipes for Mbatata, which are sweet potato cookies. I tried the one from the Curious Cuisiniere website, using Earth Balance instead of butter to make the cookies vegan. All the recipes seemed to indicate that these cookies should be made heart-shaped to honor the people of Malawi, who are known for their hospitality and friendliness. I don’t know if traditional Malawian sweet potato cookies are really cut in heart shapes or not, but I did as the recipe suggested. The cookies were good – not too sweet – and I was sorry the recipe made such a small batch.

GIVE

 

As is the case with other African countries, climate change has hit Malawi hard. This was on my mind as I searched through the GlobalGiving website for a project to support. The one that caught my eye was a project to construct a solar irrigation system for thirty farming families. According to the project description, food insecurity is a major issue in Malawi, and the “district of Balaka is especially vulnerable and increasingly hit by natural disasters as a result of climate change.” 

Building a solar-powered irrigation system “gives a reliable water supply to farmers making two harvests per year possible and increasing their long-term food security and income.” As part of this project, farmers will also be trained in desirable crop selection and equipment maintenance.

More information about this project is available at Empower 30 Malawian Families with Solar Irrigation - GlobalGiving.

NEXT STOP: MALAYSIA

MADAGASCAR

 

READ

When I first started this project, no novels had been translated into English by authors from Madagascar. Fortunately, by the time I reached Madagascar on my list, translator Allison M. Charette had remedied that situation. The book I read for this post is her translation of Beyond the Rice Fields, by Naivo.

The story takes place in the early to mid-1800s, during the last years of the reign of King Radama I and the first twenty-one years of the reign of Queen Ranavalona I. Tsito is nine years old when his village is destroyed by soldiers and he is sold into slavery. He is purchased by Rado, a trader who gives Tsito to his seven-year-old daughter Fara out of guilt because he has essentially abandoned her and her mother Bao, visiting them only occasionally. Tsito’s life with Fara, Bao, and Bao’s mother Bebe isn’t bad. He works alongside the women in the family, and he plays with Fara and attends school with her. He develops deep feelings for Fara, but knows a relationship is out of the question, since he is a slave.

From time to time, Rado takes Tsito on the road with him. On one of these trips, Tsito meets Ibandro, a strong and powerful slave belonging to the lord of the province. Ibandro takes Tsito under his wing, arranging for him to learn trades and crafts that he hopes will eventually win him his freedom. Eventually, Tsito leaves Fara’s family and goes to work for Ibandro’s master, Andriantsitoha.

This is not just a personal story about Tsito and Fara, however. The history of Madagascar during that era is chronicled in all its tragic detail. Seers, sorcery, and superstition are commonplace, and the people of the kingdom (referred to in the book as the People Under the Sky), are never safe from accusations that could lead to their deaths. When someone is accused of sorcery or any number of other things, they must face an ordeal called tangena, which involves poison. If the person survives, they are generally considered to be innocent of whatever charges had been brought against them. Tens of thousands of people lose their lives in this manner under the reign of Queen Ranavalona I.

Missionaries are active in Madagascar in the early part of this book, and Fara and Tsito learn to read and write at a missionary school. However, after Queen Ravanalona I takes the throne, she basically outlaws Christianity, and anyone who had converted to that religion faces a perilous existence.

Beyond the Rice Fields is told from both Tsito’s and Fara’s perspectives, tracing the arc as his fortunes rise and hers begin to fall. They are both sympathetic characters trying to do their best in life at a time when allegiances shift frequently, and when those in the Queen’s good graces one day may be at risk the next. This book is an unforgettable saga of a horrifying time in Madagascar’s history.

COOK

As is apparent from the title, rice is the main staple of the characters' diet in Beyond the Rice Fields. Other than that, however, the book didn’t supply much in the way of culinary inspiration. So I searched the Internet and found a recipe on the Yummly.com website for a dish called Madagascar Tofu. Essentially, this dish consists of cubed tofu coated with spices and cooked in a light sauce of onion, tomato, and coconut milk. It wasn’t bad, but considering how many spices were involved, I was surprised at how bland it was. Adding a little Tapatío sauce helped immensely!

GIVE

Climate change has been much on my mind lately, to the extent that I’ve even joined an online climate solutions book club. Knowing that Madagascar is suffering from dire climate-caused problems, I decided that my donation would go to climate change-related projects in that country. The GlobalGiving website listed several, and I chose three to support: a reforestation project, a relief fund for a climate-caused famine, and protection for threatened lemur habitat. Information about these projects can be found at the following links:

Planting 15000 trees in Madagascar - GlobalGiving 

Madagascar Famine Relief Fund - GlobalGiving

Protecting Threatened Lemur Habitat in Madagascar - GlobalGiving

 

NEXT STOP: MALAWI