Mama Kadzimira

If Malawi is the warm heart of Africa, then Mama Kadzimira has to be the warm heart of Malawi. Our 3 days of being in Lilongwe (and if you’ve been following along, you know how we feel about Lilongwe) have been punctuated with dinners and evenings at Mama’s lovely home with Mama, her sister Mary, and Suzi. Mama is a most gracious hostess. She is warm and kind, and her heart for the people of Malawi is evident in every word she says. She is very intelligent, and her wry sense of humor caught me off guard more than once. She and Mary made us feel quite at home, and even cozy in her home, despite the palatial feel of the place. The dining room has a grand table which would easily seat 15. A marble topped buffet sits against the wall displaying treasures of Mama’s past. Her Sitting room is adorned with beautiful red velvet chairs with gold trim. A beautiful chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Pictures of her past and pictures of former president Banda hang on the walls and sit on the shelves and tables. Mama was there when Malawi gained it’s independence 45 years ago. She is an integral part of the history of this country, and she is respected as such. She is also real and down to earth, and not at all what my preconceptions were. She is everything a woman in her position should be. Mary, her sister lives with her and serves as a kind of care-taker to Mama. Mary is hysterically funny. She loves hugs (I got six in total yesterday alone). She makes jokes and sings to herself, but is very serious about making sure that the house is run properly. We helped Mary set the table for dinner Wednesday night, and everything had to be perfect. It took us nearly an hour to set the table for six of us (Mary’s not the fastest, she’s the best). Suzi cooked and dinner was wonderful. Thursday night, some people from the Malawi Project showed up to see Mama and Suzi and held an impromptu meeting in the dining room. So, while I was outside unloading and reloading about 4,000 pairs of Air Jordans the project had been donated in a shipping container, Kate and Mary worked on supper. Now, I want to tell you, guests are apparently not allowed in Mama’s kitchen (it’s just not the proper thing to do). So, (and I don’t know if Kate feels this way) it was a bit of an honor for us to be able to cook in her home. When I had completed my task of moving sneakers, and after the power came back on, I joined Kate in the kitchen. She didn’t really need my help though, she had everything under control. Dinner was great, and Mama told us stories of Malawi, and Suzi told us stories of the Project. In the end, all of us were exhausted from a long day. We took some pictures and said our goodnights. Kate and I told Mary we were going to take her back to NJ when we left, and we got some more hugs and made our way back to where we were staying. We are blessed to have been able to spend these two evenings with Mama. Her warmth and presence reflect Malawi, and are a beacon of hope to her people.