The end of my African Adventure

Well as my trip has come to an end I wanted to sign off with some thank you’s and a few of my favourite Malawi pictures.  Malawi is a beautiful country with some of the most “warm hearted” people I have ever had the privilege to meet.  It was a wonderful adventure and I would like to thank CCA for allowing me the opportunity to represent Thunder Bay in Africa.   I know in my heart we have made a difference.  To my new African friends and colleges, I extend a very grateful thank you for reminding me of the importance of our co-operative principles and what it really means to be a Credit Union (SACCO)!   It is truly amazing that not only am I able to be part of my own Credit Union, but for two weeks I was given the chance to be part of a Credit Union community on the other side of the world!  To the Board, management, and my coworkers at Superior Credit Union thank you for all of your support that allowed me to participate in this program.  I feel that I did not take this trip alone as many of you were with me in spirit!   To my blog followers thank you for joining me on this journey and please enjoy the pictures they are just a small glimpse into my truly amazing adventure.  And last but not least to my family it is with your love and support I had the strength to complete this journey.   The memories that I have made during this trip will be with me forever and the lessons I have learned I will share with others.    There is a great big world out there and through the Credit Union system I am proud to say I was able to view just a little bit more of it!!!!

Zikomo Kwan Bini........  Thank you very much.

Lennie Hampton

This is my Favorite Malawi picture!



Very hard working Malawian on the dangerous river Shier

Resting under in the shade on our way to market

Fishing on lake Shier

Break time at the tobacco factory

Brining home Chomba for dinner

Say Cheese!

CEO of Muscco with his new Canadian Tie

The view from Frodya Sacco window



Brian from Frodya Sacco



A hard working Malawi woman

Taking charcoal to market

Setting up shop for the day under the shade of the trees

Malawi



Oliver and his new Canadian Tie!

Malawi family on their way home for the day

Alway room for one more!

Do I know you?

Selling my goods at market

Our tailor!

We made a trip to Lilondwe National Park for the weekend.    It was a long trip over 800 Km’s there and back and it was made even longer by the many police check stops that we had to go through, but we made it safe and sound and enjoyed some of the most beautiful scenery.  We were able to take a boat safari and where we saw many hippos and other wild life.  Unfortunately the elephants did not come to the river while we were on our tour, but it was well worth it just to see the hippos.  We stopped at a few markets along the way where our driver bought live chickens, charcoal and fresh mangos.  It was back to work today and we spent our 2^nd day with the Fodya Sacco. 

Mugone bwino (good nite) Lennie


Hippo's at Lindowe National Park

Say Ahh!!



Washing clothes on the River Shier

Village gathering on a Sunday afternoon

Typical farm in Malawi



Typical Village home in Malawi

Village outside Salima

We made our way out to the Fodya SACCO today.  This SACCO is closed bond to employees of the Alliance One Tobacco company.  We started the day meeting some of the Board of Directors then spent the remainder of the day with the staff Brian and Rita.  This is a small SACCO with only two staff members and 5 Board of Directors.  They have 440 members and are looking for ways to compete with the two other Tobacco company SACCO’s.   As the branch is very small we spent most of the day sitting outside the branch reading policies and talking with members.  It was a very good day and we got to meet a lot of members.  We also learned the proper hand shake greeting for here in Malawi. We are moving into the weekend and will be spending Saturday and Sunday touring around Malawi and will be back with the Fodya on Monday morning.  I hope everyone has a great weekend and will start posting my blog again on Monday!

Mugone bwino (good nite) Lennie

Brian hard at work

Members waiting for service at Fodya SACCO

Member and Rocio at Fodya

Resting after loading the Tobacco

Brian Fodya SACCO

Moving the Tobacco to shipping area

Tobacco Factory

Mwaswera bwanji (Good Afternoon) 

 Although it is evening here it is still afternoon in Thunder Bay.  I was a rainy start to our day here in Malawi today with it clearing up in the afternoon.  With all the rain we have had here in the evenings and morning I can see why everything is so lush and green.  We have fallen asleep to the rumblings of thunder almost every evening since we have arrived.   We had to say goodbye to our newly made friends at Mzinda Sacco today.  After presenting the Board and Management with our report and their certificate of participation they presented us with a very nice wood carving and some of their beautiful Credit Union cloth.  We will definitely miss working with the Mzinda Staff.   We are looking forward to starting our work with Fordya SACCO tomorrow.  Well as it is getting late I will sign off for now.  

Mugone Bwino (Good Nite)  Lennie

We say farwell to our FRIENDS at Mzinda SACCO

After the rain in Malawi

Everything is beautiful and lush

We woke up to one of the most beautiful days we have seen since we have arrived here in Malawi.  We spent our second day at the Mzinda SACCO (Savings and Credit Cooperative), we had the pleasure of meeting with two of Mzinda’s members.  Philemino and Robert both have been long time members and both are very happy with what their Credit Union has accomplished over the years.  Robert was one of the first members of Mzinda over 16 years ago.  He shared with us the story of how the Credit Union recently helped him when his father fell ill and then passed away.  It brought tears to our eyes to hear how with the support of the Credit Union he was go and see his father and then settle his affairs after he passed away.   As he was the first born it was very important for him to be able to do this and he did not know what he would have done without this support.   He is very proud Mzinda SACCO member.   We spent the rest of the day working hard on our report which we will be presenting to the Mzinda Board of Directors tomorrow.

Gertrude the Lending Officer at Mzinda SACCO

Tionan Mawa (until tomorrow) Lennie



Cleaning up the grounds after last nights Thunder Storm

Robert a Member of Mzinda SACCO

Malawi Group

Greetings from the Malawi Coaching Group.  The group had to say goodbye today as we headed out to our assigned Credit Unions (Sacco's).  My partner Rocio and I are lucky to be staying right here in Lilongwe while the others are travelling out to Blantyre and Mizuzzu.  Once the others were on the road Rocio and I headed to our first Sacco Mzinda.  Mzinda Sacco has been operating for 16 years.  They have 1865 members and they were recognized as having the best membership growth for the region by the Malawi Credit Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives in 2010.  They currently took on the task of fully computerizing their Credit Union which entailed them shutting the doors to their members for 3 weeks while they input all the member ledger cards into the system and prepared the system for new business.  They had just opened the doors again yesterday and their members where anxious to see the new system and to get access to their money again.

The Banking Hall was full of members once the doors opened

Manager Oliver with Membership growth award

Members were suprised to see Azunga's (white people)

Work begins

We had a great first day working with here in Lilongwe. We had a meeting with Malawi Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives today or other wise known as MUSCCO. Mr. Kadzola the CEO and his staff spent the day giving us the history and background of MUSCCO as well as some of the Credit Unions we will be visiting. Credit Unions here in Malawi are known as the SACCO's which stands for Savings and Credit Union Cooperatvies. They stopped calling themselves Credit Unions quite some time ago as people where focusing to much on the "Credit" and there was no focus on Savings therefore they were only coming to the Credit Union for loans and keeping their savings elsewhere. They feel the name change definately helped solve that issue. We had the chance to exchange our currency into Kwacha (Malawian dollars) and found out what the term a "stack of bills" really means, as you can see Dave showing off his half a million Kwacha which was equivalent to $2600 US. I think I might need a bigger wallet!!

Malawi Union of Savings and Credit Cooperatives offices in Lilongwe Malawi

Mr Kadzola and his senior management staff

Dave you are going to need a bigger money belt!!

Arrived at last!!!

Well after a few wrong turns in London's Heathrow airport and three very long days of travel we have made it safely to Lilongwe Malawi Africa! As it is the rainy season here everything is lush and green and the flowers are in full bloom. It was a beautiful drive from the airport. We have not had much time yet to get out to the Credit Unions yet however we have a full schedule starting tomorrow. I will be able to start posting pictures shortly. Until tomorrow Mugone bwino (good nite). Lennie
                                                                               


View from the airplane as we landed at the Lilongwe Airport




Family heading home from working their field

Roadside maise stand