The Dam

At the weekend a group of us visited a Dam about 50km outside of Lilongwe, responsible for providing most of the city’s water. We were driven by Mahmoud, a friend of Cenks who is working with the Arab development bank for Africa in Lilongwe.

The journey was better than the destination in many ways, it was my first time out of Lilongwe since arriving in country and suddenly it felt like I was seeing the ‘real Malawi.’ We drove through several small villages on the way, separated by miles and miles of dirt track with dead corn fields on either side. The car kicked up so much dust when moving at speed that we had to drive very slowly past pedestrians and cyclists so as not to choke them.

Everywhere we went people would stare, point and wave at the car shouting Mzungu Mzungu! (White person/people.) This isn’t meant in an offensive way, people are genuinely amazed and intrigued to see white people, particularly children who probably never have before. This, coupled with the usual Malawian friendliness made for some great photos as people were more than happy to be in front of the lens.

When we arrived at the Dam there was not a soul to be seen, aside from the security guard. The entrance fee was supposed to be 1000KW (about £2) which may have explained how quiet it was, but we got in for free thanks to Mahmoud’s government connections. The place was beautiful and very peaceful, although deserted it was clearly used for large functions on occasion as there were large stone barbecues and lots of seating around the lake.

Judy, Cenk and Mahmoud

Looking over the edge of the dam you could see beyond the fenced enclosure, down to the bottom where kids were using the weir as a water slide, they looked like they were having plenty of fun without paying the 1000KW!

We drove on a little way further and came to a second dam which was far less restricted and hive of activity. People were bathing and washing laundry in the white water, others were fishing in the calm. The whole place had a great, bustling atmosphere and the views from the top were stunning

Full pictures available here: http://flic.kr/s/aHsjG8EfvN