Elephant Poo and Arrogance
Searching for the Witch Doctor
With our laminated map and Canadian accents, we've been running around looking for mountains none has ever heard of, winding up on roads which haven't been used since the British occupation. We got lost in the Rhumpi district of Northern Malawi. Though people were kind, they were still speaking a dialect different than the one we'd learnt in the south. [show:image:19902] As we drove towards an exciting ridge on our map, the rough road became turned into a corn field so we grabbed our packs and trekked onward by foot. Nearing the base of the ridge, the villagers became sparse to the point where not even the cries of an overly excited child could be heard. [show:image:19905] It was there that we found him. 20 dreadlocks, 15 children, 5 teeth and 2 wives. This man was the Witch Doctor and that prominent ridge was his mountain. Godfrey had often warned us that while paragliding in Malawi, one could often be accused of Witchcraft. With this in mind, we were concerned with how the wise man would feel with our taking to his sky. [show:image:19910] [show:image:19909] The path was straight, steep and merciless. As we panted like dogs, the old man skipped ahead, taking time to collect roots and twigs along the way. Atop his mountain, we found tall grass laying on its side, a sign of strong winds in the area. Unaware of why we had hiked up the hill with so much cloth and twine, he stood silently as we fastened ourselves to them and floated upward into the sky. [show:image:19911] [show:image:19913] And, while the valley seemed full of potential for incredible cross country flying, it was windy like there were no tomorrow. We flew in the dynamic ridge lift every day that week, always landing near the wise man's hut, spending most of our time learning about root medicine, calling on spirits through dance and the infinite possibilities of cooking with peanuts.
Mathew is the School of Dreams Operations Manager, Malawi's only active Paraglider Pilot and your new best friend! [right:image:22617]He first met with Benjamin shortly after the discovery of the Mganja flying site during the 2014 Expedition. Of the eight people interviewed for future pilot training, Mathew was the only one who found ways to keep in touch on a regular basis until Benjamin's return, two years later. It is worth noting that, after the many challenges which arose in 2014, Benjamin was on the fence about continuing the project. It was, in fact, Mathew's keenness to learn and desire to fly which motivated the Canadian to return. Thanks to his fantastic English and hard work ethic, he and Benjamin were able to exceed the three main goals they had set out to complete during their time together in May and June of 2016. [show:image:22465] [b]Goals Completed:[/b][ol] [li]Make Mathew into a competent novice pilot (27 flights and 5 hrs logged)[/li] [li]Set up a Solar Powered Internet Cafe for local youth.[/li] [li]Create local jobs by purchasing sewing machines and teaching local moms to sew.[/li] [/ol]Since Jordan left at the end of June, Mathew has flown several dozen more times and has taught himself to fly cross-country. He has also taken on teaching the youth how to use the new Internet resources and works with the women on various community sewing projects. [show:image:22633] [right:image:22595]Mathew is one of the sweetest guys you'll ever meet and is overjoyed at the thought of international pilots coming to fly with him next year! When you visit the School of Dreams, Mathew will be happy to meet you at the airport in Lilongwe (LLW) and help you immerse yourself in the community and culture, at your own pace.
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