Those who do more than endure

Yesterday I spent the day out in the community. The National Association of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi (NAPHAM) was in town with their drama group and they performed at two community-based organizations that provide HIV/AIDS services. It was a long day for me as the events were conducted in Chichewa making it difficult for me to follow along. However, it gave me ample opportunity to think about what I should write about next.

On the way out to the first community we passed by a funeral, seen from the branches laid across the road to alert those passing so they can slow down and show respect for the dead. The driver of the bus slowed accordingly and softened the radio, which temporally dampened the joyous mood of the actors on board. Once we passed over the second strip of branches the music was revived and the volume of conversation quickly rose.

As we were watching the first performance, I was struck by a small boy with a distended belly and blondish hair–familiar signs of malnutrition–who through hazy eyes knelt down near me, placed his forearms on the ground for his head to rest on and quickly fell asleep.

Both of these stories partially describe my experience here. They serve to illustrate the depth of poverty which embraces much of Malawi. However, these stories in isolation do not do justice to the people that endure them on a daily basis. For they are strong enough to bare the constant loss and the pains of hunger without losing their startling ability to warm your heart with a glowing smile and kind eyes. The bus rolled on to a vibrant performance and the small boy got up to go off and play with his little friends.

This strength of character did not escape the drama group. With their play, they walked down the path of HIV infection and the saddening stigma experienced by so many. And with tears in their eyes and frowns covering their faces, they would explode into radiant smiles with the tears still running down their faces to a wave of laughter and applause from the audience. Quickly as it came the smile would disappear into a look of confusion and fear as the actor lashed out at his wife or neighbor. The dramas were roller coasters of emotion that cleverly illuminated the lives of their audience in a way that encouraged acceptance and coexistence. For me they were a reminder to write of more than the ugly and strange face of poverty, to acknowledge those who do more than endure.