However, being here and seeing people with hardly any material wealth be happier and more positive than many people that have lots of material wealth back home, helps me realize that that is not always the case.
Here in Malawi, as a very religious country, they believe that happiness comes from God, from helping others and from having a strong sense of community. I think this is why everyone has been so kind to me as a foreigner and why Malawi is known as “the warm heart of Africa.” They know they already have everything they need to be happy: their God, family, and community. If you come here you will see this strong sense of community in how everyone will refer to their colleagues, friends, and other people in their lives not as friends or colleagues, but as brothers and sisters. It is such a cool experience to live in a culture where people are focused on the we rather than the me, and where people will sacrifice what they have to help those around them. The craziest part is that when I ask people here about this culture of smiles and service, they don’t think much of it and just say “Braden, that is just the way it is. That is just what we do in Malawi.” It is the Warm Heart of Africa for a reason and they live up 100% to that name.
Well there you have it, that is a little about the basics of life in Malawi. As I mentioned at the beginning, I have put together a video for you guys which is a compilation of a few of my recent adventures that I was able to capture with my camera. It is long, but I am confident you won't want to miss out on any of it!
https://youtu.be/OuiHuxR_F0k?si=VkFWCka-nLab0xSK
