Unlike most of the United States, Malawi has only two seasons: a wet season and a dry season. I titled this article “Rain Reigns” because rain really does rule, or reign, over life here. When the rains come late or stop early, it can mean disaster for that year’s crops. In the dry season, people have to spend a lot of time thinking about how to get water. When the rains are too heavy, there are floods.
Living through a dry season is very different for me! It has barely rained at all since August. Coming up, though, from December until March, it is supposed to rain at least half of the days. The change of seasons will completely change the landscape. It will go from being red and dusty to lush and green. Different animals will come out during the rainy season, especially the creepy-crawly creatures like bugs and snakes.
Most people in the country rely on farming for their jobs and their food. In fact, if you lined up any ten Malawians, eight or nine of them would probably do some sort of farming. They learned that if they plant only once per year, right before the rains, they will have a good harvest. What grows well here? Corn is the most important crop. Another important crop is called cassava.
