Malawi – For Now, the Last Chapter of My Journey Through Africa
Malawi was, for me, pretty much what I imagined Africa to be – or at least what I had imagined it to be before my trip, based on all the pictures I had seen and the stories I had heard. Water pumps. Women carrying heavy water containers on their heads as they make their way home. Men transporting all kinds of things on old, rusty bicycles with just one gear – and in quantities that are hard to imagine. Children excitedly waving and trying to beg for a few kwacha. A lot of plastic waste. Women washing their clothes in tiny little streams.
You quickly notice how different living standards can be. In rural areas, it is part of everyday life that houses do not have running water. Water is pumped from the nearest well and then carried home on people’s heads. At least from what I saw, this was mainly done by women and children. Women wash the family’s laundry by hand in small streams. Cooking is usually done over an open fire using wood. Almost everything is sold on the streets. There are small stands everywhere, as well as huge markets where you can find pretty much everything that can be grown and harvested. But that also means that, if you are not living in the capital, you end up eating the same things very often, since that is what is available.
During my time in Liwonde, it was almost always potatoes, rice, noodles, kidney beans, tomatoes, maize porridge (called nsima), eggs and eggplant. Sometimes you would even go to the market and find only eggs and tomatoes – not even bananas, let alone apples. So, usually once a week, or every two weeks at the latest, we would get a big grocery delivery from Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, to restock at least the basics. But something like yogurt is almost impossible to get here, and if you do find it, it is super expensive.
What I also find very fascinating is that pretty much everything is actually sold on the street or at makeshift stands. Whether it’s food, meat, furniture, clothes, shoes, electronic devices – really, everything. And sometimes you don’t even have to get out of the car because people come directly up to you, hold the items out to you, and try to sell them to you.
By now, I’m quite used to not always having electricity, and it doesn’t really bother me that much anymore. Luckily, I’ve always had a kitchen with a gas stove. So cooking by the light of my phone, showering in semi-darkness, and getting dressed and ready with just the light from a flashlight have become things I’m very used to by now and are no longer anything new or annoying. Of course, you’re always happy when the power comes back – it does make a lot of things easier.
However, a new experience was having no running water for several days. By now, I can shower using just one 5-liter bucket of water, and I have to say: it works surprisingly well. And yes, afterwards you are completely clean, your hair is washed, and you smell good! I found that very fascinating and, at the same time, quite shocking: how little water you actually need to take a complete shower and be completely clean. It’s crazy how wasteful showering and our water consumption actually are.
Unfortunately, I have also seen some sad things, especially when it comes to the way animals are treated. If this triggers you, skip this paragraph.
As I already mentioned above, pretty much everything is eaten here. Due to poverty and food shortages, whatever is somehow nutritious is used. I mean, hunger and the need to somehow find food make people inventive. To give you an example: even mice are grilled whole, with their skin and fur, on skewers and sold on the side of the road.
There are chickens being sold at the markets that are kept in extremely small cages and barely have any feathers left because they have plucked each other so much. And when a chicken is bought, it is held by its wings and carried home.
Cows are tied up like a package and then rolled across the ground like a barrel, only to then be loaded onto a truck with many other cows.
I think the goats probably have it best here, because they roam around freely everywhere until they are eventually slaughtered. Only when they are being sold at the market are they tied up and kept in less-than-pleasant conditions.
And then, unfortunately, there is also the problem of plastic waste. Yes, you really find it everywhere. Here, pretty much everything is packed into these small, thin blue plastic bags. Everywhere you look, you find these bags – even in trees. Rubbish is also burned everywhere in small fires here. So, it often smells like fire and burning plastic.
People here simply throw their rubbish onto the street. I have seen many examples: A woman drinks Coke from a plastic bottle and then simply throws the empty bottle onto the ground. On the minibus, someone eats a packet of chips and then throws the bag out of the window. And that’s how you really find plastic waste everywhere – even in the deepest bush.
The roads here are also in pretty wild condition. Some are really good and in top shape. And then there are roads with so many and such deep potholes that it’s almost an art form to somehow maneuver around these obstacles and still keep moving forward. Children try to fill the holes with dirt and beg the drivers for money in return. The cars therefore also look pretty wild in terms of their condition. And yet, you keep seeing very expensive cars. What stood out to me was that these were often driven by people of Indian or Chinese background who run businesses or own companies here in Malawi.
And yet, I don’t want the impression to be left at the end that, for me, Malawi is simply a poor country with many problems. Quite the opposite. Especially among all these observations, there are so many incredible moments that make and have made this time so special for me.
During my time in the national park at the research camp, I celebrated my 33rd birthday. And so sweetly: my two fellow volunteers – so to speak, my newly adopted niece Tilly and my nephew Timo – made a beautiful card for me, which everyone at the camp wrote something in, and baked me a banana cake. When I came into our common room, or rather the kitchen, the cake was sitting on the table with a candle, a Happy Birthday banner was hanging in the window, and everyone sang Happy Birthday to me. It was really such a sweet and lovely surprise.
In the morning, during the safari, we stopped at a very beautiful spot for coffee and tea. And in the evening, we tried to lure lions in order to sedate one and put a collar with a GPS tracker on it. More on that in a moment.
So, all in all, it was a very lovely and special birthday.
So, now to my time at the research camp: what exactly I do there, or rather, what I did there. And also a little about my time at the wildlife sanctuary in Lilongwe at the LWT Center. I’ll start with the research camp in Liwonde, since I spent most of my time there.
The daily routine was usually always the same: a safari in the morning and another one in the afternoon. Once a week, we also went on a night safari. Since we started at 4:30 p.m. and were usually back by around 9:30 p.m., you can hardly really call it a night safari. But here, it’s pitch dark from 6 p.m. onwards, so you can already see nocturnal animals at that time.
The goal of the safaris: to find, track, count, and record animals, and to collect or change wildlife cameras. During my stay, I was also lucky enough to have a veterinarian stationed there. The goal during this time was to find hyenas, lions, and cheetahs and to dart animals, meaning sedate them, in order to put a collar with a GPS tracker on them.
And I have to say: it’s somehow something very special and exciting, even though you spend a lot of time in the car for it. Sometimes up to twelve hours a day.
And yes, that was too much for me. Here and there, I kind of lost it with all the sitting around, not moving, and also not being allowed to leave the car. Nevertheless, it was a very unique experience that I was able to have there, and I’m also very grateful for it.
For the cheetahs, this meant heading out early in the morning and at midday to find the animals during the day. You don’t stand a chance in the dark. For the first two and a half weeks, I didn’t see a single cheetah. And then, completely randomly, a tourist safari vehicle told us that they had seen cheetahs. And then our research driver took off. All I can say is: Speedy Safari. And sure enough, the cheetahs were still there.
Then it was a matter of waiting for the veterinarian and the staff to arrive and hoping that the animals would stay where they were. Of course, they moved because they were startled by the rangers. But luckily, the three animals came back: the mother and her two male cubs.
The mother already had a collar, but it had to be replaced because it was no longer sending a signal. And the veterinarian actually managed to dart the mother. All I can say is: WOW! Getting so close to a cheetah, measuring it, taking hair samples, and putting the collar on – what an experience!
And on top of that, this is a very special cheetah, namely the first animal to be born in Liwonde National Park in October 2017. This was a historic milestone for conservation, as cheetahs had previously been considered extinct in Malawi. Just a few months earlier, in May 2017, four wild cheetahs from South Africa had been brought to the park as part of a reintroduction project by African Parks and the Endangered Wildlife Trust. For Liwonde National Park itself, it was even the first offspring of these big cats in more than 100 years.
So, just WOW that I was able to be there and experience it.
With lions and hyenas, things work a little differently. First of all, you need a carcass. In our case, it was a waterbuck and an impala. The carcass was tied to a tree, a speaker was hung up in the tree, and two wildlife cameras were placed nearby.
As soon as dusk sets in, it’s time to get into the car. So, for me, that meant quickly going behind the bush to pee beforehand. And then you wait. Through the speaker, they play either hyena calls, lion sounds, dying pigs, or dying cows – and they play them pretty loudly. And then it’s back to waiting and hoping that animals will come.
We were pretty lucky with the hyenas. They came relatively quickly and usually exactly when we wanted them to. We even managed to dart one hyena, the lead animal, on two separate evenings. However, the animals don’t become sleepy immediately. It takes some time. And that also gives them enough time to run away and hide. And don’t forget: it’s dark. We did have night-vision equipment and a drone, but despite searching thoroughly, we weren’t able to find the sedated animals. Of course, we always stayed until we had seen the animal again and were sure that it was okay. But unfortunately, we never got to the point of putting a collar on an animal.
What is very impressive, though, are the sounds, noises, and calls that hyenas make. Especially when the lead female woke up again and called her group together. It was extremely dominant. Afterwards, all the animals had gathered and took off. What an experience.
Unfortunately, things were a little more difficult for us with the lions. We had to endure the sounds of dying animals being played over and over for what felt like forever – thank goodness for noise-cancelling headphones. Unfortunately, no lions showed up. We even drove around in the car to see if there were any lions nearby. Unfortunately, no lions. Instead, we came across a few elephants that weren’t exactly happy about our nighttime visit. And it’s quite something when you suddenly find yourself surrounded by a herd of elephants in the dark while sitting in the car, or when a bull elephant chases you away while making loud noises.
On our last attempt to get the lions, things were looking very promising. We already had a very close signal from an animal that had previously been collared. The hyenas were all around us, even though we actually didn’t want any hyenas that evening, and the lion’s signal was also getting closer and closer. But suddenly, we heard gunshots in the distance. Which is not a good sign, because the only ones who are armed and shoot are the rangers or poachers. We tried to find out over the radio who had fired the shots. This turned out to be more difficult than expected, as we were somehow in a radio dead zone and the radios weren’t always transmitting or receiving.
After a while, we also heard the calls of an injured buffalo in the distance and decided that it was too dangerous. We then called the rangers, who were supposed to search for the poachers, and called off the lion operation.
And the hyenas weren’t impressed by all the chaos, the bright flashlights, and the voices at all. They simply enjoyed the carcass and didn’t let us bother them.
Yes, it was a real shame that we had to call off our operation because of the poachers. Because we were closer to the lion than we had been on any previous evening. Well, I guess that means I’ll have to come back again.
But I had another highlight that I don’t want to keep from you. A poacher was found who had a pangolin with him. The animal was brought to us so that we could see what condition it was in and then decide what should happen to it. Luckily, the animal that was brought to us was in very good condition, so we were able to release it back into the wild the next day.
To be honest, until then, I didn’t know all that much about pangolins myself. And after this little creature ended up at our center, I really wanted to learn more about these incredibly bizarre animals.
Here are a few more facts about this unique animal called the pangolin:
Size & Weight: The Temminck’s pangolin in Malawi is roughly the size of a small cat. Including its powerful tail, it can grow up to one meter long and weighs around 12 kilograms on average.
Habitat: They mainly live in the country’s dry forests, savannas, and bushlands. A study by the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust shows that they prefer to make their underground burrows in dense woodland near or underneath fallen trees, as well as in termite mounds.
Diet & Anatomy: As “ecosystem engineers,” they feed exclusively on ants and termites. Since they have no teeth, they collect their food with their sticky tongue, which can be up to 40 cm long. The insects are only broken down in the muscular stomach with the help of small stones and sand that they deliberately swallow.
The Armor: They are the only mammals in the world that have true scales. These are made of keratin – the same material as human fingernails.
Defense Mechanism: When threatened, they curl up into an almost impenetrable, sharp-edged ball. What provides them with excellent protection against predators in the wild unfortunately makes them extremely easy and helpless prey for poachers, as they can simply be picked up.
Movement: Pangolins usually walk only on their strong hind legs. Their long, broad tail serves as a counterbalance.
The World’s Most Trafficked Mammal: Pangolins are also severely threatened by illegal poaching in Malawi. Their scales are highly sought after on the black market, particularly for Traditional Chinese Medicine, even though they have no scientifically proven medicinal effects.
Strictest Laws: Malawi has responded by giving pangolins the highest possible protection status under its wildlife laws. Poachers and smugglers are rigorously prosecuted in Malawi and are regularly sentenced to lengthy prison terms, often starting at five years or more.
Rescue & Reintroduction: Organizations such as the Lilongwe Wildlife Trust work closely with the government. Confiscated or injured pangolins receive medical care and rehabilitation at the local wildlife center and are subsequently released back into the wild in well-protected areas such as Liwonde National Park.
But I also spent some time at the wildlife sanctuary at the LWT Center in Liwonde. I really enjoyed my time at the rescue and rehabilitation center. Here, I can finally move around again and have small tasks that I can work through independently. And best of all: I finally get to exercise again.
It feels good to do something positive for the animals and help them. There is one hyena in particular that I have grown very fond of. She is always so happy when you come to her, clean her water, and hide her food. It’s simply adorable how she searches the water for food, cools herself down in it, and looks at you with such a bright, happy expression while doing so. Because of this, hyenas have become some of my favorite animals. They are wonderful, intelligent animals.
What is sad is that there are always people who think they can keep these wild animals as pets, like a dog. That is why these hyenas can no longer be released back into the wild, as they have become too accustomed to humans and seek out their company.
And in particular, we currently have a baby vervet monkey that we have to bottle-feed and that needs someone to be with it at all times. So we take turns in shifts. It’s actually quite sweet to be a surrogate monkey mom for a few hours.
We also currently have serval babies. Luckily, they are not at all impressed by humans and hiss at you really fiercely. The two little ones will probably be able to return to the wild soon.
Pangolins also come in regularly, are nursed back to health, and are then released back into the wild. And the team here is so warm and kind. It’s simply a huge joy to be part of it all for a certain amount of time.
I would like to take a moment to thank all the people who have made this journey so unforgettable and wonderful for me, and who made it possible in the first place. There are so many people who have become part of this journey in so many different ways, and every single one of them has left something behind with me. For that, I am incredibly grateful.
Isabelle, Ida, and Mia <3 Thank you for this unforgettable time, for all the experiences we shared, and above all, for the friendship that came out of it.
Cat, thank you for finding each other. Thank you for your trust, your support, and for giving me the opportunity to continue exploring and following my own path.
Candice, Charlotte, and Ava – you made my time in South Africa so much sweeter. Thank you for all the beautiful moments and for making this time something truly special.
Timo and Tilly – without you, it probably would have been pretty boring and bleak for me. You contributed so much to making me feel comfortable and have such a wonderful time. Thank you for being you!
Anna and Kathi – honestly, I don’t know where I would be without you. Thank you for being there and for accompanying me on my journey.
Corinna, thank you for the dream house by the sea and the wonderful time there. Such a special place and such a special memory!
Tamsin, I’m so incredibly happy that I met you. To build such a deep and close connection in such a short time, to feel so much trust, and at the same time to have the feeling of being understood on so many different topics – that is something truly special. Thank you for that! And I’m so incredibly excited about your book!
Mollie, I absolutely adore you and the way you are! Thank you for this wonderful day we spent together. I really hope we still get to take our trip together. I think it could be pretty amazing!
Susi, thank you for your support and for the occasional kick in the butt that I definitely needed. Thank you for your work and for always helping me move forward in my own unique way. All I can say is: Super Synchronisity!
Konstantin, a huge thank you to you as well for your impulses and the thoughts you shared with me.
And of course, a huge thank you to my entire family. Thank you for always supporting me, for letting me explore and try things out, and for always standing behind me and supporting me. Knowing that I can follow my own path, try things out, and even take a few detours, while knowing that you will always be there for me, means an incredible amount to me.
And of course, a big thank you as well to all the other people who may not be mentioned by name here, but who have made this journey and this time unforgettable for me – and to everyone who continues to make it something special.
Each and every one of you has contributed a small piece to this journey in your own way. And when I look back on the past nine months, I realize just how many encounters, friendships, conversations, experiences, and people have shaped this journey.
For all of that, simply from the bottom of my heart: Thank you.
What an amazing adventure, they can never take these memories away from you; they have become a part of you and carry you forward on your own path. Proud of you ❤️ Dennis & Jacqueline