ASC program staff team building part II and the fun on Lake Malawi.

By Peter Kaime

 Peter Kaime from Machinga gives every detail of the journey to Cape Maclear

It   was on 29th August 2013 when ADRA Malawi  Action for Social Change ASC  Program  team left  for  Cape Maclear, taking a break from team building activities.

off to Thumbi Island

We drove through Golomoti and Boadzulu Turnoffs and we passed  along the Nkope   Hills. The road was bumpy but we enjoyed every moment of it. The team stopped at a place called Mwala wa mphini on the edge of the stretching Nkope Hills to see the marked stone. It is an amazing, strategically marked rock and when you see it, you are bound to have two schools of thought; if it was done by our ancestors then what instrument did they use to mark it? And if  the rock was marked by natural forces,  what about the designed patterns on it, who did them? These were questions that remained unanswered as the journey continued.

The marked stone is such an amazing structure

As we passed through a few bends of the dusty road, we saw sign posts counting down to Cape Maclear and suddenly, the water front emerged on the horizon. We parked our bus at a place called Gecko Lodge and the team took turns taking photos before getting into the boat. The excitement was overwhelming.
We were 26 of us who got into the boat because other team members had reservations.  Those who went into the boat included the Claudio Sandoval, ADRA Malawi Country Director. When we reached a certain point into the water, our captains informed us that we were sailing on 250 meters deep. Fear and panic gripped the team as we discovered that there were only five life jackets in the boat.
Another moment of excitement came as the team approached Thumbi Island. The rocky Island is situated about 3 kilometers from the shore. The Thumbi Island shores have rock surfaces from where we saw multicolored fish species called Mbuna.  The rock surfaces were slippery and we needed to be cautious.  We gathered that Lake Malawi has over one thousand fish species.  The scenery around Thumbi Island was beautiful and apparently, no one resisted the temptation to take a photo.    

Younger boys band welcomes the team

After  an  hour,   the  team  went  back  in   the  boat   ready   to  go  back  to Gecko Lodge and it was not easy to leave such a beautiful place.
On arrival on the shore, we were welcomed  by the  West Life and Young Boys Band  that comprised     young  men and the  sound effects were fantastic, sending almost the whole team in a frenzy of excitement as they joined in dancing.    
Time was running out and it was getting dark we had to go back to our base at Nkopola Lodge. This adventure will surely go down in our memory lane as full of excitement and pleasure. ADRA is indeed a great place to be. We arrived safely and we ended with a prayer offered by Chikondi Madumuse.