It’s so easy to fall into the habit of interacting with only expats and missing the real life that is happening around you when you live as a minority in a country.
About a month into the fellowship, I had the privilege of being invited to a Malawian wedding reception. One of my coworkers was getting married and needed some extra hands to help out with the “perekani-perekani.” I had no idea what this was or what I would be expected to do, but I was flattered and jumped at the chance to be one of the locals (as much as a light-skinned muzungu can be) for an afternoon. Luckily, I would have my trusty co-fellow, Grace, there with me to make sure I didn’t embarrass myself too greatly.
“Perekani” means “to give.” Grace’s and my job was to collect the money thrown at the bride and groom by guests in a succession of call-outs made by the MC. For example, the MC would call out “groom’s family” and his family members would come up and toss bills at the couple. Other groupings included coworkers, men or women, parents, etc. This went on for the duration of the ceremony, meaning that an individual would make multiple trips. It was also set to music, which meant that people really danced up, rather than walked up. (For all my GHC fellows, I counted four times that Chop My Money played.) After each call-out, one of us would run up and gather all the money on the ground and bring it back to a table to count it and make change for any guests who needed it. The call-outs weren’t restricted to just the guests, either. On several occasions, the MC specifically requested that I be the one to come collect the money, to the elation of the crowd.
I turned down an invitation to travel out of town that same weekend and visit other GHC fellows, and I’m so glad I did. While it’s certainly important to foster community among fellows, it is even more important to engage in the community in which we are living. That Saturday afternoon in Zomba’s Botanical Gardens, I was granted a glimpse of what it’s like to be a true Malawian. I can’t think of a better way to have spent my weekend.