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Wednesday Wanderings: Mobility in Malawi

11:30 AM PDT on August 13, 2014

A quiet moment on one of the capital's main drags. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A quiet moment at the end of the day on one of Lilongwe's (the capital of Malawi) main drags. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A quiet moment on one of the capital's main drags. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

We here at Streetsblog have been known to complain about the state of Los Angeles' transportation infrastructure from time to time.

And while it is true that we do have a ways to go in making the streets more hospitable to those that do not travel by private automobile, I am often reminded that we've got it pretty good here, comparatively speaking.

In my previous life as an academic, I spent quite a bit of time traveling in remote areas of developing countries where the obstacles to mobility also constituted major obstacles to economic development, growth, and pretty much everything else you can think of -- health, education, communication, relationships, proper governance, and access to resources.

Nowhere did this seem clearer to me than in Malawi, also known (deservedly so) as the "Warm Heart of Africa," an East African nation of about 16 million people.

Outside major cities, much of Malawi lacks paved roads. In Mchinji, the only paved road served as a highway to Zambia. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
While Malawi is a recipient of significant amounts of aid, donors prefer not to fund infrastructure projects, seeing them as opening the door to corruption (if funds go through government agencies) and cultivating dependence, among other things. So, paved roads -- limited even within the capital -- are scarce in rural areas. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Outside major cities, much of Malawi lacks paved roads. In Mchinji, the only paved road served as a highway to Zambia. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

During the three summers I spent doing research on international development aid organizations there, I did my best to travel as the locals did. Which meant that I spent a great deal of time on foot.

I made the choice, in part, because my research budget was quite small, private transport could be exorbitantly expensive, and "public" transit was not always reliable.

Petrol was in extremely short supply (and expensive) during my last visit. People waited 8 hours at gas stations for gas that often never arrived. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Petrol was in extremely short supply (and expensive) during my last visit. People hoping to feed vehicles and generators lost entire days waiting at stations for fuel that often never arrived. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Petrol was in extremely short supply (and expensive) during my last visit. People waited 8 hours at gas stations for gas that often never arrived. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

This was especially true when I was last there, in 2011, and petrol was in extremely short supply.

The shortage hit the economy hard. People lost entire days waiting at filling stations, hoping rumors about the arrival of fuel shipments would not prove baseless. And it slowed agricultural production by causing a decrease in the distribution of fertilizer (via the government subsidy program) and limiting the ability of farmers to get products to markets or mill their maize.

It also sent transportation prices through the roof -- a 10-minute taxi ride across town could cost more than 2,000 Malawi Kwacha (about $5, or almost a week and a half's pay at minimum wage, for a Malawian). And it drastically reduced the ability of people to access transit, as minibuses -- the privately-owned vans that serve as public transportation -- struggled to keep their vehicles topped off with fuel and on normal schedules.

Privately operated minibuses, serving as de facto public transit,  wait for the end-of-the-day rush in the capital. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Privately operated minibuses, serving as de facto public transit, wait for the end-of-the-day rush in the capital. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Privately operated minibuses, serving as de facto public transit, wait for the end-of-the-day rush in the capital. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

A trip into the capital from an outlying district that normally took an hour and a half now took several hours.

If you were lucky.

It was not unheard of for minibuses traveling long distances to stop well short of destinations, stranding passengers. In such cases, either they had run out of fuel or didn't want to get stuck at a remote market where they knew fuel was even more scarce. Others drivers got creative with their fuel conservation methods, cutting off the motor to coast down hills or driving one leg of the route and coordinating with other drivers to pack any remaining travelers into more efficient (but often highly questionable) passenger cars for the final legs.

People queue up, hoping for fuel. A vendor sells empty bottles to those hoping to hoard fuel. Sahra Sulaiman, Streetsblog LA
People queue up, waiting for fuel. A vendor sells empty bottles to those looking to hoard supplies or needing fuel for generators. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
People queue up, hoping for fuel. A vendor sells empty bottles to those hoping to hoard fuel. Sahra Sulaiman, Streetsblog LA

These issues aside, I preferred to walk because I believed that it would be the best way to get to know the place and its people.

This turned out to be even truer than I expected.

Because it was such an anomaly to see a Westerner walking anywhere, people took it upon themselves to either walk with me or track my comings and goings and engage me in lengthy conversations. Those conversations did more to help me understand Malawi's daily rhythms and the struggles of its citizens from their perspective (which generally differed tremendously from that offered by aid organizations) than any of the formal interviews I conducted.

Walking also gave me incredible insight into just how much time and energy the poorer members of society lose trying to get themselves from place to place and just how hard it is for them to do so safely.

The streets can be packed with pedestrians in the capital. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
The streets can be packed with pedestrians in the capital. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
The streets can be packed with pedestrians in the capital. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

Walking and cycling are almost exclusively the purview of the Black African population -- especially the farmers, rural women, vendors, the working class, and the desperately poor.

For the South Asian/Middle Eastern/Arab community -- the well-to-do business class -- the aversion to walking or cycling seemed to be linked to issues of status. Many saw themselves as both distinct from and above the native population, and preferred not to walk, cycle, or use the minibuses as modes of transit.

As a mode of transit, walking seemed to be particularly problematic for women of that community, I soon found, as men (recognizing me as Western but also potentially of Indian heritage) regularly stopped and demanded I get off of the streets and into their cars. The demands were also often accompanied by marriage proposals as many of the men weren't keen on marrying local, either (See the recent stir caused by an interracial marriage in Kenya).

Map of paved roads in Malawi. Source: http://www.asirt.org/portals/0/Reports/Malawi.PDF
Map of paved roads in Malawi. Click to enlarge. Source: http://www.asirt.org/portals/0/Reports/Malawi.PDF
Map of paved roads in Malawi. Source: http://www.asirt.org/portals/0/Reports/Malawi.PDF

Oddly, members of the white expat community -- most of whom were in the country doing aid work -- also regularly stopped to offer me rides. Ignoring women carrying more than one child and/or burdened with enormous bundles of goods on their heads, they would pull over and cheerily ask a relatively unburdened me where I was headed and if I needed help.

The assumption seemed to be I was one of their clan. Or they may have just been surprised to see me -- outside of tourist areas, Westerners tended to be a rare sight in the streets.

The reasons for this were many.

Some seemed not to consider walking or biking as a transit option, since it generally wasn't something Westerners did (at least, in the locations where I was). Others seemed to prefer the buffer the car offered from locals who might see them as having access to money or jobs. And cars were necessary at night, when unlit streets were deserted and pedestrians were vulnerable to attack.

But most Westerners also seemed to favor private vehicles because distances could be great and the utter lack of safety on the busy streets of the capital, the lack of infrastructure in the rural areas, a lack of faith in drivers (many are unlicensed, do not maintain their vehicles, and alcohol can be a problem), and the discomfort of pounding polluted pathways in the heat or rain conspired to make bicycling and walking wholly unappealing.

Their concerns about safety were certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Despite the fact that the vast majority of Malawians are pedestrians, designated sidewalks along the roadways -- even in the capital -- are a recent innovation. Pedestrians often must rely on the shoulders, if they want to walk along many of the paved roadways (below).

People move along the shoulder of a main road in the capital. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
People move along the shoulder of a main road in the capital. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
People move along the shoulder of a main road in the capital. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

And, I soon found, pedestrians and cyclists never have the right of way. If a vehicle wants to turn right and you're moving through the intersection, you'd best get out of the way.

Older streets in the capital lack things like lane markings, traffic signals, crosswalks, and sidewalks. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Older streets in the capital lack things like lane markings, traffic signals, crosswalks, sidewalks, and space for cyclists. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Older streets in the capital lack things like lane markings, traffic signals, crosswalks, and sidewalks. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

Newer roads might have more shoulder (below), but still lacked any real protection for people from speeding vehicles.

A maize farmer who has been in transit all day reaches the edge of Lilongwe (the capital) at sunset. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A maize farmer who has been in transit all day reaches the edge of Lilongwe at sunset. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A maize farmer who has been in transit all day reaches the edge of Lilongwe (the capital) at sunset. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

The fact that much of the housing for the working classes in the capital and surrounding towns is connected only by dirt roads and footpaths (below) means that the poor often have to walk long distances to a main road to reach minibus stops.

Working-class homes within the capital are connected by dirt roads and feature open sewers. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Working-class homes within the capital are connected by dirt roads and feature open sewers/garbage pits. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Working-class homes within the capital are connected by dirt roads and feature open sewers. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

It also means that, this time of year, when sunset is around 5:30 p.m., you're likely to see a panicked commute undertaken by those desperate to get home before dark.

Because there is little in the way of street lighting outside the developed areas of city centers and people don't feel safe being out after dark, minibus stops are more chaotic than than usual, bike taxis (some of the drivers are below) are in high demand, and those who either can't afford to wait for a minibus or bike taxi or afford to pay for them, can be found power walking or even jogging their way home.

Bike taxi drivers wait at a roundabout along the route out of the capital to get people home in the afternoons. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Bike taxi drivers wait at a roundabout along a road out of the capital at the end of the day to pick up customers who need to get home quickly. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Bike taxi drivers wait at a roundabout along the route out of the capital to get people home in the afternoons. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

During the rainy season, passage to and from those areas becomes even more time-consuming. Flash flooding can make paved roadways a mess and turn even the most firmly packed dirt roadways and paths into slippery and unsanitary mudways.

In rural areas, where distances are much, much greater, the one or two paved roads connecting many of the districts are often the easiest and most direct routes for people to take to the market centers to buy and sell goods.

These two-lane roads are generally quite narrow, however, and it can be very uncomfortable for pedestrians, animal-driven carts, or cyclists to move along their shoulders as heavily-laden transport trucks rumble by.

A woman on her way to the market stands alongside the one paved roadway between the capital and Mchinji. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A woman on her way to the market stands alongside one of a handful of paved roadways in Mchinji District. This one runs between the capital and the center of Mchinji. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A woman on her way to the market stands alongside the one paved roadway between the capital and Mchinji. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

People heading to market often do so in the early morning hours along the shoulders of unlit highways, precariously balanced with heavy goods.

Men may load anywhere between 50-100 kilos of grain onto the back of their pushbikes while women may carry large loads of wood or other goods on their heads.

Men make their way to the center of Mchinji district. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Men make their way to the center of Mchinji district along the rural highway. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Men make their way to the center of Mchinji district. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

Or, a bike taxi driver may have someone carrying heavy goods or a mother and a couple of her kids balanced on the back of his bike.

A bike taxista heads to a market area with a female passenger. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A bike taxi driver heads to a market area with a female passenger. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A bike taxista heads to a market area with a female passenger. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

A fast-moving trailer truck veering too close can topple them, possibly damaging the goods, the bikes, and/or the people in the process.

Horrific casualties along those highways are not unusual.

The roadway is definitely not kid friendly. These kids are just playing by the road, but for those that must walk along it to get to school, it can be very dangerous. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
The roadway is definitely not kid friendly. These kids are just playing by the road, but for those that must walk along it to get to school, it can be very dangerous. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
The roadway is definitely not kid friendly. These kids are just playing by the road, but for those that must walk along it to get to school, it can be very dangerous. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

In Mchinji boma (the center of the district), the dirt roads around the market and throughout the neighborhoods were in fairly good condition.

Kids strike a karate chop pose in a neighborhood near the center of Mchinji. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Kids strike a karate chop pose in a neighborhood near the center of Mchinji. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Kids strike a karate chop pose in a neighborhood near the center of Mchinji. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

With well-packed dirt and minor dips and bumps, most were rather easy to walk or ride a bike along (at least, when dry).

Bikes pass in front of a market stand near the center of Mchinji. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Bikes pass in front of a Chinese market stand near the center of Mchinji. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Bikes pass in front of a market stand near the center of Mchinji. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

In remote rural areas, however, sandy narrow footpaths serve as the gateways to other villages, fuel foraging sites, water wells, farmers' fields, and the larger dirt roads that lead to the bigger markets.

Residents in the Mchinji district lead me to their village along the main access point -- a narrow footpath. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Residents in the Mchinji district lead me to their village along the main access point -- a narrow footpath. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Residents in the Mchinji district lead me to their village along the main access point -- a narrow footpath. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

The more remote those dirt roads were, the poorer their condition seemed to be, as a general rule, and they were often populated with makeshift structures villagers had built over washes.

In the dry season, they are uncomfortable to pass in a vehicle and exhausting if you are pushing 50 kilos of grain on a bike for any significant distance. In the rainy season, they can become treacherous and bridges like the one below often get completely washed out, making passage to villagers' fields or the world beyond quite difficult, if not impossible.

All of which you might be able to withstand if you are healthy, have food stored up, and don't have business elsewhere. But if you have a pregnant woman in the back of your bicycle ambulance that you are trying to get to a clinic in a major trading center, for example, it can be very problematic. (See a washed out dirt road, here, and evidence that the paved roads are not always that much better, here)

The bridge gets washed out every rainy season, cutting off their access to the main markets. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
The bridge gets washed out every rainy season, cutting off access to the main markets. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
The bridge gets washed out every rainy season, cutting off their access to the main markets. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

As I write this, I realize that none of this makes Malawi sound particularly appealing. Which is unfortunate -- it's a genuinely wonderful place, full of wonderful, kind, warm, and amazing people. I loved being there and I often miss it.

But it is striking to be confronted with the extent to which something as basic as mobility can consume so much of the productive time of those who struggle the most. When people lose days trying to get back and forth to health clinics or markets, or can't get to markets at all, in the case of women who might struggle to carry both their children and a load of goods over long distances, it is easy to see how important infrastructure and mobility solutions are for those on the margins.

These aren't the only needs of the poor by a long shot, of course, but they certainly are significant.

What is also striking is the resilience of people in dealing with the obstacles they face. I don't say that to romanticize poverty -- I can assure you, it is not romantic. Even in remote areas, people I met have a sense of how far behind Malawi is with regard to development, and they want better for themselves and their children. But it doesn't mean that the people don't possess a tremendous strength and an ability to navigate challenges that would probably knock most of us out. So, just to end the story on a more positive note, I will leave you with snapshots of some of the people I met on my last trip:

    • The bike taxi drivers, who somehow always managed to get the job done, despite lacking access to bike parts, tools for repairs, proper footwear (many rode in sandals), or a reliable income.
A bike repair station in Mchinji, Malawi, and a few bike taxi drivers. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A bike taxi driver dances a jig for me at a repair station in Mchinji, Malawi. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A bike repair station in Mchinji, Malawi, and a few bike taxi drivers. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A bike taxi driver with a mischievous streak. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Roland, a bike taxi driver with a mischievous streak. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A bike taxi driver with a mischievous streak. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
R. Freddy, a long-time taxi driver. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
R. Freddy, a long-time taxi driver. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
R. Freddy, a long-time taxi driver. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
This guy. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Mpoya, or as I liked to think of him, the Funky Professor, may or may not be a bike taxi driver, but seemed to enjoy being around the other taxi guys. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
This guy. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
    • The minibus drivers who, like the bike taxi drivers, keep the country moving, both literally and figuratively, and usually with relatively good humor (if not the best taste in music --Reggaeton was all the rage when I was there last).
Minibus drivers Master Man Gibson, Danny Bangoni, and Mike Kechuma. Sahra Sulaiman, Streetsblog LA
Minibus drivers Master Man Gibson, Danny Bangoni, and Mike Kechuma. Sahra Sulaiman, Streetsblog LA
Minibus drivers Master Man Gibson, Danny Bangoni, and Mike Kechuma. Sahra Sulaiman, Streetsblog LA
More minibus drivers and a newspaper vendor. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
More minibus crewmen and a couple of newspaper vendors. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
More minibus drivers and a newspaper vendor. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Minibuses have drivers and guys like this one, whose job it is to collect the money, open and close the doors, pack in livestock and goods, and arrange passengers in the most space-efficient configuration. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Minibuses have drivers and guys like this one, whose job it is to collect the money and give change (which may take two or three stops, but they never forget to give it to you), open and close the doors, pack in livestock (dead or alive) and goods, arrange passengers in the most space-efficient configuration, and attract passengers to their particular minibus. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Minibuses have drivers and guys like this one, whose job it is to collect the money, open and close the doors, pack in livestock and goods, and arrange passengers in the most space-efficient configuration. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
    • The vendors who hustle relentlessly because they know many of their customers -- farmers -- only have disposable income during a few times of the year. And now, as cheap Chinese goods are flooding the market, they're finding themselves competing against shops stocked with affordable new goods (albeit of incredibly poor quality that often fall apart soon after purchase).
Guys wash used shoes off in the river (to the left, out of frame) and sell them in the main market in Lilongwe. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Guys wash secondhand shoes in the river (to the left, out of frame) and sell them in the main market in Lilongwe. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Guys wash used shoes off in the river (to the left, out of frame) and sell them in the main market in Lilongwe. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
The man at right sells ID holders but, being poor, he didn't have an ID himself. I ended up making a photo print for him so he could finally get his first ID. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
The man at right sells ID holders but, being poor, he didn't have an ID or even a single photo of himself. I ended up making photo prints for him so he could finally get his first official ID. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
The man at right sells ID holders but, being poor, he didn't have an ID himself. I ended up making a photo print for him so he could finally get his first ID. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Grant, a fruit vendor in Lilongwe. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Grant, a fruit vendor in Lilongwe. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Grant, a fruit vendor in Lilongwe. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
    • The women who, while not always as visible in rural markets or urban economic street life (although increasingly so, in professional life), are the glue that keep families together, particularly in rural communities, where they may shoulder both the farm work and caring for the household.
A woman sits with her own children and those she has taken in. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A woman sits with her own children and those she has taken in. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A woman sits with her own children and those she has taken in. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Women can spend many hours a day walking back and forth to water wells and carrying heavy buckets on their heads. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Women can spend many hours a day walking back and forth to water wells and carrying heavy buckets on their heads. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Women can spend many hours a day walking back and forth to water wells and carrying heavy buckets on their heads. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A family gathers at home. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A family gathers at home. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A family gathers at home. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A girl and her young sibling. Girls are often pulled from schools once they hit puberty. In rural areas, if schools are located far away, parents fear they may be "defiled" in transit or at school. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A girl and her young sibling. Girls are often pulled from school once they hit puberty. In rural areas, if schools are located far away, parents fear they may be "defiled" in transit or at school. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
A girl and her young sibling. Girls are often pulled from schools once they hit puberty. In rural areas, if schools are located far away, parents fear they may be "defiled" in transit or at school. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
    • And the women, like Mrs. Anderson (proprietress of the inn I stayed at in Mchinji, below) who work to give women a voice while keeping Ngoni tradition alive.
Mrs. Anderson, center, runs the inn I stayed at in Mchinji and is a powerful voice supporting women and keeping tradition alive. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Mrs. Anderson, center, runs the inn I stayed at in Mchinji and is a powerful voice supporting women and keeping Ngoni tradition alive. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Mrs. Anderson, center, runs the inn I stayed at in Mchinji and is a powerful voice supporting women and keeping tradition alive. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Dancers rehearse call and response. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Dancers rehearse call and response. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Dancers rehearse call and response. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Some women take on roles traditionally reserved for men. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Some women participate in roles traditionally reserved for men. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Some women take on roles traditionally reserved for men. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Ngoni dancers rehearse. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Ngoni dancers rehearse. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Ngoni dancers rehearse. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Because L.A. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Because L.A.
Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA
Because L.A. Sahra Sulaiman/Streetsblog LA

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