The Nkhata Bay District is a remote but exceptionally beautiful area of northern Malawi. 

This region has 89 villages with a population of around 30, 000. Most of the villages are situated in a large flat area beside the lakeshore with mountains in the backdrop. Temwa's first project began in Usisya and our office is still based there, although our work has expanded across the whole of Nkhata Bay North.

Each village has a chief, with a sub-TA (tribal authority) who is in charge of 4/5 villages. In charge of them all is the main TA. The government works closely with the chiefs and village headmen throughout Malawi and together they co-ordinate activities in the country.

History

When speaking with the village elders, they remember the abundance of wildlife that once lived in the area. Elephants, lions and panthers would travel down from the mountains to drink from the lake.

It is still possible to see monkeys in the trees around the mountains. However, they can be a problem for farmers because they eat their crops. Prior to modern religion, the local tribes worshipped the largest mountain in the area. They spoke of a large snake measuring over 30 metres long that lived in the mountain; some still believe that the snake lives there.

Transport

Travel throughout this region is difficult.

Usisya has only one road; this is a dirt track that can only be used by four-wheel drive vehicles. During the rainy season, it is even harder to access this area. Public transport in Malawi is unreliable and time-consuming.

The main means of transport here is by boat. There is a ferry which leaves Nkhata Bay on a Sunday morning taking 2.5 hours to get to Usisya; it returns on the Monday morning. Small local boats go up and down the lake every day. They leave Nkhata Bay in the morning depending on the weather and how rough the lake is. The journey can take up to 10 hours.

Returning from Usisya to Nkhata Bay, boats travel over night, leaving in the evening. If the boats arrive in Nkhata Bay during the night, passengers have to wait on the boat until sunrise because it is not safe to walk through the town in the dark.  

Communication

There is a post office in Usisya and mail is delivered by ferry once a week.

There is a pay-phone at the post office, however it has not worked for some years. There is one other phone line in Usisya at Mshunguti Lodge, although this phone line can be unreliable.

The local police station has radio contact with Nkhata Bay and Mzuzu police station.

One new development is that parts of this area now have mobile phone coverage due to the installation of a new mast in Usisya. This has already proved invaluable for communicating with Temwa's ground team and it has also been warmly welcomed by the community.

Additionally, Temwa have installed an email system in the community centre that works using radio signals, which is called Bushmail. Having this system to communicate with the project in Usisya has been invaluable.

Medical care

There is a hospital in Usisya, although its facilities are limited. They don't have a microscope, so cannot test for many diseases, such as malaria. There is a limited supply of basic antibiotics and drugs such as paracetamol. There are many illnesses in Usisya.

We believe the most common killers are malaria, tuberculosis (TB), typhoid and cholera. This area also suffers from very high rates of HIV & AIDS. Recent research here shows that one in three people have HIV. This figure was calculated partly using TB infection rates. TB is a common infection in people with HIV and is the main killer of people with AIDS.

It is difficult to know the exact HIV & AIDS rate because many people in Usisya have not been tested for the virus. Temwa has been addressing this issue since 2009 with its mobile testing centre.

Community groups

When we first surveyed Usisya, we discovered a number of groups formed by key members of the community. The majority of these groups do not have help from outside organisations and little financial support, yet they work together, which reflects the strong community spirit of Usisya.

• Women's Voice: Gender equality and support group
• Usisya Youth Friendly Health Service Clubs: Teaches HIV/AIDS awareness
• Khali Orphan Care
• Love Day Orphan Care
• Mdo Longo Home-Based Care
• Chisangizi Home-Based Care
• Red Cross Usisya Sub Division: Orphan and home-based care
• Twonga Orphan Care
• Khambildona Agriculture: Goat farmers
• Tzyambyzane Youth Group: HIV/AIDS awareness
• TGWKIRIZANE (Let’s be together): Friends of orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS (School-leavers support group)
• Tivwilane Orphan Care
• Chigonezgo (Good Hope): School-leavers group
• Tigwirizane: Friends of orphans and people living with HIV/AIDS (TIFOPWA)

Agriculture

There are many subsistence farmers in Nkhata Bay. This provides an income for the majority of families, as well as their main supply of food. They can only grow crops in the rainy season, which lasts for six months of the year.

Every year, people face famine during the hunger season in January and February. Many people die at this time because they are weak due to a lack of food.

The availability of seeds is a problem. The government does provide maize seeds but they do not always come at the right time and sometimes, the provided seeds are rotten. Unfortunately, only a small percentage of the population receives seeds.

The main crops grown are: cassava, maize, sugar cane, ground nuts, beans, rice, yams and tomatoes. Mangos and pawpaws naturally grow on the trees. The villagers would like to grow onions, beans, pineapples, cabbage, potatoes, oranges, more bananas, guavas, peaches, strawberries and apples. But monkeys and baboons stealing the crops can be a problem.

Most people do not keep livestock in this area, but there are small numbers of goats, cattle, cows, ducks, chickens, doves, sheep, guinea fowl and rabbits. 

Skills and Business Development

There are a few small general stores that sell basic necessities, however these are always marked up at a much higher price than in the bigger town of Mzuzu. People have expressed an interest in setting up stalls to sell sepa (little fish), second-hand clothing, sugar, fuel, oil, diesel, petrol, flour, chipiku and salt.

This area also needs more builders, tailors and carpenters. Those who are trained in these areas lack tools and materials. Some women know how to knit, yet they also lack materials. Likewise, some people can make pots, but they lack the essential materials to make them. Business people have expressed interest in setting up a bakery, a nursery, a restaurant, a rest house, fishing with big nets and a paraffin business.

Schools

There are three schools in Usisya:

• Usisya Primary – 800 pupils
• Tembo Primary – 1,200 pupils
• Community Day Secondary School - this has four teachers and 240 pupils, form 1 to form 4. They complete their equivalent to GCSEs here.

All are lacking paper, pencils, blackboards, chalk, sports equipment and much more.

Orphans and the Elderly

The family unit is very strong in Malawi. However, with the HIV & AIDS epidemic many young adults are dying. Those who die from AIDS leave behind their children and elderly family members who need to be cared for.

Consequently, there are high numbers of orphans here; many of them are taken in by their extended family. This results in families with large numbers of dependent children.

Churches

Missionaries came here in the late 1800s and there is now a diversity of churches and religions in the area. There is a belief that witchcraft (known as Ju Ju) is commonly practiced, however many do not wish to be involved with it. Religions in Usisya:

• Roman Catholic
• Lutheran (Martin Luther King)
• Seventh Day Adventist
• Jehovah’s Witness
• Natherland
• Anglican
• African International
• CCAP (Church Central African Presbritarian) North
• CCAP South