Archive (11 life histories found)
'Managers, who for years had been singing the praises of Malawi as a place to live, started talking about getting out as soon as possible'
With the collapse of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War some of Malawi's main donors began to talk about Good Governance and Human Rights. However, the catalyst for protest and change came from a somewhat unexpected source.In early March…
Tags: ambush, Berlin Wall, freedom of speech, human rights, Malawi, unrest
'During those years our children were teenagers attending secondary schools in Ireland'
During those years our children were teenagers attending secondary schools in Ireland. They joined us in Malawi for their Christmas and summer holidays. We enjoyed having them around and they enjoyed being with us. In this way we were spared the high…
Tags: children visiting, Japan, Malawi, school
'In 1986 my uncle Eamon Farrell spent a month with us in Malawi'
In 1986 my uncle Eamon Farrell spent a month with us in Malawi. For the rest of his life he talked about the wonderful time he had with us. We enjoyed every day of his visit. He was enthusiastic about every activity and outing that we suggested…
'It is tempting to feel free and safe on top of the mountain'
We joined Mulanje Mountain Club and gradually explored parts of this great mountain. There were 7 or 8 recognised climbing paths. For a day trip we drove to the Likhubula gorge, and then did the two and a half hour climb to Chambe plateau. As we…
Tags: golf, Malawi, mountaim climbing
'It's easy to feel welcome in Malawi with all the smiling faces, kind words, the sunshine and the great variety of scenery'
By September 1984 we had our bags packed and were on the road again. I had a number of promising interviews but offers of employment were slow in coming. At one stage the focus was on Western Samoa. When it was hammered by a storm a few months later…
Tags: golf, Malawi, Montfort Sisters, teaching
'In the mid-1960s the School Mathematics Project (SMP) in Britain developed a series of books for secondary schools'
Following the successful launch of Sputnik 1 by the Soviet Union in 1957 authorities in the US were concerned that Soviet engineers were getting too far ahead of their counterparts in the US. One of the consequences of this was to focus on a change…
'There were insects and creepy crawlies everywhere you looked'
In 1973 Monica started playing golf. From then on we spent many happy hours together playing golf at Mulanje, Limbe, Blantyre or Zomba. By then our second daughter, Claire, our son Fergal, and our youngest child, Margaret (now better known as Mags)…
'Our expectations for our evening at the theatre were not very high'
Back in Mulanje our attention turned towards Mulanje Club. One of our first visits to the Club was for a stage production of 'Hello Dolly' by the Club's Theatre Group. As we approached the Club the Clubhouse building looked particularly unimpressive…
Tags: local theatre productions, Malawi
'A short distance from the entrance there was an abundance of wildlife, including elephants, giraffes, zebras, lions, waterbucks and many more'
We lived in Malawi from 1969 to 1975 and have fond memories of those years. We both enjoyed our work at the school. During school holidays we travelled considerable distances both inside and outside Malawi. For our first Christmas dinner in Malawi we…
Tags: Indigenous Population, Malawi, safari, wildlife
'The Malawi people that we encountered were naturally friendly and welcoming'
In the Malawi that we lived in there was no freedom of expression. The two main arms of the media, the radio and the newspapers, were firmly under the control of the government. They churned out endless volumes of praise for the 'Wise leadership of…
Tags: governemnt politics, Malawi, native people