The Gravel Maker

This part of Malawi has many tall mountains and the landscape of the Rift Valley is strewn with weather worn rocks. Our driveway is made of cobblestones, probably taken from a wide riverbed a few kilometers down the mountain from us. Over time it has deteriorated, so now there are large pits that jolt our tires and fill with mud when it rains. Where does one find gravel in Zomba?

 Just a few kilometers out of town, along the roadside near a large outcropping of rocks sits a gravel maker. He uses large rocks to break others into smaller and smaller pieces. Around him are mounds of various sizes of gravel, neatly piled.

Most people in Malawi reuse and recycle, not out of any concern for the environment but because that is what is necessary.  In the market, you will see old bicycle inner tubes cut into long strips draped over a pole. These will be used for tie downs for strapping loads on the backs of bicycles. (I saw a man yesterday with a load of lumber and a large wooden door strapped to his bicycle.)

Then today I saw a man carrying what used to be a 50 gallon drum on his head. It had gaping holes and was a thin spider web of rust in many places.  This was not trash. He will use every usable part, beating it into spoons, bowls, or pots which he can sell in the market.

Deep poverty forces people to be resourceful, to make use of almost nothing to make something.