Our time at the CLI site has come to an end. I have been here for four weeks, while Al and Sabha have been here for eight weeks. The hardest part of leaving is saying goodbye to the Malawian workers at the site. Through our work we have seen around 50 workers regularly and interacted with half.

Many of the workers only speak Chichewa so the communication is limited to body language and basic Chichewa greetings. Malawians are always excited to see us make an effort to greet them in their native language, so a simple hello to a group turns into proper greetings with each person. Admittedly, my Chichewa is far behind Al and Sabha’s, and after now seeing words written down I am realizing I have been making terribly mispronunciations. It has at least gotten a laugh out of the Malawians.

A few handfuls of the site workers speak English at varying levels, so we have been able to connect with them more closely. The conversations have mostly been about life in Malawi, the work, and our work as students. I did not realize until saying goodbye how much our presence and conversation means to the people we have met. Even though we only met a few short weeks ago, to them we are lifelong friends. “Go in peace, and never forget us. I will always remember you.”

I surely will not forget my time at the CLi or the people I have met. I will be able to continue communication with some of the workers via mail, but for the others it was hopefully not a last goodbye. Many questioned us whether we would ever come back, hoping our paths would cross again. I do not know what my future holds, but I, too, hope it involves us meeting again.