Of Land, Patience, & Leadership

*This was typed last week on Sunday. I apologize for my tardiness in posting.*

Last time I promised a story -- I got a memo on my desk (the old fashioned half sheet of paper kind) on Thursday saying there was an ADCOM meeting on Sunday at 8am. I found out from the Business Manager that it was related to an issue of land ownership of a family that had been given some property about 50 years ago. The lady is now old and her family wanted to have some papers so that they can remain on the land after she dies.

I could write a whole posting on “Malawian Time” but suffice it to say that people eventually got together about 8:30a only to realize that we were really waiting for the two chiefs from the local area to come join us. We decided to go back to our offices and get together again when they arrived. [This decision required an opening and closing prayer as well.] Around 10am we heard that the chiefs were here so we went to meet them and formally explained to them the issue. They were kind enough to translate most of it into English but the primary conversation was between the chiefs and the Business Manager. After some more talking we decided it was time to walk over to the house in question. Here again we have to take into consideration the pace that people walk here. The whole time I just continued to observe and watch how people were acting and where I fit into all of it.

There were two chiefs – a man and a woman – both older and much respected. As we walked to the property the older man-chief walked ahead with everyone a few steps behind. When we arrived, the people at the house were expecting us and had set out some chairs in a straight row in their yard. (I’m still not used to be one of the ones given a “good” place to sit. ) Introductions were made and it seems a formal explanation of what we were doing there commenced. I admit that I don’t know 100% what was said because I was the only one who didn’t know Chichewa (yes, the only foreigner) but they did translate some of it. It seems there are two versions of stories about this lady…

VERSION 1: Her children told us that when she was young she went to the United States to be on some kind of radio show. When they asked her how life was in Malawi she told them about Malamulo Hospital and the need they had at that time for a water system.They only had wells with contaminated water for use in the hospital. Because of her time in the US some people donated money and they developed the piped water system that is being used now. At that time she wasn’t even working here at the hospital but in a gesture of goodwill and gratitude the administration gave her some land on the edge of the property to build a house.

VERSION 2: The hospital gave her this piece of land because she was angry and her husband was not working. [Told to us by a lady who came by to tell us where the property lines are.]

To make a very long story shorter we walked the property that they are using now and then convened as ADCOM under a mango tree to decide what to do. It was clear that the front piece of land used to have a house on that land and belongs to the hospital. We decided that they would not have that part of the land and it should only be from “this point to that fruit tree – in front of the pawpaw - straight!” We told them this decision initially and they were not happy. So once again we discussed – this time more with the chiefs and a couple of older people who remember more of the details. Then it was announced that I, as the CEO, should announce our final decision which was not changed from the initial discussion!! (Did I sign up for this??)

I was praying for the right words and mostly just nervous as I said what we had decided I should say. I think it came out alright but they still were not happy. We went and talked some more in their yard until about 2pm. Finally they said “we will let you go until you have made your final decision”. The chiefs were strangely silent as we were presenting our decisions to the family. There was a lot of talk of being “Christian” in how we are dealing with them and if it is “Christian” to take away their land.

Unfortunately I don’t think the matter is solved. But related to the patience in the title – I found myself just wanting to make a quick decision and saying this is how it is… I also had plans to get a committee together to find all of the people “encroaching” on Malamulo’s land and figuring out who belongs and who doesn’t. However I had to sit back and watch them discuss. I couldn’t just rely on the “laws of the land” to solve this issue. This is a normal way of doing business although in the last few years land has become a much bigger issue than it used to be with population growth. There is a court system that they were threatening to resort to but there are no property lines, titles, or deeds to show who owns what.I will let you know what happens but for now we just wait until another day to tell them the same thing.