ALL ROADS LEAD TO CHIRUNGA

Today is generally a normal day. By normal standards, I don’t expect anything out of the norm to happen. But then that is just an expectation. You know anything can happen in the world and you cannot always foresee it. Good and bad can happen.

After a weekend out, in which I travelled to Blantyre and then Lilongwe, I had to travel back to Zomba, my home for the next three or so years. Whether I go to Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mzuzu; or anywhere in Zomba, my roads point in one direction now: All roads lead to Chirunga so I must always get back.

On a rather unorthodox Monday, my friend and I decided to take a walk down the Chancellor College road. Our mission was simple, he wanted to show me the Chirunga Forest, Stadium and if circumstances allowed the villages around. And yes, we indeed proceeded to Thom Allan Village further down the road.

Outdoor sports fields at Chirunga Campus

It was a journey I wanted to connect to my surroundings as much as I could. For the four or so months that I had been at Chirunga, I had never gone down that path. As we strolled down the earth road, we passed down a first earth road going into the forest.

I asked my friend where that road went and he answered me, “To Chirunga”.

We went further down the road. We passed several roads going into the Chirunga Forest. Directly to my right, maize fields spoke to us how much the intermittent rains had done to the maize crop. In a distant I could see houses a few 100 metres away.

I asked my friend whether that was the village we were meant to go to. His answer was affirmative.

Thom Allan Village was just a lazy man’s walk away.

Within a few minutes, we took a turn to my right. Making lazy strides, we heard the sound of music coming from the direction facing our foreheads.

We ended up at some houses where local brew was being sold.

As we approached the houses, the scent of the brew smelled like the one I had been used to. The one my grandmother used to make.

Time flew! As we took gallop after gallop, we realised time had eluded our wish, and it was time to head back.

Just after emerging from the road leading to Thom Allan Village into the main road, my friend led me into a forest path. I asked where that would take us. His answer was that every single road I saw led to Chirunga. As we passed through the forest, I could not stop but be amazed by the order in the forest. The interconnection of sewer systems that apparently went uphill defying the power of gravity.

The road led to Chirunga indeed as I could see later.

As I grabbed my phone to catch up with what I had missed or had received. I saw tons of messages.

One that particularly caught my attention was how “needy” students are failing to pay fees and sustain themselves in one of the WhatsApp groups. One of the messages reiterated how the College Registrar had been telling the students to start tomato businesses by getting orders from Mpondabwino and resell in Chikanda to settle fees charges ranging from K175 000 to K425 000 per semester in addition to accommodation and food needs, on the back of balancing up with school work needs.

I hence remembered how previously people had bemoaned the lack of proper systems of support for tertiary education.

As much as the loan board has done its part, it must be empowered more to ensure that the right to education is not cut short by lack of financial resources.

The roads led to Chirunga, from town to everywhere around Chirunga, the roads led to Chirunga. The scenery, befitting a place of hope. The roads, promising a passage to a brighter future.

I sat down and thought, like the roads, let’s spare our thoughts…our thoughts must lead to places of hope, like Chirunga.

But the mood at Thom Allan Village was a different one. Whatever I am talking about, they cannot fully apprehend. So one of these days, I will head back and forget our world. A world of school fees and money, money and money.