Interview with Tambu Manondo Chirwa, December 16, 2013

Interview Summary

Tambu Chirwa describes her early life in a village in Malawi carrying water, working in the garden, cooking, and caring for younger children. She talks about being sent to live with an older sister in the city to go to better schools, and the problems of the "selective" Malawi system for going on to secondary school and university even when a child passes the exams. She explains education for her sons as the reason to be in the United States. Tambu describes both negative (loneliness at the beginning) and positive experiences (through church and soccer) in Lexington. She keeps in weekly if not daily contact with family in Malawi and identifies herself as Malawian. With her husband Robert, Tambu has led two groups of Americans to Malawi from Second Presbyterian Church and helped organize a visit by a Malawian to Lexington. Tambu works in food service and is a student at Bluegrass Community and Technical College.

Interview Keyword

Acculturation Childhood Education Family Immigrants Loneliness Village life

Interview LC Subject

Africa Malawi

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Interview Usage

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