Afribalk

Serbians in Malawi

Many people nowadays seek for the better life and job opportunities abroad, however, rare are those who opt for a country of the third world. So, let us break your stereotypes and represent you a very interesting story of a Serbian family who decided to move to Malawi and continue their life there. Since everything happens for a reason, this story will not leave you indifferent.

A Serbian couple came to Blantyre (Malawi) 4 years ago together with their children. They used to live in Oman and saw an ad for a professor in Malawi. That is how the wife found her job-she works as an art professor in a British International school. The husband moved because of his wife and works as an architectural consultant in a local construction company but has been doing humanitarian work for years.

At that time, the wife did not have a clue about Malawi’s location, she only knew it was in Africa. When they started to investigate about the country they were coming to in more details, they were afraid and had some doubts about safety, malaria, and the way people lived there. The fact that they were going to see wild animals was the only reason for the feeling of excitement. After the investigation and an interview conducted online and upon the arrival to Malawi, they realized that there was the reason for which the country was called “The Warm Heart of Africa”.

The first thing that surprised them was the place they lived in-situated on 1100m above the sea level, which is like the Serbian mountain Zlatibor, though developed, with good roads and a supplied city centre. What they did not expect but encountered were extremely hospitable and friendly people. What the wife as a mother was most interested in were nearby schools and hospitals, and the fact that not only were there many hospitals built to the European standards, but there were also doctors mainly from England who came there to conduct research and yet remained there because of love they felt towards it, surprised her. The school she works in is great for her and her children since it has a long tradition of around 60 years.

On the other hand, the husband was amazed with roads connection which enables you to reach the capital within 3-4h, which was about 400km away from their place, and within 1.5-2h you can reach a beautiful Safari Park, the highest peak of South Africa-mountain Moulangi, the famous Malawi lake, or beach Mozambique. The internet was also functional, so they were in touch with their family from Serbia on a daily basis and share their experiences with them.

Though the two cultures differ in various aspects, this couple managed to recognize the potential business development in Malawi and to transfer a very important message-we are all equal on the planet Earth, and it is just our decision to use the opportunities that are given to us.