Thank You, You’re Welcome in Malawi

by buildOn’s Ryan Nishimoto, Program & Service Coordinator

Nishimoto recently took a group of buildOn students from Connecticut to Malawi to build a school. Here are his reflections.

One of my favorite words in Chichewa, one of Malawi’s languages, is Zikomo. It means “Thank you,” and it also means “You’re welcome.” You use it all the time. You use it when you’re getting the attention of an entire village, walking out of an impromptu dance circle, practicing conversation with children, relaxing after a hard day’s effort on the work site, or enjoying the view of something you built with your own hands.

Zikomo echoes throughout the community.