Between Kasungu and Nkhotakota, two kilometers before the Malomo Trading Centre, a small path leads from the tarmac national road to the village of Kaphatika. Surrounded by fields that the locals have cultivated by hand for generations, the village lies in a hilly landscape. Maize cultivation is the main source of income for the people, but tobacco and soya are also produced for the world market. The people here speak their own language, Chichewa.
The houses in the village are made of mud and straw, and small shops sell sweets for the children and everyday necessities. To buy vegetables, fish, meat and other groceries, the villagers also walk or take a motorbike taxi to Malomo, three kilometers away.
I took these pictures on one of my first visits to Kaphatika. They show young people spontaneously starting to make music behind the house and dancing to the rhythm.
It was a lively and joyful moment that reflected the joie de vivre of the young people in this village. The people in this region in the Ntchisi district are closely connected to their culture and traditions. Music and dance are part of social life and bring the villagers together.
© Bert Meyer