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Preserving Malawis cultural and natural heritage with Uraha Foundation and CMCK

The development of this proposal would not have been possible without the continuing support of many individuals and organisations. Especially important was the assistance of GTZ-Border Zone Development Project, Mzuzu (Dr. U. Weyl), Principal Secretary for Culture, Lilongwe (Dr. Gadi Mgomezulu), Director of Antiquities, Lilongwe (Dr. Elizabeth Gomani), the URAHA Foundation (Germany) and of Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt (Germany) & University of Frankfurt (Germany) (Prof. Dr. F. Schrenk).

Spectacular discoveries were made in Karonga District, northern Malawi: Dinosaurs, Early humans & pre-historic remains teach us about our Past. The Cultural & Museum Centre at Karonga aims at preserving and presenting the treasures of our natural and cultural heritage. It will integrate the main and relevant aspects of Natural and Cultural Heritage education, management and research in three areas: a Cultural Activity area will provide a meeting place for the people of Karonga and their international visitors. A Display & Panorama area features prehistoric landscapes, animals & early humans and their way of life, the integrated learning and information centre will support school children and teachers. The integrated Centre for Field Research will co-operate in international projects. With its unique concept the Karonga Cultural and Museum Centre will be a key factor for promoting appreciation of Malawi's Cultural & Natural heritage by educational development and research.

The Exhibition “Malawi from the Dinosaur Times to the Present” will feature the prehistoric landscape of northern Malawi and will discuss climatic and ecological change. The exhibition will portray specimens and reconstructions of prehistoric animals and early humans and their way of life. The Uraha Foundation (Malawi) in collaboration with the Malawi Department of Antiquities will be responsible for establishing the Exhibition. The Construction and implementing activities are financed by EU and GTZ. A number of private donors are required, especially for the promotion and Design of the Centre within its first year of operation (2002) . In order to make the CMCK known and to generate some income we have already started in offering tours through the rich history of Karonga. More detailed information will be given as follows.

International palaeontological and prehistory research projects in the Karonga district started 1983 mainly by Malawian-German-American teams. A long term interdisciplinary project is the HCRP, funded mainly by DFG, which discovered earliest remains of the genus Homo in the Karonga District. This project generated a number of successful co-operation projects, such as training of local team members and government employees, lectures to schools and small exhibitions on prehistory in a secondary school in Karonga, publications on prehistory topics and international conferences. To support these activities the URAHA Foundation (Germany) was initiated, which supports African research in the Field of Prehistory. One of the ideas developed by the local partners in Karonga, and first suggested to the URAHA foundation, was to support local cultural development by initiating a centre incorporating cultural and prehistoric aspects for cultural exchange on all levels. In order to support implementation of the Centre, a Malawi based partner organisation of the German URAHA foundation, the URAHA Foundation (Malawi) was initiated. Consultations between district and governmental institutions were undertaken. The Cultural & Museum Centre at Karonga was strongly supported at all levels.

The Karonga Development Trust (KADET), a registered non profit organisation, which promotes economic and cultural development at Karonga, has initiated the project by acquiring a plot.

The URAHA Foundation (Malawi), a registered non profit organisation has special responsibilities in the Karonga Project (see Annex for Constitution and Names & Functions of Executive Members).

· URAHA Foundation (Germany), a registered non profit organisation, which supports African research projects in the Field of Prehistory.

Ø Establishing CMCK Tours through the history of Karonga by producing promotional material

Ø Design and Implementation of the “Dino-Internetcafé” and a CMCK Homepage

Ø Design, furnishing and articles for the CMCK shop and cafeteria

Malawi, especially the Karonga district, offers a number of unique treasures of importance to African Prehistory from the times of the dinosaurs and the first humans to the iron age period. Yet, the great majority of Malawians have still no access to their own cultural heritage.

· Cultural Heritage is one of the basic pillars of Human existence. There are very few opportunities for cultural activities in Malawi and none in Karonga.

· There is no popular awareness of Malawian prehistory and their importance as heritage resources. If these resources are not developed, the knowledge will be lost forever.

· Whereas Malawi has recently made much progress in the fields of Human Rights and Democracy, Social and Medical Welfare as well as basic education, the awareness by the people of Malawi of their prehistory heritage has up to now not been given priority nor external support.

· Knowledge of the past is a key for helping to understand the present and to tackle future issues. The government's resources are limited, therefore support from the private sector is required.

Malawi has yielded unique and important prehistoric and cultural treasures in the Karonga District to date:

· The palaeontological sites ranging from the Jurassic Period 200 Million years ago that yielded dinosaurs, to the period of the last 5 Million years that documents human origins and evolution.

· The archaeological record documenting human cultural evolution is equally impressive with sites of African Stone Age and Iron Age.

· A large range of objects are available in Karonga on the early cultural history of the area

Earlier activities have created very favourable conditions supporting the implementation of the Karonga Cultural and Museum Center

· International Research Projects in Co-operation with the Department of Antiquities are being undertaken in relevant fields: a Malawian-German-USA Research Co-operation, the Hominid Corridor Research Project started its searches for earliest humans in 1983 and continues to locate new sites every year. Other international research concentrated especially on the Dinosaurs of Malawi

· Strong support has developed amongst the Karonga population, more than 100 people are highly trained in prehistory field investigations through earlier research activities.

· Malawian specialists of Culture and Prehistory (technical and academic level) have been and are receiving intensive and high-standard training in Germany and the U.S. since 1993.

· The Karonga Town Council and the Karonga Development Trust (KADET) have expressed their great interest and strong support of the Cultural & Museum Centre in Karonga. A plot for the Centre was officially allocated in 1997.

· Local Karonga Schools (e.g. Chaminade Secondary School, Ipyana Primary School) are partners of current activities (lectures and practicals for students) by international research projects.

· The Germany based URAHA Foundation supports the initiative of a Malawi based URAHA Foundation, which together with Department of Antiquities will take main responsibilities in the project

The Karonga Cultural and Museum Centre and the proposed Preserving & promotion-plan will be a key factor for promoting appreciation of Malawi's Cultural & Natural heritage by establishing a centre of high public utility value with integrated functions:

· providing transfer of knowledge to the people of Malawi and international Visitors on Malawis`natural and cultural heritage

· The Centre will integrate the main and relevant aspects of Natural and Cultural Heritage education, management and research.

The citizens of Karonga will benefit on a permanent basis, since for the first time there will be a place for cultural interchange and activities like the proposed Internetcafé, guided Tours and a small cafeteria with a shop, which will also provide background to natural and cultural heritage for national and international visitors:

The Panorama & Display area will be designed as a Exhibition Hall that consists of:

· (E, G, I) three movable Panels in the middle section between Dinosaur Skeleton and Panoramas

· (B, C, D, H, K) five Panorama Displays, displaying 3D reconstructions of the prehistoric landscape with wall drawings, and integrated reconstructions of fauna and flora as well as prehistoric object displays.

Objects: Maps for Rain - Temperature - Vegetation distribution large photos of landscapes in rainy and dry seasons

Fauna: Dermoplastics and skeletal remains on the surface, of common animals (comparison today/historic times), Map of Nyika National Park and Border Zone

Explanation-Panels: Relationships of Climate and Habitat; Climate changes and seasonality; Vegetation and Fauna, Extinctions caused by Homo sapiens

Infrastructure: Wallpanorama, support for landscapes, support for dermoplastics and skeletons

Objects: recent bones becoming fossils (articulated skeleton in the background), Excavation grids, Excavation tools, Research camp equipment, table and chairs, Transport Boxes, documentation equipment

Explanation-Panels: From living animals to Fossils (from Biosphere to Lithosphere), Identification of bones and teeth, similarity of living and fossil anatomy (the actualistic approach); What is a Preparator? what is a Palaeontologist / Anthropologist / Archaeologist? Reconstruction of past climates and habitats

Topics: Evolution of the Rift, habitats, fauna & flora, Climatic & Environmental changes

Explanation-Panels: Satellite Photo of African Rift (from Jordan to Mozambique), Plate Tectonic: the African plate, How do Earthquakes occur, Global climatic change, Regional climatic change, (due to rifting)

Explanation-Panels: Parallel evolution of Dinosaurs and Mammals, Earliest Dinosaurs from the Zambesi Valley, Malawisaurus, The Dinosaur from Malawi, Where we find Dinosaurs in Africa and the rest of the world, Dinosaurs on moving continents, The Dinosaur Beds in Malawi, Dinosaur extinctions (Climate/ Meteorite Hypothesis) Infrastructure: Support structure for Malawisaurus

Living Scene of two Malawi Hominid groups (Homo and Paranthropus) around 2.5 Mio years ago

Explanation-Panels: Fossil Localities in Africa and Malawi, The Chiwondo Beds of Malawi

The Uraha and Malema Excavation sites, Our Ancestors, from Australopithecus to Neanderthals: the hominid tree, upright walking, Tools, Brain, Speech and Culture: features of hominids, Migrations of Hominids within Africa and into rest of world ,

Infrastructure: Shelves for Hominid heads, Hominid tree: using a real tree to show relationships, Shelves for mounting of Fossil Hominid Casts

3D-Structures: Local cultural historic objects and reconstruction of living place

Objects: remains of early cultural history from Karonga (Tools, dresses, Games)

Explanation-Panels: Stone tools from Karonga, The stone age Period, The prehistoric Mwangwabila Elephant Butchery site, The Iron Age Period, Fishing and Farming, Karonga Music, Games of Karonga,

In order to promote the CMCK, its concept and ideas in and throughout Karonga District and to make the centre even more attractive to one of our main target groups - tourists - we would like to establish …

Karonga, though largest town on the northern lakeshore, lied dormant to tourism. With the birth of the CMCK (Cultural & Museum Centre Karonga) the plan arose to share the rich historical & cultural heritage of the lively home of 200 000 inhabitants of this district as well with tourists.

The importance of Karonga within history starts already - as described - 100 Million years ago. The remains of Malawisaurus, a 12 metre long skeleton of a dinosaur has been excavated as well as the oldest remains of the Genus Homo living in Karonga District 2,5 Million years ago.

Besides these famous fossil sites Karonga offers much more history than any other district in Malawi. The iron age sites at Mbande Hill are covered with fragments of pottery which is believed to be more than 500 years old. Mbande Hill’s past as a place were the first Ngondes settled is therefore sacred: all Kyungus, the traditional chiefs of the Ngonde-society, are being enthroned on top of that hill.

Colonial times in Karonga can be rediscovered by having a walk through “Old Town” up to St. Marys Beach. Thats the starting point of the famous Stevensons Road.

It was an early dream of the African Lakes Cooperation (ALC) to connect the north end of Lake Malawi and the south end of Lake Tanganyika. This was in awake to the call by Dr. David Livingstone who wanted to establish commercial trade in central Africa so as to replace slave trade.

The road was named after the chairman of ALC, Mr James Stevenson who was contributing money to build the road. The engineers for the construction were James Stewart and William McEwan. The sudden death of both of them (their graves have just been discovered at Old Mission and can now be visited) resulted in the abandonment of the construction. In 1905, a cross was erected as memorial on Silu mountain, 16 km west of Karonga, where these two engineers died.

As “enchanted place - a perfect arcadia” was Nkondeland described by explorer Joseph Thomson who passed through Karonga in 1878. The favourable impression is maybe because this was one of the few parts in Central Africa not to have been devastated by slave traders or the Ngoni.

All this was to change when Mlozi, a Swahili trader arrived in 1886 in Karonga and started to raid Nkondeland for human booty. It was Monteith Fotheringham, the manager at ALC-store in Karonga, who attempted to negotiate with Mlozi in order to stop slave trade but to no avail. From 1887 onward Karonga became therefore the setting of a largely forgotten war between Fotheringham and Mlozi. - it was initiated when Mlozi ordered the massacre of hundreds defence-less Nkondes at Kambwe lagoon. It was only in 1895 when Harry Johnston succesfully attacked Mlozis fort around Mbande Hotspring, where the slavetrade himself used to take his bath. Mlozi was then hanged on a tree, which can still be seen today.

During World War I Karonga was focus of the hostilities between German East African Colony and British Nyasaland. War in this region commenced with a naval victory of the British “Gwendolyn” against the German “Hermann von Wissmann” and ended with a battle in Karonga in September 8-9 1914. 19 out of 22 German officers were killed with even heavier losses among the African conscripts.

The War Cemetry with the War graves of Max Stein and his fellows can still be visited. Other remains of Karongas historical battles are the Armstrong Gun which was used in the battle against Mlozi and the Old Baobab at the first District Commissioners office which was used as a gun platform.

A printed folder would help us, to promote those tours within Malawi. Layout and Design of the folder is already available. Funding would be needed for the production of approximately 5000 folder as well as for 15 panels to signpost the historic sites of the tour. Your sponsorship would be visible for the public as advert in the folder as well as on the panels.

World wide web: the gate to other countries, different cultures and various people. Not only for communication purposes and educational reasons but also for the integrated research centre access to the internet is a necessity for the Cultural & Museum Centre and its intention to foster a spirit of tolerance and understanding amongst the different cultures. We would like to offer the community of Karonga as well as our international research students and tourists a communication platform through which we would be able to create income for maintaining the structures and activities of CMCK.

A 10-Webpage-Internetpresentation and the furnishing and start capital for our “Dino-News-Internetcafé” would assist us in establishing our contact to the world. Webpages and the Café could be signed by your advert “Sponsored by ...”.

c) Cafeteria and Shop-area within the Entrance of the Museum, Arts and Craft village outside the centre

As meeting and chatting point an integrated Cafeteria and Shop area could provide tourists and interested visitors with snacks, T-Shirts, Ball-Pens, Pottery-Dinosaurs and other give aways which are on sale. A live Arts and Craft Centre with four huts and local artists could demonstrate tourists as well as schoolchildren how local crafts like mats, baskets, traps, carvings are made.

Funds are needed for the furnishing and content of the Shop (i.e. printed T-Shirts, Chitenjes etc) and the Cafeteria. Adverts could be made on T-Shirts, Ballpens and on the furniture.

· Overall responsibility: UHRAHA Foundation (Malawi) through support by Department of Antiquities, Lilongwe and URAHA Foundation (Germany)

· Museology: URAHA Foundation (Malawi) through support by State Museum of Lower Saxony & Senckenberg Research Institute

· Management of Karonga Museum: URAHA Foundation through Commissioner of Culture

There is a documented commitment on the Malawi side for taking responsibilities for running costs and staff. External support will be provided through the Uraha Foundation (Germany) for special future projects. An entrance fee should be considered for the museum part of the buildings, in order to support production of teaching literature.

The Department of tourism will be given literature for dissemination abroad. This will also generate some local income from donations at the door.

Future co-operation will result from research projects in the Karonga District, which will use the new Centre as a operation base. In a later stage it will be possible to create income from producing casts of prehistoric remains and from running a field school for students.

1. Establishing CMCK Tours through the history of Karonga by producing promotional material

2. Design and Implementation of the “Dino-Internetcafé” and a CMCK Homepage

3. Design, furnishing and equipment for the CMCK shop and cafeteria and construction of Arts and Craft Village

Ø Production and design of 15 signposts marking the historical sites in Karonga - including “2 Welcome-Signpost” to Karonga. (Production by local Artists and Welders)

Ø 2-3 Computer, 1 Printer, 1 Phone, 2 voltage regulators, line, Three network cards,one high quality 56k modem, Server Software, Africa-online.net

Ø Local furnishing: 4 small round tables, 12 chairs, bar/counter, 6 barstools, cash box, Hotplate, Pottery and cutlery, 2 shelf

Ø Shopware: 500 CMCK-Shirts, 10 000 ballpens, 500 pottery Dinosaurs, 300 casts of Hominid Jaw, 10 000 Stickers, 500 CMCK-Dinosaur-Chitenje, local Crafts which can be seen in the Exhibition like Fishtraps, Malipenga-Gourds, Instruments, Bawo-games etc. 25 000 Euro

Ø Construction of Arts and Craft village in front of the centre, 15 000 Euro