My First Chitenje

Yesterday I bought my first Chitenje (shi-ten-jay) from the local market here in Zomba. Chitenje's are pieces of cloth (very colorful) meant to be worn around the waist. I've been meaning to get one for a while as these pieces of cloth have many many uses and it's very respectful to wear these when you are in the villages. I heard a funny saying that, "Legs to men here in Malawi is like cleavage to men in North America"- so better cover up!

Most of the cloth sold here comes from Tanzania but this one is specifically from Malawi.

I was looking up the price for a Chitenje on the internet (wanted to know what we should bargain down to) and came across a blog post on the many uses of the Chitenje and wanted to post it here for you.

I wonder how many uses I will use it for while i'm here...

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How many uses can you put to a rectangular piece of fabric, the most ubiquitous item by far in Malawi:

1. Baby carrier - first and foremost
2. Leg hider
3. Leg warmer
4. Body warmer (worn around torso)
5. Head gear
6. Purse (corner tied in a knot with money in)
7. Cleaning cloth
8. Bed liner (including examination beds in those busy clinics)
9. Pressure bandage/ Tourniquet (all essential casualty first aid)
10. Hanging traction weights (i.e. bricks)
11. Bench liner before sitting
12. Carrying goods (tied at the corners to make a kind of bag)
13. Securing goods (e.g. bowls full of fruit/veg carried on women’s head)
14. Head cushion (for carrying heavy water buckets/stick bundles on their heads)
15. Fashion accessory
16. Political propaganda (Design with Presidents' faces and party logos)
17. Commemoration of important events (NGOs issue many of these ones)
18. Curtains or screens
19. Mats
20. Winnow
21. Water filter
22. Tourist souvenir

(From: http://ashtinafrica.blogspot.com/2010/09/uses-of-chitenje-calico-cloth.html)