31 May 2013
Thanks to a financial support of US$24,947 from the 2003 Convention’s Intangible Cultural Heritage Fund, eight communities in northern Malawi participated in the inventorying of their intangible cultural heritage. After having received training on documentation and inventory making, twelve young members from the Bandya, Lambya, Mambwe, Namwanga, Ndali, Nyakyusa, Nyiha and Sulwa/Chewa communities conducted fieldwork to collect information on 26 living practices and expressions that they considered characteristic for their communities.
The result of their fieldwork was compiled in the second volume of the national inventory of Malawi’s intangible cultural heritage. It contains information on such varied elements as Namayoka herbal medicine, the Among’oma dance, the preparation of Ichipipi maize cake, as well as the making of Umomo fish traps.
The project was implemented between September 2012 and May 2013 under the responsibility of the Malawi National Commission for UNESCO and the Ministry of Tourism and Culture of Malawi.
