By Ellen Nayara Kotai Costa. Brazil / Poverty Activist team August 2024
In my world before Malawi:
From the very first moment of the day, I had to be immersed in networks of immediacy. Even when engaging in deeper reflections, everything had to be strategic to succeed—and now. To go viral. Likes, shares, metrics, studies, and absolute precision to achieve success today, tomorrow, and always. If I leave it for the next day, I’ve lost! But my tracking, my connections are missing. I lose my work. Everything is about timing! Oh, my followers! What time is it? When should I post?
But then I arrived in Malawi.
I left that world—at least temporarily. Let’s see! I stepped out of the world of precise clocks. I stepped out of the world where time is money and ego the moment I set foot in Malawi. Right there, in those first few meters at the airport, time already felt different—full of presence.
Here, time is Pang’ono Pang’ono—little by little, step by step.
Don’t know yet? Pang’ono Pang’ono.
Not finished yet? Pang’ono Pang’ono.
Didn’t have time? Pang’ono Pang’ono.
In other words, there is time! You’ll get there! It might seem like an excuse not to get things done, not to progress, or not to move forward. But no, it’s not!
Pang’ono Pang’ono teaches respect for the natural rhythm of things—our physical and mental digestion, and the unfolding of situations. It honors the process without forcing it to accelerate. Pang’ono Pang’ono cancels out the urgency of immediacy and reinforces our connection with the natural flow of time.
It restructures priorities. It doesn’t ignore scheduled time but helps me understand that there is more to respect than just the clock. And in the corporate world, Pang’ono Pang’ono does wonders. It’s a return to the essence. But without rush—Pang’ono Pang’ono!
For those who read this far—Zikomo!