A Special Day in Lilongwe: Picking Up Julie Jacobson
Today, April 12th, 2026, was a very special day. I picked up Julie Jacobson, who also lives on Vashon Island, at the Kamuzu International Airport in Lilongwe, Malawi. Julie is doing incredible work with BridgesToDevelopment.org, which addresses the 21 neglected tropical diseases as nominated by the World Health Organization. She flew in to attend a WHO conference in Lilongwe, expected to draw around 200 people from all over the world.
Stop at the Food Lovers Market
I left my lodge and made my way toward the airport, but first stopped at the Food Lovers Market—a great supermarket chain found across several southern African countries. I had coffee and chatted with the staff, who even asked about the car I’ve been driving and how much I might be asking for it. I’m still sorting all of that out, but it made for nice conversations. The road to the airport had its share of potholes and narrow stretches—very typical Africa-like driving.
Arriving at Kamuzu International Airport
The airport, called Kamuzu International Airport, is located in Area 52, essentially the small town of Lumbazi. It’s a pretty straightforward airport. I paid a small fee—about 1,000 to 2,000 kwacha, roughly a dollar or so—to access a viewing area where you can watch airplanes come in. While waiting, I had a fascinating conversation with a truck driver who turned out to have worked at Nkhoma Mission Hospital. That connection will come back later in the story.
Julie’s Arrival
I was so engaged in conversation that I only spotted the airplane after it had already landed. I was able to spot Julie when she came out of the airplane—there was no gangway, so passengers had to walk down the steps and across the tarmac to a bus. It was really fun to watch. Eventually she came through and was very happy to see me. The WHO had organized transportation for conference attendees, but this seemed like the only window I’d have to connect with Julie, so I drove her myself.
Catching Up Over Coffee
On our way from the airport, we stopped again at the Food Lovers Market coffee shop and restaurant. We were able to catch up on a number of things over food and drinks. It was a welcome chance to reconnect.
Dropping Julie at the President Hotel
Then it was time to take Julie to the President Hotel, which is right next to the Bingu International Umudzi Park Resort—the conference center. It was conveniently located so Julie could simply walk to the conference venue without needing any car transportation. A really good move on the organizers’ part.
Julie’s Goals for the Conference
Besides attending the conference, Julie mentioned she had another goal in mind: to interview as many conference attendees as possible. We had planned to do an interview ourselves, but decided to push that to the next day, Monday.
A Fabulous Day Concluded
I was able to leave Julie in a good place, and it was a wonderful conclusion to a fabulous day. I drove back to the New Area 3 Lodge where I was staying—it’s a bit hard to get to, but a good basic place. Thanks for coming along!
