I'm nestled between two pigs, some large bags of fish and about 20 fishermen. I'm hoping that once I get used to the smell, the fish bags will become comfortable sitting apparatus - something that is much needed for the long and sometimes treacherous journey back to the mainland.
Just over 20,000 children from 25 schools across Chipata District in eastern Zambia will now be receiving Mary's Meals. It's my first time in the country and the first time these children will receive Mary's Meals, so I'm keen to see the difference that a nutritious daily meal will make.
As I drive along a dusty road I notice children skipping, jumping and laughing as they make their way to school.
I was visiting a school, which serves Mary's Meals, around 50 kilometres from the commercial capital Blantyre. We made a wrong turn in the car and ended up near a small piece of farmland near the school. After stopping to ask for directions I noticed two young boys herding goats.
I'm here working for Mary's Meals, which runs a school-feeding programme for more than 691,000 children every day. The charity's vision is a simple one: provide children with a daily meal in school so that they can live and learn. But I'm also eager to learn the benefits this has outside the classroom, so I head to a local football field to meet a group of eager football fans.
"We're off to see a backpack distribution," he tells me. "I warn you the children can get very excited when they receive them," he adds.
