Far from home: Menes La Plume's national tour

There is an underlying tension which sparks sporadic attacks on ‘foreigners’ in Malawi. Refugee businesses and homes have been attacked and looted. Trésor Mpauni Nzengu, who performs as as Menes la Plume, is a poet and musician from Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and currently lives in Malawi as a refugee. He has personally witnessed and experienced this prejudice.

Rhythm of Life is an international charity, registered in the United Kingdom. It aims to support and facilitate the growth of the creative industries in Malawi and to use music and the arts to engage and empower people. Menes and Rhythm of Life strongly believe that art has the power to transform, and that art helps people to understand and appreciate each other.


Through his performances in Malawi, Menes has seen many people change their attitude towards refugees. In 2015 he took that to another level with a collaborative music and poetry album featuring refugees and Malawian artists.

After a successful crowd-funding campaign, Menes recorded an album bringing together refugee artists and well-known Malawian musicians. Following the completion of the album, and with support from Rei Foundation, Menes led a tour with all the artists who participated.

Far From Home covered four major locations in Malawi in November 2015; Mzuzu, Lilongwe, Blantyre and Dzaleka Refugee Camp. The main objectives of the tour were to change the public perception of refugees and promote cultural diversity.