The Malawian farmers slog away in the dry fields. But that isn't always enough to provide their families with food. The ELDS program helps the farmers to save money and groundnuts, to secure that they don't starve.
McNoel Banda turns the button, until a crackling pop song pours out over the stubble.
"Eh!" he nods with a grin, when the rhythms turn up. The marred radio is his most cherished possession and every time the aerial picks up a radio channel, McNoel presses the loudspeaker against his ear, in an attempt to follow the program. He carries the radio with him wherever he goes: In the fields and when he is walking through the village, since it's new to him to possess such a luxurious thing as a radio.
Used to beg for a living
McNoel bought the radio for the money he got from the villages' winter crop. It cost 7 Euro at the local market and McNoel had been saving up for a long time. Only two years earlier it would have been unthinkable for him to buy a radio. That was before McNoel's village joined the ELDS Program that has been put to work to secure, that the villagers have enough food to live on and sell at the market.
"Earlier on it was a problem to find food, some months we didn't have anything. Then we had to beg our neighbours in the village for something to eat", McNoel Banda says.
But it was impossible to procure enough food for himself, his wife Patricia and their three children by begging, because neither of the other families had much to spare. Now the Banda family has money and is able to eat every day. The children can have porridge in the morning and sour milk from the goat, McNoel got from the ELDS project .
Making the dreams come true
In the village the farmers have established a seed bank, in which they keep extra groundnuts, maize and soya beans to make sure, that everyone have seed corn for the coming season. They also have a tiny bank in which they can lend money for buying fertilizer and animals. And all of the farmers in the village have received training in how to make better use of their fields.
Because of the new possibilities the farmers now dare to dream of more than they had ever imagined. McNoel's biggest wish is to build a better house for his family. One made of bricks and with more rooms than the seven stride long hut they currently live in.
"Then there's nothing more I can ask for", McNoel Banda laughs.
Thursday, 2 October 2008
Malawi journalists with HIV/Aids form network to fight stigma
Malawian journalists living with HIV/Aids have teamed up to end HIV/Aids-based stigma and discrimination against sufferers through the formation of a network called the Malawi Journalists Living with HIV (MJLHIV), the first of its kind in the country.
MJLHIV National Coordinator David Kamkwamba, who works for the state-owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), told APA on Thursday that the formation of the network was a stepping stone in the media response to HIV and Aids through the effective participation of journalists living with HIV/Aids.
He said the initiative will empower the media in the response to the pandemic through experiences of journalists living with the virus.
“In this drive, the initiative shall advocate for the mainstreaming of HIV and Aids through the advocating of development of HIV and Aids work place policies, implementation and strategies against stigma and discrimination,” he said.
Although many people in the country have lately comeout in the open to declare their HIV status, the Malawi media has been very quiet on the matter with only one journalist, the late Kaulanda Nkosi, being the only scribe who openly revealed his HIV status to the nation.
However, Kamkwamba said the formation of MJLWHIV will foster a change of people’s attitudes towards persons living with the virus.
“Specifically, the MJLWHIV aims at advocating for the rights of people living with HIV that also includes journalists,” he said.
Malawi is one of the sub-Saharan African states most hit by a high rate of HIV and Aids along with its accompanying stigma and discrimination.
MJLHIV National Coordinator David Kamkwamba, who works for the state-owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC), told APA on Thursday that the formation of the network was a stepping stone in the media response to HIV and Aids through the effective participation of journalists living with HIV/Aids.
He said the initiative will empower the media in the response to the pandemic through experiences of journalists living with the virus.
“In this drive, the initiative shall advocate for the mainstreaming of HIV and Aids through the advocating of development of HIV and Aids work place policies, implementation and strategies against stigma and discrimination,” he said.
Although many people in the country have lately comeout in the open to declare their HIV status, the Malawi media has been very quiet on the matter with only one journalist, the late Kaulanda Nkosi, being the only scribe who openly revealed his HIV status to the nation.
However, Kamkwamba said the formation of MJLWHIV will foster a change of people’s attitudes towards persons living with the virus.
“Specifically, the MJLWHIV aims at advocating for the rights of people living with HIV that also includes journalists,” he said.
Malawi is one of the sub-Saharan African states most hit by a high rate of HIV and Aids along with its accompanying stigma and discrimination.
Malawi suspends voter registration in selected areas
Malawi’s troubled voter registration exercise has been suspended in some areas of the country due to inadequate of voter registration materials, according to the Malawi Electoral Commission (MEC) here on Thursday.
MEC Chairperson Anastasia Msosa said that the exercise, now in its third phase from 29 September to 12 October, has temporarily been suspended due to various problems — including lack of enough cameras and shortage of staff to handle a large turnout of voters in some centres.
"This year’s registration exercise has been characterised by various problems which need urgent attention from the body to rationalise the use of cameras and adding more staff to the centres," she said.
MEC therefore urged all voters in the affected centres to wait until the commission announces the commencement of the exercise in their areas, adding that the body had procured an additional 150 cameras and would soon be sent to the affected areas.
MEC Chairperson Anastasia Msosa said that the exercise, now in its third phase from 29 September to 12 October, has temporarily been suspended due to various problems — including lack of enough cameras and shortage of staff to handle a large turnout of voters in some centres.
"This year’s registration exercise has been characterised by various problems which need urgent attention from the body to rationalise the use of cameras and adding more staff to the centres," she said.
MEC therefore urged all voters in the affected centres to wait until the commission announces the commencement of the exercise in their areas, adding that the body had procured an additional 150 cameras and would soon be sent to the affected areas.
The Malawi Report
Malawi was great. Lots of talking and finding out about what people in rural areas know and don’t know about healthcare. The women we talked to (all officers in the Malawian Salvation Army) were lovely - a fab sense of humour and a joy to spend time with. Here we all are one lunchtime last week. Spot the non-Salvationist. I did feel like I stood out a bit…
It was fascinating talking about the healcare issues together. But some of the stuff I learned was scary. There are traditional cultural practices which I have to say I found horrific. In rural areas of the country, apparently it’s normal to hold ‘initiation camps’ for children entering puberty. The boys are circumsised (often with the same knife, not sterilized in between each one). They’re then told to go and get plenty of ‘practice’ before they get married. The girls, meanwhile, are ‘initiated’ by an older man who is paid by the girl’s parents to have sex with her. He may beat her, as well, to make sure she knows what to expect once she’s married. Because how will a woman know what her husband expects of her unless he hits her?
It’s not just children that have to take part in this business, either. Widows have to be ‘cleansed’ by sleeping with one of their husband’s relatives. I don’t know what they think will happen to her if she doesn’t. With all this going on, HIV infection rates are hardly likely to decrease.
Thankfully it wasn’t all as depressing as this. And the work we did (and will be doing) is about empowering people with the knowledge to make changes to the way they do things, so everyone’s health benefits. Hopefully this will eventually mean an end to the initiation camps.
So now we have 12 picture flip-charts to produce, on topics from how to treat diarrhoea to malaria prevention to child development to family planning. I’m going to be busy.
It was fascinating talking about the healcare issues together. But some of the stuff I learned was scary. There are traditional cultural practices which I have to say I found horrific. In rural areas of the country, apparently it’s normal to hold ‘initiation camps’ for children entering puberty. The boys are circumsised (often with the same knife, not sterilized in between each one). They’re then told to go and get plenty of ‘practice’ before they get married. The girls, meanwhile, are ‘initiated’ by an older man who is paid by the girl’s parents to have sex with her. He may beat her, as well, to make sure she knows what to expect once she’s married. Because how will a woman know what her husband expects of her unless he hits her?It’s not just children that have to take part in this business, either. Widows have to be ‘cleansed’ by sleeping with one of their husband’s relatives. I don’t know what they think will happen to her if she doesn’t. With all this going on, HIV infection rates are hardly likely to decrease.
Thankfully it wasn’t all as depressing as this. And the work we did (and will be doing) is about empowering people with the knowledge to make changes to the way they do things, so everyone’s health benefits. Hopefully this will eventually mean an end to the initiation camps.
So now we have 12 picture flip-charts to produce, on topics from how to treat diarrhoea to malaria prevention to child development to family planning. I’m going to be busy.
Aparna in Mozambique :Celebrity...in Malawi?
Last year, my friend enticed me to take some pictures to be on a billboard in Malawi for the National Bank. They wanted to show that foreigners used their services, so they said. I reluctantly agreed, thinking that nothing would ever happen. I did, in fact, receive some payment for the service, and the photographer assured us that the billboard would be up in 2 weeks near the major airports, one in Blantyre and one in Lilongwe. 2 months elapsed and I never saw the pictures. Ah well, I thought, I didn't care to draw any more attention to myself anyways. Then comes this year. In June a classmate emails me and tells me he was pleasantly suprised to see my friend and I on a billboard when going to Zambia. Another friend driving from Mozambique in August confirmed the same story. And finally, I received the picture this morning. It is confirmed, I am a celebrity in Malawi at relatively small border crossings...
Village school hosts Malawi visitors
Officials from the African country of Malawi visited a rural Norfolk school yesterday as part of long term efforts to share educational, cultural and practical skills between a number of communities.
A four year link between various groups in Norfolk and the district of Dedza in Malawi, under the official banner of the Norwich-Dedza Partnership, has seen several visits in both directions, including in the past few days.
Yesterday district commissioner Dan Phiri and senior chief of the district Theresa Ndovi were at Aldborough Primary School, near Cromer, for a tour and to meet youngsters and staff.
Among those gathered was Aldborough parent Charlotte Darley, who has recently returned from a trip to Malawi.
“The schools in Malawi have next to no resources, so we took some basics out, such as footballs, pens and pencils,” said Mrs Darley.
“But this link also helps teach our children that the television images of African children with flies in their eyes is not the only reality - there is a real life out there, they go to school, they play games and they have friends.
“The link means there is a very immediate sense of what is actually happening in another part of the world.”
Nick Nicholson, chairman of the partnership, was also at Aldborough yesterday and said: “We have tried to link a whole host of organisations from Norfolk to similar organisations in Dedza.
“It has so far been very successful, with six primary schools involved and a whole range of other organisations.”
Organisations which have been involved in the Norwich-Dedza Partnership include the John Jarrold Trust, Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council, several schools including Tuckswood Primary and the UEA.
A four year link between various groups in Norfolk and the district of Dedza in Malawi, under the official banner of the Norwich-Dedza Partnership, has seen several visits in both directions, including in the past few days.
Yesterday district commissioner Dan Phiri and senior chief of the district Theresa Ndovi were at Aldborough Primary School, near Cromer, for a tour and to meet youngsters and staff.
Among those gathered was Aldborough parent Charlotte Darley, who has recently returned from a trip to Malawi.
“The schools in Malawi have next to no resources, so we took some basics out, such as footballs, pens and pencils,” said Mrs Darley.
“But this link also helps teach our children that the television images of African children with flies in their eyes is not the only reality - there is a real life out there, they go to school, they play games and they have friends.
“The link means there is a very immediate sense of what is actually happening in another part of the world.”
Nick Nicholson, chairman of the partnership, was also at Aldborough yesterday and said: “We have tried to link a whole host of organisations from Norfolk to similar organisations in Dedza.
“It has so far been very successful, with six primary schools involved and a whole range of other organisations.”
Organisations which have been involved in the Norwich-Dedza Partnership include the John Jarrold Trust, Norfolk County Council and Norwich City Council, several schools including Tuckswood Primary and the UEA.
TrainingMikolongwe, Malawi
I have now been in Malawi for a week and it feel more like a month. The tourist mentality is long gone as we now get to know the local people on a more intimate level and gain a better understanding of how life really is.
The number of people who walk beside the side of the road for what can only be huge distances still astounds me. Often they have bikes laden with goods or are simply carrying large bundles on top of their heads. There are no footpaths and motor vehicles definitely have right of way and make sure of it as they blast their horns to ensure pedestrians get out of the way. I am waiting for the day when we hit someone.
I am currently teaching a group of approximately 20 home based care givers who have previously had 2 weeks training at most. Between myself and a medical assistant from the local clinic we are refreshing some of their training but unfortunately with the time we have allocated to us it will be a difficult task. There is a mix of both men and women in the group. All have families and jobs and provide care on a voluntary basis. Through their questions and responses i am getting a much better understanding of this culture and the harshness of life that they face daily. HIV/AIDS is the biggest concern for all so most of what we teach has some relationship to this. Thankfully they are hungry for knowledge so I will be coming home knowing that some parts of their education will have been improved. My own knowledge is improving also with one of my ladies ensuring that i learn at least a few words of Chichewa. At every opportunity she will greet me and expect a reply. The language has no similarities to our English so i am grateful for her persistence.
Children are everywhere and as they get use to us being around, they are finding it easier to interact with us. Smiles and laughter is such a natural thing for them inspite of the surroundings in which they live.
Cultural differences are becoming more obvious. With my teaching group we must have a prayer to start and end the day. There is also grace for every break that involves eating. Women will come into a room on their knees to shake our hands as a sign of respect. Men and women seem not to mix socially and even at church there was no way of knowing who belonged to which family as men and women mostly sit on different sides of the room. On a more negative note, it does appear that women do the bulk of the work as men seem to sit about and congregate more. I may be wrong.
I am very grateful for this experience and the insight it has given into my life and lifestyle. The warmth and charm of these people will remain with me forever.
Three visits to Nsoni School provided a valuable insight to how primary education is delivered in Malawi. It is hardly recognisable as a school in relation to New Zealand schools. I started in the new entrant class which had 280 students - yes, 280 students in one class with one male teacher who was hugely enthusiastic and passionate about what he did. The singing in the class was deafening and singing was used to reinforce the learning they were doing. The classrooms had no doors so could not be locked up so nothing was able to be kept in the rooms. What few books there were had to be carted into the room and then returned to the headmaster's office (which could be locked up).
Not all classes were quite that big but there were 1211 students at the school and only 8 classrooms. It was a full primary catering for Std 1 to Std 8 students - one class for each standard. Most classes had few if any desks and in most the students were packed in like sardines sitting on the concrete floor. Imagine marking all the books (assuming they have books which not all had) or attempting to give feedback to each individual feedback. School commences at 7.30 and during the day all students get to have porridge as part of a sponsored feeding programme. School finished at 1.30 and on the training day the teachers met with me, along with teachers from a neighbouring school who had bicycled 3 kms to get to Nsoni. The training programme focussed on ways that teacher could identify their many challenges and needs and develop an action plan to provide a way of redressing these issues.
On the second day I visited another school that had 1307 students with 9 classrooms and 9 teachers including the headmaster. One of the new entrant teachers was away so all the new entrants were in one classroom - at least 300 of them. Again, a passionate teacher provided a programme that kept most of the kids engaged. I spent time in each of the classrooms and saw time and again extreme overcrowding and teachers doing their very best with no resources in overcrowded and incredibly hot classrooms. However the was evidence of learning happening and the majority of students happy and well behaved.
This experience makes me appreciate how fortunate students and teachers are in NZ.
Hugh Smith
The number of people who walk beside the side of the road for what can only be huge distances still astounds me. Often they have bikes laden with goods or are simply carrying large bundles on top of their heads. There are no footpaths and motor vehicles definitely have right of way and make sure of it as they blast their horns to ensure pedestrians get out of the way. I am waiting for the day when we hit someone.
I am currently teaching a group of approximately 20 home based care givers who have previously had 2 weeks training at most. Between myself and a medical assistant from the local clinic we are refreshing some of their training but unfortunately with the time we have allocated to us it will be a difficult task. There is a mix of both men and women in the group. All have families and jobs and provide care on a voluntary basis. Through their questions and responses i am getting a much better understanding of this culture and the harshness of life that they face daily. HIV/AIDS is the biggest concern for all so most of what we teach has some relationship to this. Thankfully they are hungry for knowledge so I will be coming home knowing that some parts of their education will have been improved. My own knowledge is improving also with one of my ladies ensuring that i learn at least a few words of Chichewa. At every opportunity she will greet me and expect a reply. The language has no similarities to our English so i am grateful for her persistence.
Children are everywhere and as they get use to us being around, they are finding it easier to interact with us. Smiles and laughter is such a natural thing for them inspite of the surroundings in which they live.
Cultural differences are becoming more obvious. With my teaching group we must have a prayer to start and end the day. There is also grace for every break that involves eating. Women will come into a room on their knees to shake our hands as a sign of respect. Men and women seem not to mix socially and even at church there was no way of knowing who belonged to which family as men and women mostly sit on different sides of the room. On a more negative note, it does appear that women do the bulk of the work as men seem to sit about and congregate more. I may be wrong.
I am very grateful for this experience and the insight it has given into my life and lifestyle. The warmth and charm of these people will remain with me forever.
Three visits to Nsoni School provided a valuable insight to how primary education is delivered in Malawi. It is hardly recognisable as a school in relation to New Zealand schools. I started in the new entrant class which had 280 students - yes, 280 students in one class with one male teacher who was hugely enthusiastic and passionate about what he did. The singing in the class was deafening and singing was used to reinforce the learning they were doing. The classrooms had no doors so could not be locked up so nothing was able to be kept in the rooms. What few books there were had to be carted into the room and then returned to the headmaster's office (which could be locked up).
Not all classes were quite that big but there were 1211 students at the school and only 8 classrooms. It was a full primary catering for Std 1 to Std 8 students - one class for each standard. Most classes had few if any desks and in most the students were packed in like sardines sitting on the concrete floor. Imagine marking all the books (assuming they have books which not all had) or attempting to give feedback to each individual feedback. School commences at 7.30 and during the day all students get to have porridge as part of a sponsored feeding programme. School finished at 1.30 and on the training day the teachers met with me, along with teachers from a neighbouring school who had bicycled 3 kms to get to Nsoni. The training programme focussed on ways that teacher could identify their many challenges and needs and develop an action plan to provide a way of redressing these issues.
On the second day I visited another school that had 1307 students with 9 classrooms and 9 teachers including the headmaster. One of the new entrant teachers was away so all the new entrants were in one classroom - at least 300 of them. Again, a passionate teacher provided a programme that kept most of the kids engaged. I spent time in each of the classrooms and saw time and again extreme overcrowding and teachers doing their very best with no resources in overcrowded and incredibly hot classrooms. However the was evidence of learning happening and the majority of students happy and well behaved.
This experience makes me appreciate how fortunate students and teachers are in NZ.
Hugh Smith
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
