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Of vulnerable children, PhDs and Development in Malawi
By David Mkwambisi (PhD)
On 11th July, 1975 at around 1300 hours, I witnessed the first death in my family-my mother. In her last words she said and I quote: “David, tsopano ndikufa, uwasamale abale ako ndipo ulimbikire sukulu kuti udzakhale ngati anthu a ku mayadi” end of quote. Literally meaning that she was dying, I should take care of my brothers and work hard in class to become as agricultural scientist (people leaving in high income locations). Little did I know that together with my brothers we have now acquired a new definition- Orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs).
On 7th February, 2008 at 1300 hours UK time (31 years and 8 months since I lost my mother), I was told that I have qualified to be a Doctor of Philosophy in Environment and Development by Dr Chaska Twyman of Sheffield University and Dr Mark Reed of Leeds University. In this article, I would like to share with the reader some of the practical implications I have faced as an OVC and how these have been overcome. The article will give an opportunity to those working with OVCs and be able to comprehend some of the weakness in their approach to support vulnerable children. All examples in this article are real.
In many cases OVCs are not given the required attention and support. In actual fact, as a country we have failed to recognise the potential that is being embedded in OVCs. One critical area that we have failed to appreciate is that the growth of any child is important. The current approaches of ex-situ management of OVCs (taking children from their villages and bringing them to orphanages) are not just wrong in helping vulnerable children; it is one of the best ways of misusing donor funds and enriching individuals.
As an orphan, I learnt a lot by staying with my kinsmen, in actual fact we grow into a society that shaped our future and gave us hope. Today, we have decided to bring children from different backgrounds and raise them under one roof as if they are improved poultry stocks. This approach, has denied the children the social relations and their freedom to stay with their cousins, to learn their culture and have a freedom on decision making.
For example, when I visited an orphanage in Blantyre and talked to few children, they indicated that they don’t eat meat because the owner does not eat meat. Therefore, despite that the children had a very good accommodation, education; their freedoms on food were being removed. One child asked me if I can take her to her grand mother in Chiradzulu. This indicates that the children do not only require food, education and accommodation, they require a family life that offer them true love and care.
In many cases, OVCs are not treated with the sort of lovely care that other children have enjoyed. In 1980 while completing my primary education I was subjected to several cruel treatments. I was not given the opportunity to study let alone to attend classes normally. I was working long hours on manual jobs in extremely worse conditions with little food and enough sleep. But by the grace of God, I passed and was selected to Salima Secondly School. Today, thousands of orphans are still working in similar conditions. Despite the availability of human rights organisations, several conventions on child protection, in Malawi, orphans and vulnerable children are denied the opportunity to go to school by their relations. Unfortunately even those highly respected in public offices have failed to offer a conducive environment to the OVCs.
In 1982, I withdrew from Salima Secondary School because I did not have tuition and boarding fees. Despite that in the first term I proved to the school of my potential and intelligence by being on position one, no one did not recognise that potential. What was on their cards were government policies and rules. Rules that have oppressed millions of venerable children to access education, food and accommodation. Today, several intelligent orphans are being neglected by NGOs, Government and individuals why? We still have a blinkered attitude that does allow us to look to the future.
When I knocked on the doors of influential decision makers including my MP, the Councillor, District Education Office, no one seem to care of what I wanted as an orphan. The role of the government is to educate it’s people. As an orphan I walked long distances so that I can continue my studies at Salima Secondary. I failed to secure any support. Fortunately am close to the city, what about those orphans in Chitipa and Nsanje?
This forced me to start working at the age of 14 as a casual labour. In its definition, ILO indicated that working at this age for income is child labour. But there was no one to feed me let alone my two brothers. Today, we have millions of child labourers in Malawi. While some donors are working extremely hard to reduce and prevent child labour, we as a nation we have failed to contribute effectively to this ill culture. Some of the children working as labourers have cousins and uncles who have access to money. In actual fact, it is the role of the government to make sure that these children have access to education.
Do we see this problem as a nation? No. What do we see? We see politicians organising meetings and lying to people on future economic trends. We see our parliament wasting time on useless bills. We see intelligent children working in tea and tobacco estates. We see young girls working as prostitutes. We see children working as domestic labourers and serving their masters in several ways.
Like many Malawians, I sponsored my own postgraduate studies both MSc and PhD. For those who have been in his situation, they do understand how tough especially here in UK to sponsor such studies. Thanks that the University of Leeds gave me a bursary to reduce my tuition fees from £33000.00 to £16000.00 (~K5million). To me this grant was supposed to come from the Government of Malawi. Why, because countries like Swaziland, Botswana have invested a lot in higher education. Why not Malawi? Why should Malawians work as security officers or cleaners to secure university education?
Is it true that we have no resources to educate our own children? Where do politicians get money to by prime land or good houses abroad? The last year of my PhD was even tough. I could no longer work, because I had to concentrate on my thesis. This exerted more pressure on my wife who hard to feed me and the children. I knocked on the doors of Human Resource Department; they could not afford to give me the remaining K1million. I wrote letters to reputable organisations, Commercial Banks, tobacco companies seeking their support as a loan, no one responded. Thanks to Bunda College for giving me the loan to finish my tuition fees which am still repaying till now.
If government and financial institutions can not manage to appreciate the role of higher education, who will do that. This was a Malawian, seeking a million kwacha to complete his PhD. The unfortunate part is that those in control have no courtesy at all to respond. Such letters are not only coming to people like me, several Malawians are in the same situation or even worse. They are looking for may be a $1000.00 to complete their studies. But which door in Malawi can they go and knock? Is higher education an insignificant development indicator in Malawi?
In this case I managed to survive my situation because of social capital and not of institutional frameworks. What it means in my life, poor people from the village are the one who gave me food and shelter. Friends from Bunda, Chitedze, Bvumbwe and Lilongwe City are the social institutions who fed my family and gave me transport. People from the northern region, people from Europe and other hundreds of people supported me throughout my life without looking at my colour, race or region. I borrowed money from almost every friend to survive; they did not refuse. They gave me without any interest or conditions. In actual fact some just like banks cancelled by debt. Is this not what is missing for other Malawians?
Therefore, if social capital played a great deal in my case, why do we send the children to orphanages? If we can have fertiliser subsidies, why not subsidies families that are taking care of the OVCs. Today people are rich in the name of OVCs. Managers have luxury life through bogus institutions in the name of OVCs, Are you not ashamed?
Despite that government doors did not open for me, I have managed to complete my studies. That was my goal and I have achieved it. In terms of development, I have contributed a lot to the country. Several people have been employed because I engaged them in development assignments. Just by working at University of Malawi, it’s a great contribution to the government and the people of Malawi. I have employed several people over the time. I have assisted several students in the last few years on their research assignment.
I am now recognised internationally on research and development issues. In actual fact I am among 25 scientists to develop a research global agenda on climate change and migration. I have placed Malawi on the global agenda in many ways. If I did not have the opportunity to receive support from these people could I manage to contribute to the development of Malawi? If I did not want to work as Security officer to raise my tuition fees could I be a Lecturer in the University today?
If poor people decided to close their doors could I have a doctorate degree today? What is the role of the government on this case? When looking at an orphan or any other vulnerable child, just know that the child has a future, the potential and the opportunity to contribute to development. It can not be today or tomorrow.
To me and of course to many, Malawi has the capacity to develop its human capacity. The problem is that much of our time is spent on politics. Today, we have failed to put in place in-situ management of our OVCs. We have sidelined orphans and we are still failing to understand what they want. To me they don’t want food or accommodation in a boarding school. These children require our love, care and protection. These attributes can only be given if we have a conducive and a working policy framework. Otherwise, you are denying several people the opportunity to work in the University. Check your balances.
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