To many it may be seen as simple but to others it is a hard nut to crack! In Malawi, the society we live in, the cultural values and the traditions have made people come up with different understandings of the importance of education. To some, education is for boys and not girls because girls have to be at home and help their mothers in looking after their siblings and doing household chores. Many think that boys are the future heads of the house and...
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Malawi is considered as a Christian country with nearly 80% of Malawians being Christian. As such, Christmas celebrations are an important part of the year for most people in Malawi, including people in Kasungu. Christmas celebrations of course vary between the urban working class and the rural poor. For many of the villages we work with on Join My Village they are poor farmers so their celebrations might seem less extravagant but it is still a very special day. The main thing that makes Christmas day...
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It is hot, dry and dusty in Kasungu at this time of the year. Despite the difficult weather, farmers are busy preparing for the rain season, which is when they transplant the tobacco seedlings from the nursery into the main field. Preparations include watering their nurseries, hoeing the fields and repairing the drying shades before the rains come.Kasungu district is referred to as the “Golden Leaf Town” because of its high tobacco production. Tobacco is the main foreign exchange earner for Malawi, and Kasungu district...
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In Malawi, there are very few secondary schools and this makes it not easy for most rural and poor girls to access Secondary education. A girl continuing her secondary education means finding the funds to cover for safe lodging and school fees in a distant town. Many girls pass the entrance exams for high/secondary school, but are not able to attend due to the cost of lodging, fees and supplies. Most of the girls who do try to continue their education end up as self...
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One of our important partners in Join My Village are the School Management Committees (SMC). These committees exist at every primary school and manage all the activities that a primary school can have. The committees have a formal structure comprised of the chairperson, the secretary, the treasure with their deputies and four committee members. They work closely with the Village Head. The committee has the main responsibility of looking after the welfare of teachers and students, and management and maintenance of school resources. ...
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