A Passion for World Camp

Wonder what it's like to be on-the-ground in Malawi seeing our life-changing programs in action? To get an in-the-field perspective, we chatted with our Country Manager, Solomon Chipingo-Phiri (Chipingo). He filled us in on his love for World Camp's work, what makes Malawi great and some of his passions.

What inspired you to join the team at World Camp as Malawi Country Manager?
I am inspired by the opportunity to contribute to the improvement of underprivileged people World Camp serves and the empowerment philosophy we adopt in our work.

Why are you passionate about World Camp’s mission?
It makes people proactive and strategic actors in the development of their lives and their surrounding communities rather than being passive recipients of development. World Camp has a bottom up approach which is dignifying to the people it works in partnership with.

Why is World Camp’s work so important in Malawi?
The government ministries have good plans, but they are limited by financial resources. World Camp works to complement the government initiatives contributing to the specific development of heath and education. World Camp has a distinction in its work in that it aims at empowering the locals to identify their problems and devise solutions for those problems, while working with them as a partner. This assures the sustainability of our projects.

What’s a favorite memory from Camp Hope?
A favorite memory of Camp is during the Memory Tree activity. This is where campers share what they have gained and are able to recount the treasures they have amassed from camp. I like the true stories because they are honest and come from their hearts rather than from their heads. It makes me cherish the hours that I invest in camp.

What is the most rewarding thing about your job?
To see hopeless lives being transformed and impacted with my contributions.

What do you love the most about your home country Malawi?
It is a land of peace and the people are so lovely. It has a rich culture that believes in family and a supportive structure morally and socially.

What do you do when you are not working at World Camp?
Reading, watching my favorite channels on TV, creative beauty arts and composing songs which I 

Rethink HIV: World AIDS Day 2015

By World Camp Intern Rachael Thorn

World AIDS Day is held each year on December 1st to continue support for the fight against HIV and to commemorate those who have died because of an HIV or AIDS related illness. It began in 1988, making this the 27th year of this international health day. While there have been great strides in the past three decades in understanding HIV and developing treatment, World AIDS Day reminds us that this struggle is not yet over. 

Here are some stats of what happened in 2014 alone (AVERT):
Estimated 36.9 million people living with HIV
2.6 million children living with HIV
54% of all people living with HIV know they have the virus
2 million new HIV infections
220,000 new HIV infections in children

This health pandemic still affects a huge number of the population. Although HIV is manageable with proper regimented treatment, there continues to be misconceptions, stigmatization, fear of getting treatment and lack of access to treatment that pose as obstacles. World AIDS Day is a time we can all come together and show solidarity in the fight against AIDS. Support our HIV health and education programs by visiting our donation page. You can also order your red ribbon.

Your gift provides services and awareness to Malawian communities. By taking this day to reflect on the evolution of this pandemic and rethink HIV, it gives us the opportunity to create new ways of providing support and infrastructure that can benefit those, especially youth, living with HIV in Malawi. Thank you!

Access to Health Care: How Governance Plays a Role

By Intern Rachael Thorn

World Camp’s work focuses on helping the people of Malawi access health care. There are many challenges to health access in Malawi and issues surrounding governance are a starting point to help us understand lasting and sustainable solutions for communities. 

Malawi’s government decreases its capacity to provide fundamental services to its citizens through poor governance that would ultimately only strengthen Malawi as a whole. The 2014 report of the Corruption Perception Report ranks Malawi as 110 out of 174 (with number 1 being the country with the least amount of corruption). Its score is 33 on a scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (not at all corrupt) (Transparency International).

Corruption Perceptions Index 2014
The perceived levels of public sector corruption in 175 countries/territories around the World:

What does this have to do with access to health care? Let’s take a look at Malawi’s government. Malawi appears to have a patronage system, which means the government rewards contacts in the private sector for their support or in exchange for furthering their political advantage. Between a patronage system and the large income disparity present in Malawi, we begin to see a vicious cycle of poverty and stagnation for lower classes. As there is less room for reward in sectors like education and health, for government officials and companies, less money is put into these underfunded sectors. Largely, a system has been put in place that is beneficial for some, but not for those who depend on the state to provide fundamental public services.

The 1998 Local Government Act was an attempt to introduce a framework that diminished instances of corruption. This was implemented “to further the constitutional order based on democratic principles, accountability, transparency and participation of the people in decision making and development processes” (Commonwealth Local Government Forum). However, Malawi’s rule of law lacked the ability to enforce this accountability that would come from the democratic process, because it was proposed without outlining methods to constrain the patronage system already in place. Thus, the pedestal of democracy did not have the legs to stand on and the tradition of patronage continued to dictate the priorities of the public sector.

We must remember that it is difficult to talk about the corruption in any country because it is only the perception of corruption that it is verifiable. Thus, to quantify it, such as the Corruption Perception Report does, only tells us part of the story. It is more important to understand that the citizens perceive this corruption based on the quality of life in their daily experiences and accessibility to public services. World Bank’s “survey results suggest that users (households and businesses) regard public institutions as delivering generally inferior quality services or alternatively that none of the public institutions listed are performing exemplary public service in Malawi. The performance and the perceived honesty/integrity of institutions are highly correlated” (eldis). It may be difficult to view public institutions as reliable for many citizens after the 2013 Cashgate scandal in which over 70 people were arrested in regards to illegitimate payments from the government that were being paid to civil servants who had previously supported political players.

Why is understanding corruption in state governance important? Where do we go from here? One major form of change comes through social mobilization that comes out of education, awareness and empowerment. World Camp is working towards all of these things. We face the systemic problems everyday and have to continue to believe that they are not unchangeable. The first step in mobilization is understanding where the foundation is cracked and how that crack trickles down to affect almost every aspect of society. The first of the World Bank suggestions for moving towards progress says: 

“In fighting corruption not only must the approach be holistic, but it must also be carried and supported by all stakeholders in the society” (Governance and Corruption Diagnostic Survey in Malawi). 

Continuing support of our work to include all citizens of Malawi in having an empowered voice can lead to improved access to health care and education. Our holistic programs reflect the suggestion of the World Bank and looking towards the future, the hope instilled in our partner communities can become empowerment—and empowerment can become change. 

World Camp Clubs Refocus

By Managing Director Emily Stallings

Do you remember a teacher who ignited your interest in learning or your passion for a certain subject? I remember teachers from all ages – my kindergarten teacher who would leave the room and come back in as our teacher’s magical sister; my middle school French teacher who taught us songs and encouraged us to use our introductory skills to chat with one another; my high school English teacher whose passion for literature and learning was simply infectious. Great teachers spur us on to learn through their enthusiasm and they can have a significant impact on our interests and development.

World Camp is working with teachers in Malawi’s public primary schools to equip them to make this kind of impact on their learners through our World Camp Clubs. WC has been working with teachers for over a decade to provide supplementary training on child-centered, interactive teaching methods and pressing health topics, beginning with HIV many years ago. Teachers that serve as faculty advisors to our World Camp Clubs (WCCs) are the cornerstone of the program. It is through the passion, dedication and knowledge of these teachers that the program succeeds.

To start off the new school year and a new year of WCCs, World Camp staff Chipingo (Country Manager), Zoey (Intern), and I (Managing Director) met with the Matrons and Patrons, as the faculty advisors are known, of our eleven WCCs on September 10. The meeting was to receive feedback on the previous year’s program and plan strategically for the coming year. The meeting was a wonderful success. Matrons and Patrons expressed the value they see in the WCC program as well as the challenges it faces. The group collaboratively completed a SWOT analysis of the program and moved on to planning for the new year.

I’m thrilled about the plans for the new school year. Teachers agreed that a more developed, shared curriculum would be a big help in implementing the WCC program. The way WCCs work is that WC staff train the Matrons and Patrons as well as the club-elected student leaders and support these individuals in running weekly meetings. The model is decentralized, empowering these individuals but demanding a lot of them, too. The teachers told us they feel capable and invested in running meetings, but also overwhelmed at times.

Together, we agreed having a specific health topic for each month (increased health knowledge is an essential piece of the WCC program) with detailed lessons and activities would provide an enhanced structure for the Matrons and Patrons. Another element of the WCCs is to build up the life skills of club members, so we ensured many weeks incorporate opportunities to flex those life skills muscles. Week 1 of a topic might be heavy on the knowledge component while Weeks 2, 3 and 4 emphasize group work, public speaking and leadership, for example.

So here we are! We’ve delivered the first month’s topic, lessons and activities to the Matrons and Patrons and they’re making their first go of it this month October’s health topic is sexual and reproductive health (SRH), which is a challenging one. We believe in them and we’ll keep you posted on their success!

Staying Connected with Our Kids

By World Camp Intern Zoey Ponder

With the end of Camp Hope comes the beginning of a new year of Camp Hope Follow-Up sessions. Follow-Up sessions are daylong events specifically for the campers that World Camp recruited to attend Camp Hope. These events focus on reinforcing the lessons learned at Camp in a smaller setting that allow campers to grow closer to one another and get one-on-one attention and counseling from World Camp’s dedicated mentors. The first session was all about encouraging campers to dedicate themselves to setting future goals and coming up with ways to achieve those goals. Managing Director, Emily Stallings and I were lucky enough to get to participate in this year’s first Follow-Up. 

The first session, held on September 19th, had two activities to teach our campers how to focus on their goals. One of these activities was a game led by Makhumbo Bwanali, former World Camp staff member and long-time Camp Hope Mentor, intended to help the campers see the importance of focus in achieving their goals. Makhumbo led the campers through a card game to teach them the benefits of focusing on their goals and how to help their fellow campers stay focused. 

For the other activity, I taught the kids how to make an American craft, dream catchers. Dream catchers were an excellent activity to illustrate goal setting and focus because of the significance of dream catchers. The legend of the dream catcher says that bad dreams get caught in the web while good dreams flow through the hole in the middle of the web and down the feathers onto dreamers. The dream catchers serve as a perfect symbol for resilience – allowing the dream catcher to filter out all the negative thoughts while letting positive thoughts filter through. We decided to have the beads of the dream catcher symbolize goals and the feathers symbolize methods of achieving your goals. One feather was made of paper on which the Mentors helped campers write their goals for the future and strategies for achieving them. One girl wanted to be a nurse and a Camp Hope Mentor and asked me how, other than school, she could achieve her goals. Together, we decided she should practice caring for the people she already knows and helping others. She was so excited by this new idea she flashed a huge smile as she wrote it down lightning fast on her methods feather. It was wonderful to see what all the kids want to be when they grow up; many have dreams of helping others by being police officers, nurses, or mentors. 

At the end of the activity the kids proudly showed off their dream catchers and we took pictures of each camper in front of all the dream catchers made by the group. It was beautiful to see all the bright beads and feathers symbolizing all our campers will one day achieve. 

After activities we had lunch prepared by our nutritionist Thandie, who single handedly prepared food for upwards of fifteen people - she was quite the impressive cook! After lunch, she sat with all the kids to talk about the nutritional value of what they ate. I was impressed by how eager all the kids were to talk about their goals and share their knowledge about food groups and healthy eating. 

Last, we had time to hangout and play. Several of the girls were very fascinated with my hair as I had just cut it very short. They ran their hands through it about ten times before they believed it was my natural hair. 

At the end of the day, with healthy snacks and dream catchers in tow, the kids headed home. One girl held my hand and thanked me “for all I had done for her”. She thanked everyone in this manner, the most sincere thank you I’ve seen anyone of any age give in a long time. All the kids were so open and wonderful, always reaching for a hand to be held or jumping at the chance to answer a question. 

The World Camp Rover left the driveway full of waving, singing campers excited about their day and looking forward to the October Follow-Up session!

Connecting Community Engagement with a Global Mission

By World Camp Intern Rachael Thorn

World Camp’s United States headquarters are located in Asheville, NC, a small city known for its active local engagement and progressive ideas centered on community. As our focus lies on Malawian communities, it is necessary to understand how to motivate a tight-knit local community to become active in a far away community. Many people become more invested in projects when they are directly affected. For example, issues concerning climate change are more likely to be addressed when adverse effects are noticeable and affect one’s every day life. So, how do we connect community engagement with a global mission? What gets people passionate in engaging with an organization whose outcomes benefit those living in different parts of Malawi?

We should consider that the three aspects of community engagement involve decision-making, capacity building, and relationship development (Bang the Table). While these three facets are not mutually exclusive, a broader engagement relies most heavily on relationship development to engage citizens at a local level. Since the local community does not directly see the benefits of engagement, it is necessary for the lens to be widened to include a global vision and to redirect what a successful outcome looks like.

This is difficult, as modern psychology shows that humans are generally insensitive to scope. This means if you could save 1,000 birds by giving $80, you would not increase that amount proportionately if you were saving 10,000 birds. Since individuals are rather unaware of scope, the next approach to successful community engagement is outreach. If more people can become excited about the global vision, then the cumulative engagement will be more powerful than from a few individuals who will not be more driven to give by an ever increasing need. This is relationship development.

 Engagement through relationship development can come about by combining a few tools. These include: accessibility to information, clarity of mission and vision, providing welcoming and approachable events, implementing reward systems, and engaging with already present community staples. One of the best ways to keep the local community engaged is to make progress visible and current. Luckily, our globalized world can provide the reward of seeing the effects of donations or involvement almost instantly as pictures, videos, and online posts can keep donors updated on the successes that are happening everyday.
Stay connected to World Camp’s programs and projects, not only through this blog, but also on Facebook (World Camp Inc.) and Instragram (@worldcamp_Malawi).

Graphics from Bang the Table

Reflections on Camp Hope

By Intern Zoey Ponder

As this summer’s sessions of Camp Hope wind to an end and World Camp begins to prepare for our year-round programming, we all take the time to pause and reflect on our time spent at Camp. I was lucky enough to spend four days at two different camp sessions this year and will forever remember how touching this opportunity has been. 

Camp Hope is held in a beautiful setting, sort of off the beaten path about an hour outside of Lilongwe. The campsite lies against the backdrop of amazing rocky peaks and surrounded by quiet villages and farmland. The last fifteen minutes of the drive in is filled with kids yelling “azungu” (a friendly nickname for someone with light skin) and waving at the car as we bounce up and down on the dirt road. The campsite itself has large boys’ and girls’ dorm rooms as well as a huge dining hall in the center. Off to the right of the dorms and dining hall is a soccer field and the main hall and classrooms are over on the far side of that. 

Meal times are some of the silliest times. Kids have three meals and three snacks each day to help teach the value of nutritious eating and to provide valuable nutrition they may not receive at home. It was at Camp Hope that I tried Malawian food for the first time. Everyone is encouraged to eat as much as they want, as it was explained to me by an enthusiastic camper, “This is Africa, EAT EVERYTHING!” Meal times are also utilized to teach campers important food groups, staying hydrated and to celebrate the “Super Campers”. Super Campers are campers who are celebrated for their accomplishments at Camp during “Camp Kawawa” - which is essentially a big party of singing and dancing and giving out awards for any number of accomplishments that can earn one the “Super Camper” certificate. 

Outside of mealtimes the day is filled with loads of activities, special classes on all sorts of topics from the stigma attached to HIV to arts, crafts and campfires. I was very impressed to see the kids memorizing their ART (antiretroviral therapy) treatments and pill names so they can advocate for themselves and understand their treatment. Kids at Camp Hope get the chance to learn a lot about HIV and how they can help keep themselves healthy, like the importance of taking your treatment each day and the value of nutritious food. 

One of my favorite activities was the creation of a goals book. Campers got a picture of themselves taken in front of the Camp Hope sign, which many of them were very excited to share with me—and let me tell you these kids know how to strike a pose! Inside their books, they are encouraged to write what they want to achieve with their lives. Many of them wrote professions like a nurse or an accountant. They then wrote how to achieve these goals, what might stand in their way and how to overcome those obstacles. It was amazing to see kids who very seriously wanted to figure out how to achieve their goals. They were even asking me how to reach their goals and wanting me to share my goal book to them. It was an honor to have them want to share their books with me. 

Camp Hope really is a wonderful place for these kids. I saw so many of them laughing, holding hands, dancing together and sharing stories of struggle and hopes of a very bright future. These kids face a lot every day, but they are brave. Together, I saw them standing tall, whether it be dancing on the stage at Stage Night or in the lunch room receiving their “Super Camper” award. I am very proud of everyone who took part in this year’s Camp Hope and I can only hope that Camp Hope will continue to reach more kids each and every year.

A Hopeful Future

HIV was first reported in Malawi in 1985. Since then, the spread of HIV has reached 10.8% of the adult population. “Malawi has a generalized HIV epidemic. HIV prevalence among persons aged 15 to 49 years has been declining steadily from 16.4% in 1999 to 11.8% in 2004 and then 10.6% in 2010.” Not only does the disease affect the adult population, but about 170,000 children also live with HIV (Malawi AIDS Response Progress Report 2015).

Photo: AVERT
An HIV prevention poster in Mzimba, Malawi.

Counsellor explaining about HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi - See more at: http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-malawi.htm#sthash.qndVapSH.dpuf

Counsellor explaining about HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi - See more at: http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-malawi.htm#sthash.qndVapSH.dpuf

Counsellor explaining about HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi - See more at: http://www.avert.org/hiv-aids-malawi.htm#sthash.qndVapSH.dpuf

Increased prevention work and education over the past decade attributed to the decline in new cases. Although, Malawi’s infrastructure and economic standing make it difficult to truly erase it from epidemic status. Recent years indicate positive steps in the right direction, but prior decades of poor governance and constrictive bureaucracy left behind a lot of work to be done.

HIV prevention and access to antiretroviral drugs are the focuses to curbing the spread of the disease. Initiatives currently implemented include: expanding voluntary HIV testing and counseling (HCT/ VCT), prevention of mother-to-child transmission services, condom promotion and distribution, voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC), blood safety measures, mass media campaigns, and life skills education (LSE) for young people (AVERT).

Many non-governmental organizations (NGOs) collect high volumes of data in their hands-on work to identify the most common causes of transmission and the most affected demographics. Organizations such as the World Bank, the Global Fund, the World Health Organization, the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) have all taken an active role in funding and planning to decrease incidence and increase awareness in Malawi (AVERT).

Photo: AVERT
Counselor explaining HIV testing and treatment on World AIDS Day, Malawi.

UNAIDS, specifically, leads the way in analyzing target goals to catalyze initiative to eliminate HIV/AIDS. Their plan for 2015 has been very successful. The target goal for 2015, as set out in the Millennium Development Goal 6 of 2000, has been surpassed. This year, UNAIDS “celebrates the milestone achievement of 15 million people on antiretroviral treatment—an accomplishment deemed impossible when the MDGs were established 15 years ago… [Worldwide,] new HIV infections have fallen by 35% and AIDS-related deaths by 41%” (UNAIDS).

Malawi’s steadily improving situation reflects the larger global picture, but meeting goals requires working within localized communities. Greater awareness and education will lead to a better perspective on HIV prevention in Malawi. For example, many adults do not get tested, but simply assume they are living with HIV because of its prevalence. Unsafe sex is justified by choosing partners based on their societal status or perceived cleanliness. Even if precautions are taken, condom use and safe sex practices are rarely being implemented on a consistent basis. Education, access to testing sites, and decreased stigmatization of testing will be key factors in the next five years in continuing to improve the state of Malawi’s HIV epidemic.

Looking to the future, UNAIDS’s highlights its target goals for 2020, “90% of people living with HIV will know their HIV status, 90% of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy, and 90% of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have viral suppression” (UNAIDS 90-90-90).

By World Camp Intern Rachael Thorn

Loving the Warm Heart of Africa

By World Camp Intern Zoey Ponder

It is my eleventh day here in Malawi and I am growing to love “ The Warm Heart of Africa” more and more. In just 11 days, I have experienced two trips to Camp Hope as well as adventures to Dedza and around Lilongwe. Lilongwe is the capital of Malawi and home to the World Camp house, which has quickly come to feel like home to me. Each time we return, I am always excited to get back to our evenings of dinner and chatting and days full of trips to various markets and other spots around the city.

Everywhere you go, there are vendors along the side of the road with all sorts of goods from sugar cane to woven furniture and everything in between. On the trip home from Camp the other day we even saw members of the Gule Wamkulu, a secret cult that performs dances at ceremonies, walking along the roadside.

One of my favorite parts of coming “home” is the men who work around the house. John is the House Manager and one of my favorite people to chat with. Each morning when I wake up John can usually be found in the kitchen and makes my mornings a delight (which for me is no easy task) his big smiles and mannerisms can cheer up anyone’s day; not to mention that he makes one mean shepherd’s pie! Ngoni is the Grounds Manager and he is always bringing in beautiful eggplant and tomatoes that he grows in the yard and greeting us at the gate with the enthusiasm of seeing a much missed friend. He makes coming home feel like a celebration regardless of how long I’ve been gone.

During our trip to Dedza and Camp you get to drive past some beautiful scenery, mountains which stick up out of the ground so sharply it is as if someone dropped them down from the sky. Baobab trees that stand broad and tall against the backdrop of villages with tall grass fences and roofs. Kids drive cattle carts alongside the road and roving bands of goats stress Emily out by always lingering too close to, if not in, the road.

In our trip to see the ancient rock paintings near Dedza we got to hike up one of the mountains to a cave with 2,000 year old paintings of animals and people on the ceiling. There is a chameleon, a duck, a person, a lion, a bull as well as other animals painted in black and white and still very visible after all this time. On the way back down the mountain to view even older rock art, we even saw some monkeys hanging out in nearby trees.

Closer to the village, there is rock art done by Pygmies that is 10,000 years old. The Pygmy rock art is red and reaches impressively high up, the Pygmies used ladders or stood on each other’s shoulders to paint all sorts of scenery including a nearly 20ft tall giraffe which was my personal favorite.

The longer I stay in Malawi, the more I see how beautiful this place is. Whether it is the beauty in the culture of kindness or the incredibly cute kids at Camp and everywhere else or in the breathtaking sunsets every evening, I cannot stop marveling at Malawi. In the next few weeks, I have no doubts I will continue being amazed as we travel to the Lake and as we start work on our different programs that will kick off in September and October. 

Greetings from Camp Hope!

After years of writing about Camp Hope and working to make it possible each summer, I had my first chance to visit yesterday. The experience was as moving and fun as I could have ever imagined. The campers, like all groups of Malawian children I’ve gotten to hang out with, were sweet, excited to meet a new person, and super energetic. I was invited to eat at a different table for every meal, but I barely sat down before the kids were eagerly asking, “What’s your name?”

Camp Hope is a camp that serves specifically youth living with HIV. These children, so considerate and adorable, are all facing a tremendous life-long challenge. Camp offers our newly-disclosed to youth a chance to come to terms with their diagnosis, learn more about their disease, and bond with other children facing similar difficulties. It’s jam-packed with fun activities, but also designed to provide campers with knowledge and skills they will need to care for themselves throughout their lives.
One of the absolute highlights of my visit was meal time. Campers are clustered into Color Groups that sit together at meals and participate in activities together. During meals campers chant songs, break out into dance and celebrate each other’s achievements from the day. Two campers from each Color Group are recognized at every meal, sung to the front by the whole Camp – enthusiastic hands pounding out a rhythm on the tables. Mentors (think Camp Counselors) recognize the success of these campers: Describing their positive contribution, Labeling the attributes this speaks to, and Praising the camper for this behavior.

I was so happy to find that my visit fell on Day 5 of Camp which features Stage Night in the evening. Stage Night is a talent show that really lays clear what a supportive, nurturing environment Camp is. Each Color Group spent much of the day preparing a presentation to share with the rest of Camp. The presentations showcased the campers’ talents while also emphasizing the importance of Camp Hope to our youth. My favorite moments were when campers recited poems they had written about Camp, or the importance of adhering to your HIV drug regimen.

Both World Camp Intern, Zoey Ponder, and I will be visiting Camp again next week. We can’t wait. We’ll be back with more updates for sure!

Risky Business: Malawi's Youth and Tobacco

In the past decade, Malawi has become one of the worlds five largest tobacco producers. (Aljazeera) As a result of Malawi’s high-nicotine, low-cost tobacco, many major cigarette brands are including Malawian tobacco in their blend. More than 90% of Malawi’s tobacco is bought by U.S.-based leaf buyers Universal Corporation and Alliance One International. These companies resell to tobacco firms, amongst these firms are such big names as Phillip Morris (Marlboro) and British American Tobacco (Lucky Strike) (The Guardian). Malawian tobacco can be found in the blend of nearly every cigarette smoked in the west. 

At first glance the industry may seem good for Malawi, being that it is one of the least developed nations in the world, ranking 153 of 169 countries in the human development index. (Aljazeera) Unfortunately, however, the tobacco industry has done little to improve the situation for Malawians and much to improve the payout for the large western companies that purchase the incredibly cheap “green gold”. The price of this tobacco is kept low for big business in a multitude of ways. There are low tariffs on unmanufactured tobacco imports and a low labor cost. The labor cost is often kept so low by employing child laborers.  

Photo: The Guardian

Though the minimum age to work in Malawi is officially 14, it is common to see children as young as five picking tobacco alongside their parents. It is estimated that 20% of children aged 5-14 in Malawi are working. (Bureau of International Labor Affairs) Many of these children drop out of school to work in tobacco farms and other industry and are unable to return to school or only able to attend school sporadically. Child laborers are especially susceptible to work-related injury and illness. When working with tobacco, large amounts of nicotine can be absorbed through the skin causing nicotine poisoning, an incredibly common ailment amongst child tobacco workers. Large tobacco industries claim not to support farms that employ child laborers, but often do little to actually prevent child labor. In addition, the legal framework to prevent child labor in Malawi is weak. 

The most effective method thus far for preventing child labor is pressure on the companies that purchase the tobacco, in turn putting pressure on the government as well as farms. Other groups suggest improving the school system to attract children and families to enroll and stay in school. This is problematic, however, since many families need the children to work in order to support the family. An improved education, though valuable, would not immediately help support the family. The main groups making headway within the farming system and the government are small NGO’s and other grassroots programs that support both the children and the family. Still, with tobacco sales comprising 70% of Malawi’s income and Malawi being one of the most child labor-intensive economies in the world, it is unlikely much will change as long as companies can keep the tobacco cheap.

This blog was written by Zoey Ponder

Free Secondary Education in Malawi?

Talk of Malawi’s 2014 presidential election has fostered significant debate regarding the state of education in Malawi, specifically, the United Democratic Front’s proposition to provide free secondary education for Malawi’s youth. Malawi’s current education system is comprised of a primary system consisting of eight grades, while secondary and university systems have four years of curriculum each. In an opinion column for the Nyasa Times, writer Steve Sharra provided what he sees as the pros and cons of this proposal and the potential of the education system to develop a more prosperous Malawi.

Currently, Malawi has a free primary education system which is beneficial but has had its fair share of flaws and shortcomings. Subsequently, opponents of this free secondary education system look to the history of the primary education system, and worry that past mistakes will be repeated. In 2010 the World Bank published a study on the education system in Malawi and found that compared to other Sub Saharan African (SSA) countries, Malawi performs worse in post-primary levels and technical, entrepreneurial, vocational education and training. Malawi’s Southern African Consortium for Monitoring Education Quality (SACMEQ) scores in Mathematics and English reading are among the lowest. Dropout rates are high and lead to a 35 percent completion rate for students within the system. As of 2010, the primary education system requires 23 years to produce one Standard 8 graduate, instead of eight years with an ideal internal efficiency. The retention rate in secondary education is much better, with very few dropouts within the cycle. (World Bank)

Having a sufficient number of teachers as well as ensuring they are adequately qualified through their own education and training is a significant issue. The ratio of student to trained teacher hovers at 88:1. When only looking at urban schools, however, the student-teacher ratio (STR) drops to 46:1

In addition to the lack of physical resources to maintain a thriving education system, opponents also worry about the implications of further dependency on donors for Malawi’s economy and ability to thrive and be competitive on a global scale. The cost of providing more free education is beyond the financial means of Malawi’s budget and an argument is made that investing in other areas of national development could produce benefits within a shorter time frame.

Proponents of a completely free education system acknowledge past failures in the education system but see these as a resource to create a better system. “Knowing where things went wrong ought to mean knowing how to do things differently next time,” says Sharra. For example, when free primary education was implemented, little to no consideration was made to how an influx of students would affect secondary education and its ability to accommodate such an increase in enrollment. If secondary education becomes free as well, the same mistake cannot be made at the University level.

Other considerations for a fully free education system would include a detailed list of what physical infrastructure needs to be created, how this will affect federal budget, where to get money to supplement the national budget for education, and a targeted plan for application until full-scale implementation is viable. Another important consideration is providing programs for those who are beyond secondary school age, but have not yet completed secondary level requirements.

Providing for education is a direct investment in the future of Malawi and affects economic activity for individuals as well as the nation. Education has the potential to strengthen human capital, and aid Malawians in thinking critically in a world of economic crises and high unemployment to find new and innovative responses to problems. There is much to consider though, including infrastructure, capacity, and economic feasibility.

Additional reference: US Embassy in Malawi

A Return Journey to Malawi

A Return Journey to Malawi

When I arrived in Malawi this January it was 8 years to the day since I had first set foot there. I had always hoped to return to Malawi but never fully expected it to happen. How could I be so lucky as to set off on such an adventure more than once in a life? 

After a quick change of clothes (it was balmy in Lilongwe unlike DC in January), and Customs, I met my partner in crime, and guide to all things Malawi, Michael Kumwenda, our Country Manager. I was admittedly exhausted after the trip from DC but I was exhilarated on the drive from the airport to our house in Area 3. I had absolutely forgotten just how beautiful Malawi is – particularly in the rainy season. As before, the side of the highway was as congested as the roadway itself, filled with men transporting goods on the back of bicycles; whole families piled onto a single bike; small groups of school children walking in single-file lines; vendors selling all manner of things, from bricks, to tire scraps to puppies.

January is typically a time of great activity for World Camp. This particular January we were hosting a study abroad trip for a group of students from Appalachian State University. They, however, had departed for safari in Zambia the morning I arrived. It had been a long time since I had seen our house or any of our staff there, but it all came back so easily: the big, open space of the living room; the enormous kitchen (with its crazy cabinetry); and wonderful John and Angoni. 

The majority of my time in-country was spent working hand-in-hand with Michael to learn more about our day-to-day operations in Malawi. I attended many of our World Camp Club meetings, stakeholders’ meetings, and met with the community based organizations with which we work. Because the ASU group was there for the first half of my trip I was also able to do an overnight homestay in Mchezi and enjoy some of the fun trips our volunteer groups take.

My time in Malawi was half a chance to learn, half an exercise in remembering. I was reminded of the deep generosity and kindness of every Malawian I have met, the joy of driving down a dirt road and waving to everyone you pass. Being in Malawi feels like being in the biggest small town despite its rapidly growing population. Getting to spend a second month in Malawi, I was able to learn so much more about the country, its people, and customs. I was also reminded just how good Garlic Nali really is.

My time in Malawi has been and will be instrumental in the expansion of World Camp’s programming. I was able to learn vast amounts about Camp Hope (which is quickly approaching!), see first-hand how our World Camp Clubs are progressing, get to know our staff, and collaborate with them on many tasks and programs. I am excited to see what all will come of my trip. We have already refined processes, re-assessed program roll-out, and developed concrete measurement tools as a result of my time in Malawi.

I am grateful to have had the chance to return to Malawi and excited by the prospect of returning this summer. I know that the more amazing trips to Malawi I am able to take, the more I will grow, and the more World Camp will benefit.