Beach, village and studio
Trip Start
Jan 13, 2009
1
6
11
Trip End
Mar 20, 2009
Lilongwe,
Malawi
Friday, February 6, 2009
Monday we will visit Salima Secondary School , Salima Technical College and Mvera Secondary School where I will capture the school environment and talk with students, administrators and teachers. With the endorsement to conduct such research from the Principal Secretary of Education, schools are more than inviting. Though, my challenges in capturing REAL life may be a bit more difficult with administrators trying to prop up students and classrooms. Who knows what measures will be taken-I can only hope that students are not reprimanded in unusual ways for expressing the situation and challenges they face. I worry because reporters have been uncovering a lot of malpractice in schools and posting them in local news.
The Nation, Malawi's national newspaper, reported that a primary (elementary) school in Blantyre is offering part-time lessons to eighth graders at K450 per month (US$3.21). Yes, it's only $3.21 but it's supposed to be FREE under government law. Students who fail to pay the fees and are forced to go home in the afternoon. According to the head-teacher only 30 out of 200 are able to pay the fees. Oh, you've got to hear the head-teacher come-back: "I am surprised that whoever tipped you did not tell you that we also hold morning revision classes from 6:00 am to 7:30 am free of charge and we have about 80 - 90 pupils in attendance every morning." So if you want a free education you have to arrive by 6:00 am. Parents say that's too early, "especially this season when some people ambush girl children in maize fields in the area." An anonymous teacher in the school told reporters that "the morning classes are held only once or twice a week and less than 10 children attend while the part-time studies are administered everyday even during the holidays." This teacher also called this a "sort of money-making scheme" and that eighth grade teachers share the money with the head teacher and her deputy. And there's more! These teachers favor the paying students and pass out the international approved tests (most tests are not produced by the schools themselves) before the test date so that paying students can erroneously pass. Parent who cannot pay the K450 are constantly complaining that their children are failing.
The likelihood that I uncover any conspicuous on-goings is pretty shallow since I'm spending such a brief time in schools, but I'm preparing for anything.
Accountancy, Computer Studies, Journalism and Information Systems
LifeNets scholarship recipients are coming to the LifeNets home office in Area 25 to talk about school, work and village life over a cup of tea. In the office, behind my desk I've draped a dark-blue sheet and WHALA! I have an anchor room. So far I've talked with Chongwe, Vincint, Isaac, Geoffrey, Ken and Leah in interviews that range from 50 min to 2 hours. They are just a few of the 20+ scholars LifeNets funds in Lilongwe. Each conversation is very different: Isaac spoke for some 10 minutes about how he pays the bills by selling eggs outside his home--"WE SELL EGGS HERE"-until he returns back to the National College of Information Technology after the summer break. Geoffrey and I worked on a business plan for his home-run CD burning and typing business-"WE BURN AND TYPE HERE". (You can start to see a marketing pattern and the brand problem). Vincint is teaching accounting at a local business college (Headway Business College) as he saves his money before applying to the University of Malawi next winter. His goal is to become a chartered accountant and to teach village people the value of budgeting and making a profit.
[BREAK]
...on that subject-making a profit with the goal to reinvest...this is perhaps the most undervalued principal in business here in Malawi. During the tobacco growing seasons, commercial growers get rich and the prices of goods goes haywire. People are spending on goods they cannot afford-stolen radios, DVD payers, computers and luxury foods. In the villages, surpluses are sold at very low prices (like 50kgs of corn for one chicken) rather than saving the money for times of famine. During the hot season in Jan/Feb people are starving and would buy 20kgs for a chicken. Profit is created for immediate enjoyment. Debt in the village is fatal...unlike the thousands of Americans like me who have credit card debt and can still live a comfortable life. The African farmer, far from the Seattle banker, is teaching me about managing my resources (which are millions in comparison to his earnings.)
Food in schools is bit of a sore subject. During Isaac's final year at a boarding high-school, a group of students outraged about eating vegetables again, took their anger out by stoning the head teachers home. Vegetables were not supposed to be on the schedule. They were eating meat a couple times a week and vegetables and sima all other meals. When they were served vegetables instead of the scheduled meat dish, they got violent. School was shut down for three weeks until police could identify the juvenile delinquents. These three weeks were critical to doing well on the final exams. Isaac said that he thinks not attending school really hindered his performance on the exam. He did not get into University of Malawi, but with the aid of LifeNets, has been funded to attend even a more reputable computer studies program at National College of Information Technology. Things certainly worked out well for him!
More on student challenges, successes, LifeNets impact and goals to come!
Thanks for following and have a great weekend.
