Azungu, give me MY money!

I wonder how many times I hear little kids say "Azungu (white people including Asians), give me MY money!" everyday... Even 2-year-old's can say this phrase and sadly, it's the ONLY English they seem to know.

Malawi has developmental aids from all the major humanitarian organizations--UN, UNICEF, Save the Children, USAID, SIDA, and so many more. Indeed, it's one of the biggest "aided" countries in Africa. And yet, the problem of poverty, hunger, and diseases still remains here. But WHY?


It's been almost 2 months since I started volunteer work in Malawi. Through everyday interactions with village people, educated teachers and international volunteers, I came to few conclusions in response to my own question.

• Children from uneducated parents will become equally uneducated and will raise more uneducated kids.


• Poor people rely so much on foreign aids and they are passively waiting to be saved. In other words, they don't actively work for things that can be given by somewhere else.


• Women in villages are very suppressed and have no decision making power.

Let me explain these points.

- Education is NOT free in Malawi and many children don't finish schooling (80% don't have high school degree). When you face "survival" and "ensuring food for the day," education does not become your priority, certainly for those who haven't enjoyed and experienced the benefits of education. I cannot remember how many people who approached me to help them with their children's school fee by now. I would love to help them as I know how much education means for their future but if I start supporting one, then I will have to do the same for everyone. And I don't have enough money for that. Obviously, no education means no decent job. And no decent job means no money. Why can't the government make the public education free for all?

- I heard another volunteer from my organization say one of the communities she worked with did not want to build a preschool for their children (provided that she managed to get all the materials donated). The reason was simple: "Oxfam (different NGO) came to other village and built a beautiful preschool. Why do we have to work if they can do it for us?" Another preschool I worked with requested if they could get soy flour instead of maize flour because it "tasted" better. To begin with, the NGO I work with is focusing on sustainable development and community involvement. We don't do relief work of just giving out of materials. Malawi don't need relief work any longer. It's sad to say this but good intention to help the poor can be misinterpreted and even makes them become spoiled. In a way, giving out things can dis-empower people in that they don't learn what they can actually do by themselves.

- In villages in Malawi, if a child gets sick, the mother has no authority to decide to take him/her to hospital. She would always have to ask permission from her husband or someone from his family. Another example: 14+% of Malawian population of which 60+% are women, are infected by HIV. And the transmission is almost always through the male partner as polygamy is openly allowed and practiced. I cannot articulate well but I truly believe in empowerment of women to make the society and world better. When the voices of mothers and women are reflected in society, particularly in politics, I am confident that their society will experience a big difference. Malawi is far from that.


Anyways, these are just my personal opinions about social problems in Malawi. What you might call "food for thoughts" for you. Well, I hope you can take sometime to think about it.