PROBLEMS FACED BY DIFFERENT LOCAL MALAWIANS IN THE REMOTE AREAS

MAVUTO OMWE AMALAWI OSIYANASIYANA AKUKUMANA NAWO MMAMIDZI

INTRODUCTION

CHIYAMBI

A journey for Malawian child from childhood to adult hood is a journey of thousand miles that requires courage, strength and determination to defeat poverty (the main enemy along the way) so as to have a brighter future.

Ulendo wa moyo wa mwana wakumalawi posintha kuchoka ku umwana kupita kuukulu , ndi ulendo wautali kwambiri omwe umafunika kulimba mtima, mphavu komanso kuikapo mtima pogonjesa umphawi umene uli mdani wamkulu ndi cholinga chofuna kukhala ndisogolo lowala.

PROBLEMS FACED BY PREGNANT WOMEN

MAVUTO OMWE AZIMAYI OYEMBEKEZERA AKUKUMANA NAWO

Despite Malawi having hospitals and well-trained nurses and midwives still the accessibility of the social service is a hindrance. In this case pregnant women from far the outskirts of town and trading centres (where most of the hospitals and clinics are found) walk long distances to hospital for delivery. This has led to continued existence of maternal deaths. Most of the times expectant mothers are drove to the hospital using carts and bicycles. Many women give birth along their way to the hospital.

Ngakhale dziko la malawi lili ndi zipatala komanso anamwino ndi azamba ophunzitsidwa bwino, kafikilidwe ka zipatalazi ndikovuta. Pankhaniyi, azimayi omwe amakhala mmadera akutali ndi tawuni komanso malo ochitira malonda (komwe zipatala zambiri zimapezekera) amayenda mitunda itali itali popita kuchipatala kokachira. Izi zadzesa kuchitikabe kwa imfa za amayi oyembekezera. Nthawi zambiri amayiwa amayendesedwa pa ngolo komanso pa njinga ndipo ayiwo ambiri amaberekera munjira.

Due to this some women prefer seeking medical attention from traditional midwives who in most cases are women that are not specialists in that professional and incompetent for that task. This is also one of the reasons that triggers an increase in unrecorded infant and maternal mortality rate in the villages.

Kamba ka ichi, amayi ambiri amafuna thandizo kwa azamba achikuda omwe nthawi zambiri amakhala opanda ukadawulo pakuchembeza.
Ichinso ndichifukwa china chomwe chimawonjezera kukwera kwa chiwerengero cha imfa za amayi oyembekezera mmamidzi.

During the early days of the born baby, he is subjected to different beliefs and traditional medicine. For example, many powdered medicines are administered to him/her through porridge. These medicines are not only intended for the good health of the child but also as a defence mechanism (against witchcraft).

Mmasiku oyambirira amwana obadwa, amakumana ndi zikhulupiliro komanso mankhwala achikuda. Mwachisanzo mankhwala ambiri aufa/opera amapasidwa kwa iye kudzera mu phala. Cholinga chamankhwalawa sikungobweresa thanzi labwino ayi komanso kumuteteza kwa afiti.

PROBLEMS FACED BY ELDERS

MAVUTO OMWE ANTHU ACHIKULIRE AKUKUMANA NAWO

It is believed that without following some of the beliefs, witches and wizards gain chances of teaching the little baby witchcraft. Moreover, when the mother dies during nursing period people raise their allegations on the little baby as the one being the witch. Sadly, enough elders of age range from 50 above face different social segregation during this time as people say that they are the ones who sent the little baby to kill his/her mother in magic. Even when someone dies a natural death that its course is raising suspense and an answered question, the blame is put on elderly people.

Kuli chikhulupiliro choti ngati zikhulupiliro zina sizisatidwa, afiti amapezerapo mwayi kuphunzisa mwanayo ufiti. Amayi akamwalira munyengo yomwe akuchembeza, anthu amakayikira mwanayo kuti ndi mfiti. N’zomvesa chisoni kuti achikulire oyambira zaka makumi asanu (50) kumanka mwamba amasalidwa ndi kukaikilidwa kuti ndi iwo omwe atuma mwanayo kuti aphe make kudzera mmasenga.
Ngakhale munthu wina akamwalira mwadzidzidzi moti imfa yake ikudzesa chikayikiso komanso mafunso ambiri osayankhidwa, anthu okalamba ndi iwo amanamizilidwa.

As reported by Zodiak Online news on Aug 15, 2020 “Police in Zomba rescued an elderly couple from angry mob that wanted to kill them over witchcraft allegations. Eastern region Police assistant spokesperson, Tionge Kayenda, says the angry mob wanted to set on fire a 63-year-old husband and his 56-years-old wife after a 16-year-old girl alleged that the two taught her witchcraft. The girl further alleged the couple forced her to kill a young sister who in July this year collapsed in a bathroom and died.”

Kutengera ndi mmene nyumba yazofalisa nkhani ya Zodiak inalemba patsamba lamchezo pa 15 mmwezi August 2020 ” Apolisi ku zomba apulumusa banja lachikulire kwa anthu okwiya omwe amafuna kuwapha kamba kowakayikira ndi ufiti. Mneneri wa apolisi kuchigawo chakummawa ,Tionge Kayenda, anati anthu okwiyawa amafuna kutentha banja la bambo wa zaka makumi asanu ndi limodzi kudza mphambu zitatu (63) komanso mkazi wake wa zaka makumi asanu kudza mphambu zisanu ndi chimodzi (56) pamene msugwana wa zaka khumi ndi mphambu zisanu ndichimodzi (16) anaulula kuti anamuphunzisa ufiti. Msugwanayu anaululanso kuti banjali linamuumiliza kuti aphe ng’ono wake amene mmwezi wa July anagwa kuBafa ndikumwalira” (kutanthauzilidwa kuchoka kuchizungu)

As of now many elderly people are living in fear for allegations may be raised on them anytime a catastrophe rises. Some elderly people are also alleged for holding rains (leading to drought) in magic when rain comes late during the rainy season.

Pakadali pano anthu okalamba akukhala ndi mantha kamba koti atha kunamizilidwa nthawi ina iliyonse yomwe zovuta zingagwe. Anthu ena okalamba amanamizilidwa kuti amamanga mvula kudzera mmasenga pamene mvula ikuchedwa kugwa munyengo yake.

On a promising note, the government of Malawi through the ministry of civic education and national unity, the Ministry of homeland security and Ministry of information embarked on a sensitisation campaign for the rights of the elderly people.

Human rights activists are also pushing on for the Malawi Parliament to review and pass the witchcraft act so as to save the lives of innocent elderly people.

Chosangalasa ndicho choti boma la Malawi kudzera mu unduna wa kuphunzisa anthu zachikhalidwe ndi umodzi , unduna wachitetezo chammdziko komanso unduna wazofalisa nkhani ali pa ntchito yophunzisa anthu za ufulu wa anthu okalamba.

Magulu omenyera ufulu wa anthu nawo akuudza nyumba yamalamulo kuti ichite machawi powunikiranso lamulo lazaufiti ndicholinga chopulumusa miyoyo ya anthu ambiri okalamba osalakwa.

PROBLEMS FACED BY WOMEN/GIRLS

MAVUTO OMWE AMAYI KOMANSO ATSIKANA AMAKUMANA NAWO

For a Malawian girl child to succeed in her education career is a difficult move that requires much effort by herself and the community at large.
Male chauvinism is one of the major problems that act as a barrier to their success. People think that girls are mentally weak and cannot make it rather they are fit for household chores such as cooking, fetching water, selling locally made foods such as Mandasi (doughnuts), Fried groundnuts, sugarcane and cooked cassava in different local marketplaces.

Ndikovuta kuti msungwana wakumalawi kuti achite bwino pamaphunziro ake ndipo izi zimafunika iyeyo komanso anthu amdera lake athandizane.
Kuzitukumula kwa anyamata ndi vuto limodzi lomwe amakumana nawo. Anthu ambiri amaganiza kuti atsikana ndioperewera mmaganizo ndipo sangakwanise. Iwo amati asungwanawa ndioyenera ntchito zapakhomo monga kuphika, kukatunga madzi, kugulisa zakudya monga Mandasi , mtedza okazinga , mizimbe komanso chinangwa chophika kumsika.

The truth is that these household chores also hinder them from focusing much on their studies as they spend most of their time working than on school related work.

Chilungamo ndicho choti zintchitozi ndizo zimawaphinja iwo polimbikira ndi maphunziro awo poti iwo amataya nthawi yambiri kugwira ntchitozi mmalo molimbikira ntchito zomwe apasidwa kusukulu.

Girls are also abused sexually through rape, defilement and incest. Many victims of these abuses fail to report to responsible officials at their locality because many of them are orphans and some are poor, so they feel not to report in fear of being damped by their rich relatives infringing them to those abuses.

Atsikananso amachitiridwa nkhaza pogwiriridwa . Ambiri mwa iwo omwe amagwiriridwa samakanena kwa adindo mmadera awo kamba koti iwo amakhala amasiye komanso osakuka choncho amawopa kuneneza zamchitidwewu kuopa kuti angathamangisidwe ndi abale awo olemerawo amene akuwachita nkhazazi.

Some girls are forced by their parents and relatives to drop out of school and get married to a rich man within the community; in order to bring food on the table for the whole family. This leads to early pregnancies which further lead to increase in maternal mortality rate.

Atsikana ena amawumirizidwa ndi makolo awo kuti asiye sukulu ndikukwatira ndicholinga choti azibweresa chakudya pakhomo lamakolo awo. Izi zimazesa mimba zomwe pamapeto pake zimabweretsa imfa za amayi oyembekezera.

The other main problem that opposes their success is lack of motivation. Instead of being encouraged to focus on education, they are demotivated with this common word “Sukulu ndi ya anyamata, inu kakwatiweni uko”(school is for boys, you go and get married).

Vuto lina lomwe limawaphinja iwo kuti asachite bwino ndikusowekera kwa chilimbikiso. Mmalo molimbikisidwa kuti azilimbikira maphunziro awo iwo amaudzidwa kuti “sukulu ndi ya anyamata ,inu kakwatiweni uko” .

Women also face different psychological, physical, and sexual violence with physical violence being the major form. Women are beaten by their husbands for coming late from their journey from water sources which are even kilometres away. Many fail to report this and they silently suffer as they take as normal.

Amayi nawonso amakumana ndi nkhanza zosiyanasiyana zammaganizo ndi kuthupi. Iwo amamenyedwa ndi amuna awo chifukwa chobwera mochedwa kuchokera kotunga madzi komwe kumakhala kutali kwambiri. Ambiri amakanika kuneneza za izi ndipo iwo amavutika mwakachetechete ndipo amazitenga ngati kuti ndimmene zimayenereka kukhalira.

Cultural practices such as shazi (bonus wife), chokolo, fisi, kusasa fumbi (sexual cleansing), hlazi, kulowa kufa (wife inheritance) among others facilitate the rapid increase in cases of HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. On a sad note, these practises are enforced by traditional leaders who are custodians of local Malawian Customary law.

Zikhalidwe monga shazi, chokolo , fisi, kusasa fumbi mwazina mwa izo zikuthandizira kufalikira kwa matenda a Edzi ndi ena odzera mukugonana. Chochitisa chisoni ndicho choti asogoleri achikhalidwe ndiwo amalimbikisa zimenezi.

PROBLEMS FACED BY MEN/BOYS

MAVUTO OMWE ABAMBO NDI ANYAMATA AMAKUMANA NAWO

Despite boys being considered as superior and highly favoured by the community they also face a lot of challenges. One of the major problems they face is peer pressure. They are forced by their peers to get involved in drug and substance abuse such as smoking chamba and drinking alcohol.
Another problem is lack of school fees which force them to drop out of school and migrate to other people countries e.g., South Africa, in search of green pasture.

Ngakhale anyamata awonedwa ngati ofunikira kwambiri komanso okonderedwa ndi dera lawo nawonso amakumana ndi mavuto ambiri. Limodzi mwa vuto lomwe amakumana nalo ndi kuumirizidwa ndi anzawo kuti ayambe makhalidwe osakhala bwino monga kusuta chamba ndi kumwa mowa mwauchidakwa.
Vuto lina ndilo lakusowekera kwa ndalama yolipilira sukulu. Izi zimapangisa kuti asiye sukulu ndikukhamukira ku mayiko ena monga South Africa kukasaka ntchito.

Furthermore, due to the rapid increase in population in the communities, rate of unemployment is also high. This further increases the level of poverty. This poverty forces them to cut down trees and make charcoal(used in local stoves for cooking);to be sold in order to earn a living.

Kuonjezerapo, chiwerengero cha omwe asali pantchito chikunka nachikwera kamba kakukwera kwa chiwerengero cha anthu. Izi zikuzesanso umphawi wazaoneneni. Kamba ka ichi abambo ambiri akumadula mitengo ndikupangira makala omwe amagulitsa kuti apedze kangachepe.

PROPOSED SOLUTION

MMENE TINGATHANIRANE NDI MAVUTO WA

with the help of international organisations, civil societies, government, organisations and well-wishers we can all save lives of millions of people suffering in the remote areas of Malawi. With a little we can, we can stop the suffering. SAVE A LIFE!

Mothandizidwa ndi mabungwe akunja, mabungwe oti si aboma komanso anthu akufuna kwa bwino , titha kupulumusa miyoyo ya anthu ambiri omwe akuvutika mmamidzi ya Malawi. Ndikochepa chabe komwe tingakwanise nako, titha kuthesa madzunzo onsewa. PULUMUSANI MOYO!