Friday, March 28, 2008

Rural-Urban Migration and Malawi Poverty

It is not strange to see many people living their rural folks in search of the twon dream. I wonder what dream Blantyre, Mzuzu, Lilongwe and the new city of Zomba offers. It is also happening around districts as everyone is heading towards a district headquaters. Others are living very remote areas and coming close to booming trading centres.

Its all about trying to a get a high and perhaps a better quality of life. Othrs are heading abroad...call it RSA, the UK...Zimbabwe????I wonder. For how long will this continue and perhaps stop? Our rural areas have become burying grounds for the town dead.

We have been let down somehow in this country since 1964. I think the British should colonise us again and maybe we can take it from there. I suspect we became independent too early. Infrastructre in the villag has crumbled even though it was well beyond average standard. No buses, no clinics and if ever they are, very far without public transport. Poorly staffed or not staffed at all. No medication, no syringes, no panadol/paracetamol, protective gloves for nurses. How come in the 21 century that our women still give birth aided by a traditional birth attendant? Will she be capable to tell that a ceasarian operation is required? Maternal deaths contniue to haunt us. Consider little John, hungry as he is, walking five kilometres to a school that has three teachers for 320 students! What is the purpose and what do we want to achieve? Perhaps our biggest achievemnt is poverty!

So what happens? Wel why not try city life with the promise of success that never comes. You need a good education first to get a good job. Secondly you need to know somebody or allign yourself with a particular nepostic group whose interests are selfish and corrupt.

Political regimes continue to fail us for so long. Especially thos of us in the village. We need houses with electricity. We need roads. We need banks. We need good roads and public transport. We need hospitals stuffed and staffed. We need good schools and teachers to secure the future of our children. We need clean water.

What are these poverty programmes that politicians often talk about? Why not just tackle issues that I highlight above and povrty will fade us? Personal enrichment and aggrandisement seems to prevail over altruism and reason.

God save Malawi.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi, I really think you have some great insights to contribute. However, while you are highlighting the ills of our country, please do also provide tangible solutions and point to some efforts that are being done already. I understand your anger, I feel it too, but together, people like you and many others, can educate people on altenative strategies. Believe it or not, we already know our problems, but what we need is positive construction and hope. You can do better, and i implore you to.
I hope to read more of your writings. Thanks