Survive, Learn, Earn

A Different Approach

All that we seem to see on TV about Africa is a never-ending kaleidoscope of malnourished children. Yes they do exist – Malawi alone has OVER 1 000 000 orphans – over 700 000 of which are AIDS orphans – but there is more to Africa than that. Malawian children are friendly, curious, happy and optimistic, the country has much to offer in terms of tourism, trade and mining.

What OrphanAidMalawi aims to do is to help them become economically-independent adults with reasonable employment opportunities from mining, manufacturing, fishing, farming or tourism.

With 500 plus miles of Lake Malawi to remind us – nowhere is  “Teach someone to fish rather than enslave through donations of fish’ (very badly paraphrased – I know) more apt.

But to do this – for Malawian kids to learn that trade is great, that a private sector job is possible and at least as good as a government one, to have a reasonable chance of getting such a job and to be able to provide for your family so that they are equipped for life when their turn comes. For this they must first survive to adulthood, their education must continue rather than being abandoned in favour of more urgent hunger, survival and commercial needs. For all this, industry, tourism and agriculture must be promoted.

In 2003 I met a Malawian in Nkothakotha district in the north of Malawi. His father had been a domestic cook working for a Scottish expat who worked, I think, in Blantyre – my birth town. The Scot paid for his cook’s kids to go to school. He got his “O” Levels, became a builder and then started his own building company. He now employs people and provides well for his family and for him aid is totally unnecessary and unwanted – and the key is education.

Bear in mind that you can do the same as that Scot for TEN CHILDREN for £100 a month. Chances are that most will survive to adulthood – they will have learnt English, be able to work in tourism or start real businesses (as opposed to survival-focused activities that although not employed – are not businesses either!).