Malawi teen migration to South Africa worries Mangochi DC
District Commissioner for Mangochi, Reverend Moses Chimphepo has expressed concern over the rising number of teenagers migrating to South Africa for a better life at the expense of education.
Chimphepo raised the concern when he officially launched a two-day meeting on Thursday where United Nations (UN) Women engaged parents and local leaders in Mangochi to discuss some of the factors contributing to school dropout rate in the district.
The DC noted that Mangochi continued to be one of the districts with the highest school dropout rate despite various efforts by government and civil society organizations to keep children in school.
He observed that other than child marriages and teen pregnancies, children between the ages of 13 and 18 were trekking to South Africa in large numbers which, he said, ought to be discouraged.
“We would like to appeal to all parents that they should value education for their children more than sending them to South Africa where they are often subjected to harsh living conditions given that they go without any academic credentials,” said Chimphepo.
Chimphepo said at present there are five children from Mangochi who are lost and stranded in South Africa and that government is in the process of tracing them and making efforts to repatriate them.
He stressed that according to the law, anyone below the age of 18 is a child and that they were not supposed to be subjected to marriage or employment of any kind.
One of the parents, Longolongo Alli, from Sinyala Village in Traditional Authority Bananyambi, admitted that parents in the district marry-off their daughters to young men looking for opportunities in South Africa hoping to end their poverty.
Earlier in February this year, Immigration Department Officer In-Charge at Mangochi Mlambe One Centre, Shadreck Chikwezeka said since October 2017 the Immigration section had already handled close to 1,000 passport applications as of Monday, February 12.
Chikwezeka said the demand for passports at the centre was growing by the day such that, on average, over 25 applications were being processed daily.
UN Women is implementing a project in the district aimed at influencing attitude and behavior change among parents, local leaders and children and encouraging male involvement in ending all cultural practices that fuel early marriages and school dropouts.
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DPP has very little to offer the youth of this country. Unemployment is on the rise, public education of of poor stands. To make matters worse, the stocks of fish in lake Malawi have drastically dwindled. Under such conditions, any intelligent youth should do what is best to survive. Therefore migrating to South Africa is the best of the worst available options.
There is another side to Mangochi that should also be recognized. There is one secondary school in the Mangochi District that has had the highest of passing rate for the secondary school leaving exam than any other since 2005 … 98-100% That school is one component the the Malawi Children’s Village, a community based program for orphans and vulnerable children in the thirty-seven villages under chief Mponda’s leadership. Each year the Malawi Children’s Village provides every orphan completing primary school the opportunity to attend Blessed Academy. In addition, parents within Mangochi District are provided the opportunity to attend this excellent school on a tuition basis.
The Malawi Children’s Village was started in 1991 by a Medical Officer, Chakunga Sibale and his wife Faith, a nurse, with support provided by many former Peace Corps Volunteers who have seen for themselves the importance quality education for the youth of Malawi.
While it is reasonable to lament the loss of Malawi’s youth to South Africa, perhaps it is time to search for programs that have been creative and successful, which can act as a catalyst to educational improvement within Malawi.
Maybe, it is time to make efforts go beyond the laments and seek out answers.
The challenge to each of you is to engage in action and begin the cascade of solutions. To that end, dialogue is essential. Successful programs should not lead to a dead end. When MCV was founded twenty-seven years age, we knew new ideas had to be carefully nurtured; however, those new ideas and opportunities were never meant to be held secret, but, up until now, no one has been knocking at the door, seeking ideas and innovations.
Let me finish by being perfectly blunt: kindness did not kill the Nkwale; apathy and feckless lamentations did.
For those of you who want to take the next step, please let us be your partners. MCV has never strived for perfection … we look forward to your ideas propelling us further.
I can be reached a [email protected]. It may have been over twenty-seven years that we took or first steps, not one of us is tired.
To make this the start of a conversation, please be aware it is my intention to respond to any and all correspondences … and will attempt to foster communications among those who are committed to addressing the educational issues facing Malawi.
Please note, I am not a regular follower at this site. I am open to any direct communications at the e-mail above.
Kevin M. Denny, MD
sakulakwatu anyamatawa kukapeza moyo. azipita ndithu nanga kwathu kuno azitani poti ncito kulibe koma alomwe ali nazo. ophuzila omaliza maphuzilo akungokhala ena kupanga kabhaza mwana wa degree. mukuilephera apa nkhani. osamaima kusogolo mukudziwa kuti ndinu nomwe mmalemba azibale anu opanda ma phuzilo.
kodi paja BEN PHILI DZINA lake lenileni lija ndi ndani?????????????????????????
mxiiii.
kunyanjako mukudandaula zomati mitundu ya somba ikuvuta mukumafinya asodzi wamba. mufuse ma bwana anu apindila micilawo ,pali ma bwana amene amedze;la mma business azibale awo nkumagulitsa nsomba za mma aquarium ndipo geni imeneyi inayamba zaka ndi zaka , zao nzoyera zocapila omo 2 in 1.
nde madandaulo enawa mungofuna anthu akutamen kuti mukugwila ncito.
Mangochi ili pamene ilipa chifukwa cha Jo’berg yomweyo. Civil servant wogwira ku mangochi ndi mbutuma kuyerekeza ndi womwe amapita Jon. Akati Mangochi ndi Jo’berg ndi Nyanja. Sukulu ndi deal ma district wena. Tsono inu tsekani pakamwa chifukwa sikuti mungakwanitse kuwadyetsa kapena kuwasamala moyo wawo wonse musaname apa.
Chomwe mungachite mupitse patsogolo ubale wabwino ndi mayiko womwe a Malawi akupanga trek in kuti welfare yawo ndi conditions of service zipite patsogolo kwa abalewa kuti chuma ndi miyoyo yathu ipite patsogolo. Wosati mbwekumwekuzi.
Kwathu kuno ntchito ndi yobvuta kwambiri ngakhale womwe akumaliza sukuluwa ndi yabviyabvi basi kumatinso bola wopemphetsa amaweruka ndi kanthu tsiku lirilonse lomwe wapita kumsewu.
Yeah, awa ndi maganizo anga wosati wotumidwa.