Malawi Case study

A few of you said you may need a little more on the Malawi case study – the challenges of a country with a large youthful population.

Basic facts on Malawi (From The CIA World Factbook)

* 46% of the population are 0 -14 years old
* Life expectancy is only 43 years
* GNP per capita $800 – it is one of the poorest countries in the World
* 14% of the population have HIV/AIDs
* Adult literacy is 62%
* 35% of the population do not have access to enough calories for growth and/or a healthy life


Remember that like all countries that could fall into this category, their challenges are:

1. A large and growing number of children who have to be provided with the basics for a long, healthy and fulfilling life. These include:

*access to clean water

*sanitation

*a reliable food supply with enough calories to help them grow properly and build a healthy immune system

*vaccinations against the major childhood diseases e.g. cholera, typhoid, diphtheria

*a good education – primary and secondary

*somewhere to live that is clean, dry and warm at night.

2. How can they bring about a fall in the Birth Rate so that it falls to a level nearer the Death Rate so the population is more stable?

3. How can they provide jobs for the young people when they reach adulthood. Most people in Malawi have traditionally been subsistence farmers, but because of the growing number of people there is not enough land to support all the people. What other jobs can they do? Can Malawi encourage TNCs to locate there? Or can Malawi encourage its own home-grown businesses.

4. In addition Malawi has the added problems of AIDS, in particular for this case study, this means many of the growing number of children have do parents to look after them.


How is the government trying to meet these challenges?

In 1994 they introduced free primary schooling for all. Since then young people’s literacy has risen from 63% to 71%.

The British Government has further helped the Malawi government’s efforts by giving them funding towards a new scheme called 'Break Through to Literacy' which will hopefully improve literacy further

The Government is also looking to improve the supply of clean water through small local schemes.

How are Non-Government Organisations (NGOs) helping Malawi

SOS World Villages run a sponsor a child scheme in Malawi where people form MEDCs can sponsor a child, providing schooling, food, water etc.

Save the Children are working on training local health care workers in simple strategies to increase babies survival. Also their School Health and Nutrition Program seeks to improve the health of school age children through malaria and bilharzia treatment and prevention, vitamin A supplementation, vision and hearing screening and water and sanitation activities, thereby improving school performance and completion.

The Micro Loan Foundation are an NGO which provide small loans to individual in Malawi who wish to set up their own business.

Water Aid are working in Malawi with small communities, helping them rebuild and maintain existing water supplies as well as helping them provide sanitation systems.

This should be more than enough if you have a little research of your own too.

Hope the remainder of your revision goes well. It nearly over.