Tamara Ngomba was born in 1999, and she is one of a family of 9 children. The family is Christian and they speak Tumbuka, the language most commonly spoken in the area. Tamara and her family live in a house that has walls made of mud and has a thatched roof. Most homes have one or two rooms but the kitchen is separate and outside.
Agriculture is the main source of livelihood. However, yields are insufficient and families experience a five month food shortage every year. Problems include erratic rainfall, no irrigation facilities, poor farming techniques and insufficient government support. Tamara’s staple diet is Nsima (a thick porridge made from maize flour) and vegetables. Meat is for special occasions only. Some families keep livestock, mainly to use for future dowries. HIV/AIDS, which has a prevalence rate of 15% in the area, affects the productive generation, meaning the farm work is left to the elderly or children.
Children have to walk for more than an hour to reach school. Classrooms lack basic necessities and teacher numbers are declining due to AIDS related illnesses. Tamara goes to the local state school where she is learning to read and write. Many children will not complete their education - girls as young as 10 years old are married, and boys leave school to find work. The majority of families cannot access safe, clean water, which means waterborne diseases are common. There is also only one health centre, which takes over an hour to reach.
Women have no voice, men make all decisions in the home and community, yet women are responsible for the majority of day-to-day chores. It is common for a man to have many wives. This makes women particularly vulnerable to HIV.
ActionAid Malawi is working in Chitipa in partnership with the community and local organisations to tackle their causes of poverty, including HIV/AIDS, lack of education and discrimination of women. Together, we will also work to improve livelihoods, access to safe, clean water and healthcare facilities. With your support, life for children like Nkhwachi will change for ever. |
