SPECIAL REPORTS (47)
When Hospitals Turn into Havens of Rape and Abuse
Hospitals are expected to be places where one gets treatment. But behind the hospital curtains in the treatment and consultation rooms, there is a harsh reality of sexual abuse.
In this analysis, Chikondi Mphande tells the story of an expectant 15-year-old girl who was defiled during delivery by a midwife technician.
The Downside of Initiations on Innocent Young Girls: Rights Violated, Future in Limbo
In August last year, a six-year-old girl was forced into a girl’s initiation camp in a village in Machinga district.
This, naturally, disturbed the patience of children’s rights groups. They sought the prompt intervention of the courts. That is why the girl we are calling Patuma was released unconditionally after an order by a magistrate at Liwonde.
Patuma only exemplifies dozens of young girls traumatized by experiences in initiation camps.
In our special report this week, Eamon Piringu lays bare how this cultural practice is abusing the rights and freedom of girls as young as four, in a setting where traditional leaders and parents believe that a girl child needs sex education at a tender age.
The Law and Corruption
On 9th December 2019, the Malawi Government launched the National Anti-Corruption Strategy-NACS II which has the most concrete and complementary goals that Malawians across the board care about.
Mob Justice Goes Pretty Wrong: Presumed Dead Man Resurfaces
Some day in October three years ago, three friends were happily enjoying a drink.
On the Expensive Queue: Struggles of Cancer Patients in Malawi
Aside from the excruciating pain they have to deal with, they live in a country where there is no specialized treatment for the condition.
Hundreds of cancer patients in Malawi are travelling abroad in search of treatment, in the process the cash-strapped government spend in excess of US2 million annually. On the other hand, individuals that cannot be included on the state list spend in excess of K30 million.
Decades of Learning at Unique Namikombe Community School in Thyolo
There is a unique school in Thyolo on the border with Chikwawa district.
It is an informal primary school established by villagers because formal schools are miles away and inaccessible. Over 490 children attend this school which has one teacher. A volunteer village teacher.
He has to teach 13 subjects in a day in four classes. Apart from there being inadequate teachers, there is no infrastructure, ablutions; and teaching and learning aides. But where is government in all this?
People and Goods Packed Alike: Risky Journeys of Rurban Malawi
In some parts of Malawi, apart from minibuses, small cars are used as commuter vehicles, but the problem is that the operators usually exceed the limit number for passengers and the cargo capacity in order to increase profits.
Our reporter, Suwira Wanda, finds that corruption between the police and the operators of these vehicles is rampant, leading the law enforcers to pay a blind eye to this dangerous tendency.
Suwira takes us to the lakeshore district of Salima which has a population of more than hundred thousand people where she discovers that people there seem to value the economic returns of using such vehicles over the safety of their lives.
From Kaoche Village with Six Points: The Story of Joseph Katole
When he heard on Zodiak Radio that the Ministry of Education had announced the 2023 Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE) examination results, Joseph Mathias Katole’s heart was pounding heavily. The thumping of the heart was out of anxiety.
Drones: New Tech Easing Transport Problems in Malawi’s Health Sector
The year 2023 will forever be a memorable year for millions of Malawians - a year that for some will remain awful and unforgettable as it left an enduring psychological trauma. Tropical Cyclone Freddy ripped through homes and smothered scores of people.
GM Maize: Possible Solution to Fall Army Worms in Malawi
Malawi’s population is about 20 million. Most of these people live in rural areas, and 97 percent of them are farmers that grow maize.
