For starters, Malawi is a long, skinny, country in the southern half of Africa. It shares borders with Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania. It’s land-locked, which means it has no ocean harbors. You’ll notice from the map, though, that a huge lake (Lake Malawi, or Lake Nyasa) runs the length of the country. The people of Malawi are called Malawians, and there are about 10 million of them.
Malawi’s climate is pretty much opposite to ours in North America: from November to April, it’s hot and wet, and from May to October, it’s cold and dry. In Lilongwe, the capital city, the hottest it gets is 36˚C/97˚F. The cold isn’t quite like our cold – the coldest temperature is usually around 7˚C/45˚F. So no one in Malawi has a snowsuit.Primary school starts at age six and goes on for eight years. At the end of Grade 8, students write an exam to see if they will be allowed a place in secondary school. Many more Malawian children go to school now that it is free. But the increase in students means that there are not enough classrooms, bathrooms, or teachers. School often takes place under trees, which sounds wonderful until the weather turns cold or it starts to rain. In many places, clean water and toilets are missing. Hmmmm. And 200 students often share three teachers. But at least all children now have some chance of learning.
Hey, Kids!
Malawi Toy Challenge
Like many children in African countries, kids in Malawi usually don’t have toys from the store. What little money parents have is used for food and shelter. But think about what you have done in your backyards with big boxes, leftover bricks, and firewood! Kids in Malawi don’t let a shortage of money stop them from playing – they use their imaginations to make toys from garbage. Think of balls made from bags and tape or push-cars made from wire.
This is my challenge to you:
Build a toy car from your family’s garbage. Send me a photograph of your creation, along with a list of its construction materials, your name and hometown, and we’ll publish them in a future issue of Word & Deed.
Materials to start:
- empty milk carton
- four jar lids
- straight sticks, dowels, straws or strong wire
Use whatever you like to improve your design, but your supplies must come from the garbage, recycling, or from bits of things likely to be found around the house (i.e. not pipe cleaners, but yes to twist ties or bits of wire).
Let’s see what kind of imaginations you have!
