CONVICTIONS THAT COST

Change gets impacted better when anticipated. Dreams get realized fruitfully when well-thought. And actions have the potential of sowing seeds – be they good or otherwise.

Since the dawn of the year 2000, stories of ‘night schools’, where kids got enrolled without their consent and that of their parents, have remained prevalent in the country. Records can reveal of cases where kids from different homes have been testifying against cruelties and oddities from some identified persons who they (kids) called their ‘teachers’ at night.

Complaints from grievously concerned parents about their children being taught witchcraft would also in no way go unvoiced on June 16, 2010, the Day of African Child. They whined about the future of children of Malawi, in Africa, the beloved country in the words of Alan Paton, which is steadily being splotched by such publicity-shy voluntary night ‘teachers’.

GOOD GONE DAYS

The youth are leaders of tomorrow, people were made to embrace. Now the direction seems to have changed, slightly though, taking a rather popular and smart one to most young individuals: the youth are leaders of today. But some, wondering with the status quo, have asked innocently yet thought provokingly: which today? Good question.

Many are mentalities convicted in the belief that whenever citizens are to contribute to national development, the role of youths should not be all that earth-shattering, easy to point at. They must be similar minds, probably, deeply lost in some fruitless sea that keeps on demanding ten years of work experience from three hundred thousand fresh graduates who are baked annually, ready to sweat for countable thirty five thousand available employment opportunities. Pathetic.

Ngwazi Dr. Hastings Kamuzu Banda, the first president of Malawi, to an enviable extent, had an effective and realistic approach on citizens’ contribution to national development. And, too, it was sustainable.

TRACING THE UNTHOUGHT

When notes on the misuse of public funds during festive times at Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom) were shared in 2008, they made news. People were amazed. Many found it irritating just to learn that a public-fueled body would exploit such millions of kwachas which they, in trying to be responsible citizens, patriotically contributed, and still were, through taxes – all in the name of parties.

What people noted bizarre was not necessarily the idea of having parties, especially during such rare moments when parties are adored most, no. It was the amount; so strange, and really, blood-curdling.

But parties, as we hold, have been there and will always be. It is their tradition to come and immediately go. They are like visitors; they are just for a moment. This is a moment of spending money (Chilembwe?) through eating and drinking with friends, relatives, workmates, and, of course, lovers while appreciating and exploring the beauty of this life. But the costs annually incurred through such parties matter.