A Day in the Life of a Child
A Day in the Life of a Child in Malawi
I have been thinking about ways in which life for the kids in Malawi differs from that of the children I work with here in Toronto. A typical day in a Malawian child’s life is not an easy one.
Children who attend school generally wake up at about 6 am. Those living in a village, like the orphans, must go and fetch water for bathing. For some children the walk to the community tap is about 1 km. Each child generally uses one bucket of water for bathing. One bucket is about 10 litres. The water is not heated because to heat it means using charcoal or firewood. The cost of these items is too dear. After bathing children will often fetch water for use by the adults in the house.
Children begin their school day at 7:30 am. They arrive at school and are made to sweep the inside of classrooms as well as the ground surrounding the buildings. If there are desks in the classroom children wash them. Blackboards that are in the classrooms are also washed by the children.
The orphans attend a “good” school. The windows have glass, the roof is made of tin instead of grass and the floors are made of cement. The grade 8 students are provided with desks. I’ve been told that unlike Ontario’s primary class cap of 20 students, Malawi has no cap. The classes at the Chitungu school contain an average of 80 students each.
Students have a 30 minute recess at 9:30. They play soccer on the field near the school. They may play some singing games. There are no cheese strings or Bear Paws to be had. They may get water. After recess the primary students attend school for 90 more minutes. They are then dismissed for the day. The junior students go home for a lunch break and return to school for another 90 minutes of instruction. During the harvest months of April and May students might actually eat lunch. During the months when food is less plentiful they will not eat until dinner.
The primary students whose school day ends at 11:30 are sent home where they often spend their afternoons playing unsupervised with other children. Their caregivers are often busy doing piecework or cultivating crops. When the caregiver arrives home the children will collect water for the evening meal. The evening meal is often the only meal taken each day. This meal consists of nsima (ground maize porridge) and green vegetables. Protein and vitamins are not a concern. The purpose of eating is to fill the belly.
Children will go to sleep on grass mats laid on the floor. There is not sheet or blanket between them and the mat. They will cover themselves with a piece of fabric called a chitengi (a wrap) or a blanket if they are well-off. During the cold months of June and July children often sleep in their clothing. Pyjamas are not common. Pillows are a luxury.
Upon my arrival back in Toronto I was thrilled to sleep in my own bed. I had a real bed in Malawi but the mattress was just an 8” piece of foam. I felt most grateful that first night when I awoke in the middle of the night and only had to walk a few feet to the washroom. I didn’t have to wrap myself in my chitengi and go out into the cold, dark night. I realized at that moment just how easy life is here in my comfortable apartment!
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