Today I wanted to take a hiatus from updates on our work to talk about poverty: one of the issues I’ve been processing while here in Malawi. These thoughts are still a work in progress and represent my opinions; please feel free to disagree, or to inform me when I am wrong. The below graphic shows the GDP per capita in countries around the world, with darker colors being richer. As you can see, Malawi is in the poorest set.
The per capita GDP in Malawi is $268 (Worldbank, 2012), which is about 200 times less than the per capita GDP in the United States. Less than a dollar a day, and that’s average. There are still people who drive around in BMWs, and that definitely brings up the average.
On the other hand, you can go to the market here and get 3 carrots, a pound of potatoes, and a humongous papaya for that one dollar a day. Nsima, the Malawian staple, which is basically boiled corn flower, costs next to nothing to make and is eaten at every meal.
While these basic foodstuffs match up more or less to the Malawian budget, electronics, and other imports are through the roof. As an expatriate, I have American buying power and it is tempting to maintain my American standard of living, but sometimes that just doesn’t seem right in light of our surroundings. For example, we ordered pizza one night. It cost about $10 dollars a pizza because cheese is really expensive here, but that’s a price I would be used to paying. Thinking about it in terms of a local budget though, the five pizzas we ordered could constitute someone’s quarterly income!
One issue that I have seen so far is the availability of jobs based on low levels of training. On our walk to work, we pass several stalls selling fruits, peanuts, air time for your phone, or small candies that sell for around 2.5 cents. The profit margin on such things must be very minimal. There is definitely skilled labor here, but it is mostly up and coming. I don’t have any grand ideas on how to change a country’s economy. For that matter, maybe it doesn’t need to be changed; maybe that’s just my Western way of thinking.
On the one hand, things do seem to be progressing in Malawi. As technology progresses, more and more natural resources are being found within Malawi that will help boost the economy. The university (yes, singular, although it has multiple branches) is developing more programs to increase technical skills. There will be a day in the future when Malawi is more independent from outside aid. I think it will just take time.
I want to end on an encouraging note. A couple weeks ago, we met an artist named Maxwell, who had come to our guest house to sell us his paintings. After a few conversations, I found out that he in his third year of high school, paying his school fees by painting and selling his art on the weekends. While this makes his studies suffer at times, there’s no way around it. It is exciting talking to Maxwell, because not only does he have ambition to go on to University and develop more skill, his goal is to be able to give back. He told me that when he gets a job, he wants to be able to help other Malawians through school so that they can have the same experience he has had. People like Maxwell give hope for the future.
