Malawi Archives - Women Speak

24 08, 2022

https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2022/08/24/1113585846/how-educating-girls-and-women-hcan-fight-climate-change

Why Keeping Girls in School is a Good Strategy to Cope with Climate Change

Karina2023-01-25T12:31:55-05:00Tags: Malawi|

This article spotlights Tawonga Zakeyo, an activist from Malawi who works for the Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED). Having completed high school, college, and a study abroad program, she now works to ensure that more girls can have the same opportunities to learn. Girls’ education is one of the most important solutions to pressing global issues, as it is correlated to lower rates of child marriage, increased economic empowerment, and more political and social agency. If all girls worldwide had access to voluntary family planning programs as well as universal education, it could reduce carbon emissions by up to 68.9 gigatons before 2050. Women and girls are disproportionately impacted by natural disasters, but their resilience increases when they have knowledge about everything from understanding weather reports to building more durable homes. Through CAMFED, Zakeyo has been able to support young women farmers to practice sustainable agriculture and understand the changing climate. She emphasizes the importance of educating girls so they can be agents of change. Photo Credit: Hellenah Khunga

13 04, 2021

https://www.voanews.com/africa/solar-mamas-brighten-rural-malawi

Solar Mamas Brighten Rural Malawi

Karina2021-04-13T17:37:39-04:00Tags: Malawi|

A group of women trained as solar engineers are installing solar power in homes and schools in Lilongwe, Malawi. Called the Solar Mamas, they are made up of eight older women and have brought solar power to over 200 households in villages surrounding Lilongwe. With this extra power, students are able to attend classes or do work at the school in the early mornings and evenings, while it is dark outside. Solar power in homes makes charging phones and batteries more accessible. The Solar Mamas are also training the youth in solar engineering to pass on their knowledge. Photo Credit: Lameck Masina

21 12, 2018

http://www.ipsnews.net/2018/12/overfishing-threatens-malawis-blue-economy/

Overfishing Threatens Malawi’s Blue Economy

Karina2020-10-05T17:08:23-04:00Tags: Malawi|

Despite once providing bustling profits for fishing families, Lake Malawi — one of Africa’s largest lakes — suffers from overfishing and women in Malawi are feeling the brunt of this. The fishing industry employs close to 300,000 Malawi workers and fishers, but fish are no longer being found in abundance. Stiff competition from fishermen is drastically depleting fish levels. The fish that are now being found are smaller and priced higher, reducing the profitability of a market that used to flourish in the past. Women who used to buy fish cheaply and trade it for more, are then forced to buy from fishermen, who have also been pushed out of business, at increased prices. Moreover, they are no longer able to provide local fish as a cheap protein to their families because overfishing has left women under tight restraint. Thankfully successful community efforts have been rallied around creating bylaws that would close down the lake for a temporary amount of time to promote lake health. And it appears these laws put in place were working — a man was hit with a hefty fine for fishing on the lake when it was close. Photo credit: Mabvuto Banda