Adult literacy programme…
Rhianne Wizard • January 19, 2021
LIVENESS is a 33 year old lady from the community who started benefiting from Sparkle Adult literacy programme in 2020. At 35 you are seen as elderly in Malawi, with an average life expectancy of 64 for a woman. Since she can remember, Liveness was receiving letters in the post and had to find someone else in the village to read these out to her. It was her dream to one day be able to do this herself but she never thought at her age, she would be given the opportunity to learn. Sparkle’s adult literacy programme changed that and we will never forget the moment she recited her first letter perfectly out to the rest of the class! We were so proud of her.
For years, Malawi has relied heavily on external aid and a single commodity, tobacco, to sustain its economy. This dependence has left the country vulnerable to the fluctuations of global markets and external shocks. Now, with USAID withdrawing its support, the urgency for economic diversification and self-sufficiency has never been greater. A Nation at a Crossroads USAID has long been a key partner in supporting Malawi’s healthcare, education, agriculture and economic development. Its departure creates a significant gap, not just in funding, but in the infrastructure and systems it helped support. The impact goes beyond numbers; it is a wake-up call. Yet, the truth is that Malawi has the potential to thrive beyond aid. We are blessed with fertile land, a young and energetic population, and a growing spirit of entrepreneurship. The challenge lies in how we harness these strengths to shape a future built on our own capabilities, not external dependency.
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