The devaluation of Malawian Kwacha is a pain for every Malawian in the year of 2023. A lot of Malawians are crying that they are spending a lot of money in the market yet they return home with few goods. The money that they are spending in a month is triple what they could spend in a month a couple years back. In the past, Malawi had a bank note of 2000 Malawian Kwacha which was equivalent to $2 only but now there is a bank note of 5000 Malawian Kwacha which is equivalent to only $3. This change is making a lot of Malawians cry, especially those in the villages.
I spoke to a random lady who was going to buy onions at the market near her home village and what she told me was horrifying. She told me that her children are now eating once a day when they used to eat three times a day. She told me that the onions that they were buying for 500 Malawian Kwacha in the past are at 2000 Malawian Kwacha and this makes her not want to cook with but relish the onions. She was so emotional at the time she told me this.I was so touched with the experience of people in the villages.
According to what I see, the money has lost value yet the people are still earning the same amount which makes it difficult for them to survive on a daily basis. I remember the time I went to visit my friend who gave birth to a cute baby boy in the hospital. Things were very shocking there. I met a single mother who chose to engage herself in prostitution due to her hunger. At the end, she got pregnant and she does not know the father of the child. I was so touched with the story of this woman because raising a child without a father is not a good thing that I would not wish it to happen to any woman. After hearing her story I felt so bad.I put myself in the woman’s shoes. It is such a traumatic feeling that this woman has to live a painful life, raising this child by herself. I also felt bad for the child who will have to struggle with identity issues because there is no father around.
I wish things would change because the situation is getting worse in the country. During my visit at the hospital, I felt pity for that woman and I decided to divide the food that I bought for my friend and share some with her. She was very excited for the food. She told me that the last time she ate meat was Christmas of 2022 and that she was very excited to eat meat again. I was happy and sad at the same time to see the woman smiling again after eating her favorite meal. A lot of change makers promise their people brighter days. But,giving them what was promised is a tough thing according to what Malawians are going through.
16 March, 2023
