UNIT 1 – FAMILY

A family is a group of people who are related through blood, marriage and adoption A family can
be classified according to:
 Their organisation (arrangement of the parts which form a whole)
 Structure (relationship of the people)
 Size
 Parenthood

Types of family

1. Nuclear family
 Consists of father, mother (with or without) children living in one house.
 The children are born to them or adopted.
 These families are becoming common due to increased cost of living and modernisation
(adopting new values or methods)

2. Extended family
 Consists of parents, children plus other relatives e.g. uncles, cousins
 It is most common in rural areas
 Some communities allow spouses to have more than one spouse at a time and this is called
Polygamy. The spouses can live in one house or one compound. A polygamous family is the
other form of extended family since parents of the wives and their relatives become members
of the family

3. Single parent family

 One parent (either mother or father) heads the family
 The other parent is not there because of death, divorce or other causes.

4. Step (or blended) family

 They are a result of divorce and re-marriage. Spouses decide to take with them children from
previous marriage into the new family. This result into step brothers, step sisters, step parents,
step relatives
 Such families are characterised by differences between parents and children in terms of values,
discipline and expectations. Conflicts , disagreements and abuses arise in these families

5. Adoptive (or hybrid) family

 they adopt children especially orphans or abandoned children
 where adopted children discover that they were adopted and cheated they become angry.
 adopted children that are properly loved grow to become productive and honest citizens

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  control measures are put in place to avoid unscrupulous people who are involved in child
trafficking (illegal trade of selling children)

6. Child headed family

 one child (often the eldest) takes care of the other younger children due to death of both parents
 it usually happens when there are no relatives to take care of the children

Reasons for more single parent family

a) death of one parent due to HIV and other causes
b) high rates of divorce or separation
c) some men or women prefer to stay a single life
d) births to women and girls who may never have been married (that is outside of marriage
pregnancies)
e) the spouse may be away from home for longer time due to work or other reasons
f) lack of spouses
g) desertation – the husband run away from wife

Reasons for more child headed families (or street children)

 death of one or both parents
 extreme poverty may lead children into the street to beg
 new partners may reject the existing children of single mothers from different partners
 teenage girls who bear children outside marriage find it difficult to support the children

Reasons for more dual career families

 this is mainly due to the presence of many educated women who want to get employed just liked
their husbands and other women are engaging in business
 such families usually have fewer children
 these families spend less time with their children as they are at work most of the time

Factors that influence family size

A family can either be small or large in size and the factors that contribute to the size of family are :
1. Sex Preference for children
 In patrilineal societies, sons are preferred to daughters so that there is continuity of the clan
name. if the family has daughters only, they keep trying for a son
 In matrilineal societies, daughters are preferred to sons because the lineage is traced through the
mother. They keep trying for a daughter if they only have sons
 Regardless of marriage systems, some families prefer having children of both sexes and they
continue having children until they have reached the number of boys and girls they want

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  All these lead to big or large family

2. Cultural practices or influences

 Through culture people determine what is acceptable or not in their society
 In some societies it is normal to have many children
 Most ethnic groups regard children as wealth. They hope that children after growing up into
adults will take care of their old parents
 In some societies people who are subsistence farmers consider children as farm hands to help in
farming activities
 Where wife inheritance (chokolo) happens, the widow can bear children with the new man
 Polygamy can also make a family big
 Early marriages can also result into big families

3. Religious beliefs
 Some religions do not allow the use of contraceptives leading to big families

Other factors that encourage large family

 High infant mortality
 Premarital pregnancies
 The practice of divorce and re-marriage
 Lack of family planning

Factors that encourage small families

 Fertility and family planning
 Prolonged education
 Introduction of population and family education
 Urbanisation of population and high cost of living
 modernisation

Advantages of a large family

 parents are assured that some of their children will attain adulthood even when others dies
 large families are an investment in the future as parents are assured to be looked after when they are
old
 a family that has many children gets the work done quickly in the farm
 if there are many children there is always someone to send to do something
 because large families lead to population growth, the country improves its self- defence and
provides the needed consumer demand for goods and services

Disadvantages of a large family

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  parents sometimes fail to provide the basic need to their children such as food, shelter clothing and
security
 there is less parental care, love and attention to the children
 children compete for resources and this results in conflicts
 It is difficult to provide quality education to the children
 Over population affects the national resources,: economy and social resources
 It is difficult to provide counselling, proper guidance

Advantages of a small family

 Children receive more attention from their parents
 It is easy to educate every child equally
 Parents give security to their children
 It is easy to feed and clothe a small family
 There are no conflicts among children because there is no competition of resources

Disadvantages of a small family

 Parents are not assured or having a child to support them in their old age if the few or single child
have die
 It promotes individualism. Parents are only interested in looking after their children and leave out
all the relatives in the rural area
 It may leave out to low and declining population and therefore leading to scarce labour resources
and declining consumer market

Gender and gender roles

Gender – it is whether one is male or female as considered with reference to social and cultural
differences
Gender roles – they are societal expectations of what should be done by a person depending on whether
one is male or female.

Roles and responsibilities

Men Women Boys girls
 To look after the  Cooking food  Fishing  cooking food
family  House care e.g.  Sweep around the  fetching firewood
 Building a house cleaning house  taking care of
and other  Taking care of  hunting young brothers
structures children and sisters
 To earn money  Fetch firewood

Factors that have influenced changes that have taken place in the nature of family Notable changes
in the nature of the family include family size and responsibilities of parents to their children and
relatives. The following have contributed to these changes:
 Economic reasons – parents are preferring to have small family because it is easy to manage and
provide basic needs. Large families are a burden and a source of

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 economic hardship as families fail to manage them. Therefore, parents plan for small family which
they can manage.
 Education - as children stay in school, they somehow delay marriage and they end up having a
small family. Similarly, the knowledge and values they acquire in school help them to arrive at
better decisions as regards to their family size. Most parents that attained education prefer a small
family to a big family.
 Population growth and availability of resources – large families contribute to population growth
which puts pressure on available resources e.g. water, land, social services. The resources are
limited and cannot be increased in size. This has forced government to introduce population and
family life education to raise awareness to people on effects of population growth. As a result
people are now having small families
 Influence of western culture – Most European families are small and as many Africans came into
contact with the Europeans they copied some aspects of the European way of life such as family
size and how members of a family relate to each other.

UNIT 2 – HUMAN RIGHTS

Every human being is entitled to human rights. The entitlement to human rights is not something that
is given to people by government or any person as such they cannot be earned, bought or inherited.
Everyone is born with human rights. People should be aware of their rights as well as the rights of
others. If there is no awareness it becomes difficult to enjoy, promote and protect human rights.

Human Rights
 are accepted principles of fairness and justices
 are universal moral rights that belong to all people just because they are humans
 are basic entitlements of every person by reason of being human.
An entitlement is something that cannot be withdrawn and a person can demand for it. If it is taken
away or withdrawn a person has to receive compensation

A privilege
 it is an honour, a favour, an opportunity for a group of people to enjoy
 it can be withdrawn without compensation
 it cannot be demanded if withdrawn

Freedom
 it is a state of being able to do something without disturbance.
 A freedom can be a right. If freedom is denied people can seek redress through courts
 e.g freedom of religion, freedom to join a political party

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 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR)
 The United Nations issued the UDHR in 1948. This document contained a list of thirty (30) rights
which form the basis of human rights. Member countries approved the UDHR including Malawi.
Malawi then introduced the Bill of Rights which is contained in Chapter IV of the constitution
 Bill of rights is a collection of fundamental rights and freedoms. There may be slight differences of
Bill of Rights from one country to another.
 The rights provided in the UDHR are found in most constitutions of countries that ratified
(approved) the UDHR
 The Bill of Rights is applied without amendment (it is entrenched) and it is enforceable in court of
law
 However, the UDHR is not a legal agreement but rather a statement of purpose and therefore
countries are not legally bound to it. Some countries may choose to ignore certain rights and
freedoms of their people without being punished.

Factors that led to the establishment of the UDHR and other Human Rights document
 Cruel treatment of Prisoners of War (POW) – prisoners of war during the world wars were badly
treated e.g. tortured, starved, overcrowded in cells with poor sanitary facilities. It was anticipated
the rights would guide proper treatment of Prisoners of war and other prisoners
 The mass killing (genocide/holocaust) of European jews – Genocide is the killing of people not
for anything wrong they have done but for who they are. Adolf Hitler and his Nazi party of
Germany killed over 6 million because of racial hatred.
 Abuse of children – cases of children abuse e.g. child labour, sexual exploitation and child
trafficking were increasing
 Discrimination – increasing cases of discrimination based on sex, disability, race, political beliefs
 Slave trade and slavery – Slave trade is the buying and selling of human beings. Despite
abolishing slave trade some were still doing it. The slaves were kept in inhumane and degrading
conditions e.g. kept without food, raped, over-worked, stripped naked etc

Human Rights and Freedoms

 Right to life – no one shall be deprived of his or her life except by court of law
 Right to liberty – a person is free to decide what to do, where to live
 Right to respect for human dignity – torture, cruel or inhumane or degrading treatment and
punishment is not allowed. Scientific or medical experiments cannot be conducted on someone
unless the person has agreed to such experiments. Corporal punishment (beating) is not allowed
whether a person is being tried in court of law or is under arrest
 Right to equality – it is against the law to treat people differently because of their sex, race,
language, religion etc

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  Right to education – all persons have right to education
 Right to culture and language – right to use own language and participate in a culture of one’s
choice
 Right to own property – everyone can own property alone or with other people and not to be taken
away from him/her
 Right to development – everyone has the right to development. Women, children and people with
disabilities shall be given special consideration in the application of this right. The state shall take
measures such as equality of opportunities for everyone in accessing basic resources, health
services, food, shelter, employment to implement this right to development
 Political rights – the right to vote, join any political party, campaign for a political party
 Freedom of press – the press has right to publish and access public information
 Freedom of association – no one can force another person to belong to an association. It also
includes freedom to form a grouping or association
 Access to information – having the right to information whether the information is held by state or
organisation
 Freedom of assembly – everyone has a right to assemble and demonstrate peacefully and unarmed
 Labour - having right to fair and safe labour practices, fair pay, to join a trade union
 Slavery, servitude and forced labour – no person shall be held in slavery or conditions similar to
slavery.

Rights of Detainees
 Right to be informed reasons for the detention promptly in a language that he or she understands
 Right to be detained under conditions that are consistent with human dignity
 Right to consult a lawyer of his choice
 Right to communicate or to be visited by spouse or relatives
 Right to be released if the detention is unlawful
 Right to challenge the lawfulness in person or through a lawyer in court

Rights of women
Women should not be discriminated because of their sex or marital status. The rights are :
 To enter into contract
 To acquire and maintain right in property
 To take care and guide children and make decision of their upbringing
 To have and maintain citizenship on divorce
 To fair sharing of property that is held jointly with husband
 To be taken care of (but taking into consideration all conditions like the means of former husband
and the needs of children)

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 Rights of Children
 To be given a name, family name
 To know and be raised by their parents
 To be protected from economic exploitation or any treatment, work that is likely to :
o Be risky and dangerous
o Interfere with their education
o Be harmful to their health

Fundamental principles on which human rights are based

A fundamental principle is a basic rule or foundation of human rights. These are :
 Acquisition at birth – rights are not given by the government or person. We are born with human
rights and they are part of us as long as we live
 Inalienability (cannot be taken away) – rights cannot be taken away. They can only be abused,
violated or suspended. Suspension of rights is done with justifiable legal basis
 Universality – we are entitled to the same human rights all over the world
 Interdependence – human rights support each other e.g. for one to access right to education, he
should freely exercise freedom of movement so that he/she is able to go to school
 Indivisibility – human rights cannot be separated. Every person is entitled to ALL
human rights at ALL times

Types of Human Rights

There are 3 categories of human rights and these are :

1. Civil and Political rights (first generation /liberty oriented rights)

These are rights to protect freedom, life and equality and ensure full participation in Civil and
Political life
 Civil rights – rights to life, right to liberty, right to equality, freedom of religion, freedom from
torture
 Political rights – right to vote, freedom of opinion, right to have access to information,
freedom to join political party
2. Economic, Social and Cultural rights (second generation rights)
These provide people with the opportunity to fully participate in economic, social and cultural life
of their communities.
The rights include right to food, shelter and clothing, right to work, right to education, right to
healthcare, right to enjoy one‟s culture (so long it does not violate someone‟s human rights)
3. Environmental and developmental rights (third generation rights)
e.g. The right to live in a clean environment, the right to live in an environment that is free from
pollution and protected from destruction, Right to enjoy natural resources

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 Forms of human rights
Although every citizen is entitled to all the human rights, there are times when some of the rights can
be withheld due to the situation the country is in. According to the application of human rights, the
human rights exist in two different forms: Limited and unlimited human rights:

a) Limited human rights

 These can be restricted or suspended or limits may be placed by the state due to circumstances
that are a threat to life of the nation. These include :
o Freedom of expression
o Access to information
o Freedom of press
o Right to privacy
o Freedom of movement
 Restriction or suspension of human rights may be due to attempted coup d‟etat (or revolutions),
natural disasters, widespread lawlessness, in a state of emergency.
Government may take the following actions to limit human rights
o Allowing police to search without a search warrant
o Allowing police to arrest people even where there is little evidence than required
o Restricting what the press is allowed to report
o Imposing curfews or not allowing people to move at certain times of the day
o Banning demonstrations

b) Unlimited human rights

 These rights cannot be limited, restricted or suspended by the state or anyone even if a state of
emergence has been declared. These include :
o Right to life
o Right to equality
o Freedom of thought, belief, religion and to academic freedom
o Respect for human dignity
o Right not to be held in slavery
o Right not to be tortured and not to be treated or punished in an inhuman and cruel manner
Rights, duties and responsibility
Rights Responsibility
Right to education To be punctual and hardworking
Freedom of association Not to join groups of criminals
Freedom of expression Not to insult others or damage their reputation
Right to clean environment Throwing waste in designated place

Human Rights violations

It is the infringement on a person‟s rights. E.g. property grabbing, teasing and bullying, making noise
during lessons etc

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 Importance of observing Human rights
It brings the following to the society
 Peace
 Fairness
 Justice
 Co-operation

UNIT 3 – CITIZENSHIP
A citizen is a member of a particular community
Citizenship is the status of belonging to a particular community

Types of citizenship
 Single citizenship – the status of belonging to one country. When a country‟s constitution
recognises single citizenship only, it is impossible for someone holding a citizenship of another
country to become a citizen of that country unless he/she voluntarily gives up the other citizenship.
One reason for doing this is to avoid having citizens who have divided loyalty and patriotism
 Dual citizenship – the status of belonging to two countries. A country that recognises dual
citizenship will accept a person holding citizenship of another country to become its citizen even if
he does not give up the other citizenship.

Ways of acquiring citizenship in Malawi

 Birth – Any one born in Malawi and has either a Malawian mother or father becomes a citizen of
Malawi through birth
 Descent – it is becoming a citizen by tracing where your parents came from. Even if you were born
outside the country you become a citizen by descent.
 Marriage – a woman from another country married to a Malawian man becomes a citizen by
marriage. However, according to the Malawi constitution, a foreign man does not become a Malawi
citizen by marrying a Malawian woman
 Registration – an individual who is not Malawian by birth or descent may submit an application
form to the department responsible for citizenship registration. For one to qualify as a citizen of
Malawi the following conditions must be met:
o Must have lived in Malawi for 5 or more years
o Must be of good character (without criminal record while staying in Malawi)
o Be able to speak and understand English or any vernacular (local) language
o Must comply with the laws of Malawi
o Must give up the citizenship of the other country
 Naturalisation – happens when an individual has lived in the country for a long time e.g. over 12
years. He/she must also meet the conditions set out in Registration citizenship

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  Restoration – it is reclaiming one‟s citizenship which was lost as a result of obtaining citizenship
of another country. An individual may reclaim citizenship on condition that :
o they provide enough evidence or proof that they once held a Malawian citizenship
o should be prepared to give up the other citizenship

Loss of citizenship
Citizenship may be lost depending on conditions provided by the law.

 Voluntary renunciation – this is where a person voluntarily or willingly gives up his citizenship in
favour of another country. In this way citizenship is lost
 Deprivation – this is taking away a person‟s citizenship by an Act of Parliament. A person is
forced to surrender his citizenship even if he/she wanted to retain (keep) it.
 Death – citizenship is a birth right. Once a person dies he/she loses the citizenship

Security implications of the ways of acquiring citizenship

Citizenship by marriage, registration and naturalisation are less secure because of their vulnerability to
a number of factors. On the other hand, citizenship by birth and descent are more secure ways of
acquiring citizenship. Citizenship can be lost through:

 Vulnerability to change of policy – A policy is a course of action on a particular issue that the
government makes. Changes in policy can lead to loss of certain rights and privileges and even loss
of citizenship. E.g. when people are moved from flood- prone areas to higher grounds they are
forced to lose citizenship that they had in their original area.
 Vulnerability to change of government – change of government is often associated with a shift
(change) in policies. If the new government makes changes to the citizenship law some ways of
acquiring citizenship will be affected
 Lack of permanence – if the authority makes changes from time to time or if the individual
violates certain conditions, the citizenship may be lost
 Effects on children – children whose parents acquired citizenship through marriage, registration
and naturalisation may experience difficulties to obtain citizenship after the death of their parents
 Deprivation of property – when citizenship is lost, property of that person may be seized
 Lack of belongingness – citizenship acquired through marriage, naturalisation or registration do
not have a sense of belonging to the country. They still consider their birth country as home
therefore lack loyalty and patriotism.

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 Importance of citizenship
 Enjoyment of certain rights – citizens enjoy certain rights that cannot be enjoyed by non-citizens.
The right to vote, right to join a political party, right to form a political party are exclusive to
citizens only.
 Enjoyment of certain privileges – citizens do enjoy certain privileges that cannot be enjoyed by
non-citizens. E.g. subsidized farm inputs such as fertiliser and seeds are given to Malawians only
 Promotion of unity – citizens from the same country are more likely to be united despite having
other differences. Unity promotes development
 Promotion of patriotism – the realisation that one is a citizen of a country gives a sense of
patriotism. Patriotism refers to the love and pride a citizen has to his country. This motivates the
citizens to defend their country from enemies and even die for it

UNIT 4 – FAMILY NEEDS AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Resources are important for the wellbeing of an individual, family, community and the nation.
Resource management help in sustainable development.
Sustainable development is the use of available resources to meet the present needs without
compromising the needs of the future generations

Important needs of the family

Needs are basic necessities or requirements of people e.g. shelter, clothing
Wants are those things people desire but can do without e.g. TV, car

Most important needs of every member of the family

 Food – for every person to actively participate in development activities of the society, there is need
for availability of balanced diet and sufficient food
 Shelter (housing) – this is necessary for comfort, privacy and protection from hazards such as rain,
cold and even external attacks (e.g. animals & fellow human beings)
 Health care (good health) – it is generally healthy people who are productive in the family, society
and nation
 Education – it is through education that a person is able to acquire knowledge and skills that help
in decision making. Education is also a key to getting employment and live a better life
 Clothing – Clothes protect people from injury heat, cold, injury by rough products. Clothes also
make people look attractive
 Security, affection and love – these are psychological needs for every person. One needs to feel
cared for and accepted by others

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 Family resources
Resources are things or materials found in the environment and are used by the people to satisfy their
needs. E.g. finances (money), domestic animals, food, furniture, agricultural tools, ox-cart, grain
stores, houses, time, clothes, business etc

Ways of acquiring family resources

 Land may be allocated by the family chief or it may be bought
 Food may be grown or bought
 Doing income generating activities such as small scale mining e.g. sand extraction
 Transfer income – money obtained through cash gift from friends & relatives, interest, dividends
 Through aid – this is financial and material assistance from other people, organisations or
government freely or in form of loan
 Money can be earned through
o Selling commercial crops such as tobacco, sugarcane
o Selling excess food that the family grew such as maize, g/nuts
o Running small scale businesses such as rearing domestic animals e.g. chicken
o Exchanging labour with money

Provision of basic needs for family and sustainable development

It is the responsibility of parents to provide needs for the family. Parents need to work together to
identify the needs and plan on how best to satisfy the needs and manage them. Children can assist in
the provision of basic needs of a family depending on their age and abilities e.g. cultivating the garden
and household chores. However, children roles should not be at the expense of some of their rights e.g.
stopping to go to school because of household chores

The purpose of acquiring family resources is to ensure improved and continued family welfare
particularly after retiring or in old age. This helps to improve standard of living which is an indicator
of sustainable development

Management of family resources

Management is the process of using resources appropriately to achieve your goals while avoiding
wastage. Resource management is done through proper care and use, planning and budgeting
 Proper care and use of family resources – it is the responsibility of parents to guide their children
on how to use, care and maintain the assets to prolong the value of assets.
 Careful planning – planning is a process of identifying goals and how to achieve them. To plan the
use of family resources you need to determine the resources available, find out the needs of the
family and allocate the resources according to the needs of family members. Planning helps you not
to do things without order which can result in waste of resources e.g. time, money and materials

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  Budgeting – this involves planning for family income and expenses so that income is spent
appropriately and saved

Conserving family resources

This refers to the prevention of losses, damage or destruction of family resources. Since family
resources are scarce and limited, we need to manage them properly so that they last long.
Ways of conserving resources
 Re-using – this means using resources that have already been used for other purposes e.g. water
used for washing plates can be used for watering vegetables
 Reducing – this means using fewer amounts of resources e.g. reduce use of firewood by using
paraffin, electricity or special charcoal stoves (mbaula)
 Recycling – this means to treat a substance that has already been used so that it is fit to be used
again e.g. leftover food (mkute), plastic shoes, waste papers can be recycled
 Substituting – it involves using alternative resources that can achieve same needs. Resources in
short supply or non-renewable need to be substituted with those readily available or renewable e.g.
cow dung instead of firewood

Contribution of resource management to the development of the family

 Family members spend less time in search for their basic needs
 Members do not become a burden to others e.g. it encourages a spirit of self-reliance
 It creates a peaceful and stable family since resources are readily available
 The family does not fall in debts
 Excess resources of the family can be saved for future use or may be used to assist other people.

UNIT 5 – HUMAN POPULATION AND ENVIRONMENT

Human population is the number of people living in a particular area

Environment is everything surrounding us. It comprises living components (e.g. wildlife, people) and
non-living components (e.g. air, land, structures). The environment components are related to each
other and a change in one component affects the other. The environment includes :

Physical environment e.g. hills, mountains, rivers

Social environment e.g. people and their culture, technology, infrastructure etc

The relationship between human population and the environment

 The environment offers benefits through resources that are found there. E.g. soil, water, trees are
used to build houses. However, this leads to clearing of the environment

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  It influences how people live there e.g. those near lakes engage themselves in fishing
 It supports people‟s lives e.g. growing crops on land for food and raw materials
 Environments with plenty of resources are likely to develop if the people possess skills and
technology to transform the resources into usable products
 Therefore, population is likely to be high in an area with plenty of resources
 The environment also presents risks for people in form of :
o Floods
o Landslides
o Climate change
o Waterborne diseases
o Loss of life
 Environmental risks come as a result of misusing or overusing resources due to population increase.
More people means more consumption of environmental resources

Human population growth

Human population growth is an increase in the number of people in a given area at a given time. If
the number of people is greater than before it means there is population growth
Rapid human population growth is when the number of human beings in an area is increasing at a
very fast rate
Population growth rate is a means of measuring a country‟s annual population increase or decrease.
Human population growth is calculated as a percentage. It is calculated by finding the difference
between the total population of initial year and total population of final year. Then divide by initial
population. e.g.
In 2002, the number of people in area X was 1200 up from 1000. Calculate the population growth.
Initial year (2000) = 1000 people
Final year (2002) = 1200 people

1200 – 1000 x 100

1000
Answer = 20%

Factors that influence population growth

a) Natural increase
 Population growth is a result of the interaction between birth rate and death rate.
 When birth rate is higher than death rate, the population increases and this increase is natural
 Fertility rate is the number of children each woman has or the number of live births a woman
has/had in her child bearing period. On average each woman in Malawi has 5 children.
Therefore, high birth rates with high fertility rates and declining mortality (death) rates lead to
high population growth.

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  High birth and fertility rates are mainly as a result of :
o Lack of civic education on family planning
o Low availability of modern contraceptives
o Cultural norms which encourage people to have large family size
o Early first births among women
o Short birth intervals
o Low primary fertility rate
 Declining mortality (death) rates are as a result of public health measures such as :
o Improved and widespread immunisation against deadly diseases e.g. measles, tetanus, small
pox, polio etc
o Improved sanitation and adequate food
o Health education and child health care
o Greater access to modern medicines
b. Migration
 Migration is the movement of people from one area to the other. It can be within the country
or between countries.
 Two types of migration are :
o Immigration – the movement of people into an area.
o Emmigration – the movement of people out of an area
 Migrant – a person who has moved from one area to settle in another
 Place of origin – where the migrant is from
 Place of destination – where the migrant has moved to
 When immigration is greater than emigration the population increases
 When emmigration is greater than immigration, the population decreases
 Malawi has often experienced high population due to influx of refugees e.g. from Mozambique,
Somalia, Democratic Republic of Congo and Ethiopia
c. Culture
It has contributed to population growth in the following ways :
 Regarding children as a status symbol (a sense of achievement) thereby having many children.
 Sex preference – bearing more children before getting a child of preferred sex
 Females marrying very young resulting in having many children
 Social security – believing children are a source of domestic labour, financial and moral
support
 Believing children are an investment (wealth)

Trends in population
It refers to the general pattern in the direction of the population. Malawi‟s population is said to be
growing at the fastest rate among the countries in the Sub-Saharan region. It has the highest birth rate,
death rate and has life expectancy of 52 years. Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life
remaining at a given age usually at

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 birth. Life expectancy in Malawi is low because of the HIV/AIDS. The trends in Malawi
population can be summarised as follows :
 High birth rates
 High fertility rates
 High death rates
 High annual population growth

UNIT 6 – MALAWIAN CULTURE

Culture is the way of life for a particular society. Culture is made up of :

 Material (Visible) e.g. real objects produced by the people such as clay pots, housing
 Non-material elements (Invisible) e.g. values, traditions, customs
Tribe is a group of people believed to have descended from some common ancestry and share the
same culture. All tribes in Malawi make one people called Malawians.

Malawian culture is made up of a combination of cultures from various ethnic groups.

Elements of Malawian culture

 Language – though languages that are spoken in Malawi are different they have many words in
common. Language allows people to pass cultural ideas, beliefs and values from one generation to
the next. Without language, cultures would not even exist
 Religion – this helps followers of a common religion to acquire a common cultural identity. This is
because in all religions such as Christianity, Islam, ATR, Bahai Faith; there is a belief that there is
one God.
 Customs – These are established practices among members of society. E.g. initiations for boys and
girls, systems of marriage etc. However, there are customs which members of different societies
share. E.g. the patrilineal system among the Ngoni and Tumbuka in the north is shared by the Sena
in the south
 Beliefs – these are ideas regarding what is true. Many people regard the concept that there is life
and death being true
 Moral values – they are standards which determine what is good and what is bad. Examples of
moral values which children learn despite differences in their cultural background are sharing,
hardworking and discipline. All ethnic groups condemn immorality e.g rape, stealing, casual sex,
incest
 Traditional dances – types of dances performed in different parts of Malawi form an important
cultural aspect. These are performed for various reasons such as entertainment, expressing sorrow,
as a means of instruction and communication, as a means of cure for some illness and religious
festivals.
 Dress – the type of dressing gives people cultural identities which can be seen e.g. wearing animal
skins among the ngoni

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  Food – most people in Malawi eat nsima though some societies have their identifiable type of food
e.g Kondoole made from cassava flour is the staple food among Tonga and Nyanja of Likoma
Island, NkhataBay and Nkhotakota. Use of bare hands when eating is also common
 Etiquette – this refers to rules for polite behaviour. E.g. in all Malawian cultures children are taught
to receive with both hands, courtesy when talking to people in authority, respect for adults
 Housing – though different housing structures are different, one common thing is that boys and
girls live in separate houses from their parents for privacy reasons. Girls sleep in houses called Kuka
while boys live in their own houses called mphala or gowelo

Importance of Culture
 It helps to ensure continuity of the society as the cultural norms are passed on from one generation
to the other
 It promotes peaceful co-existence of its members through emphasis on appropriate behaviour
 Culture gives people their identity e.g. through the unique elements that different culture have one
can easily identify them
 It leads to development of a society through co-operation and unity that exists among members of
different ethnic groups
 It serves as a source of entertainment e.g. when people watch traditional dances, they become
entertained

Cultural diversity
This is the presence of multiple cultures within a society. These diversities form what are called Sub-
cultures and the sub cultures are based on the following :
 Ethnic (Tribal) Sub-culture – refers to customs, beliefs and values of an ethnic group such as
types of staple food, dress, language, behaviour patterns. These cultural elements are specific to
individual tribes and they give the tribe a unique identity.
 Religious sub-culture – Each religion has unique ways of worshipping God. Malawi has several
religious sub-cultures which include Christianity, Islam, African Traditional Religion (ATR),
Hinduism and Bahai Faith. However, within religions there could also be subcultures known as
intra-religious subcultures e.g. Catholics, Presbyterians.
 Regional sub-culture – Some cultural aspects differ by region e.g. Chitumbuka is the main
language in Northern region, Chichewa is spoken in Central and Southern region while Chiyao is
spoken in Eastern region
 Occupational sub-culture – people from same profession such as doctors, nurses, teachers behave
in a particular way. Their behaviours are guided by professional ethics. Membership to a particular
professional may be withdrawn if they behave contrary to the rules

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 Factors of elements of culture that promote/(enhance) unity in Malawi
 Ritual – ritual is a rite that is connected with a special ceremony. Most ethnic groups observe
rituals of birth, adolescence, marriage and funeral. The rituals mark stages in the life of individuals
 Marriage and family values – in Malawi, it is a man who proposes woman into marriage. All
ethnic groups in Malawi respect marriage procedures and respect a person who is married more.
 Inter-marriages – as a result of inter-marriage, many Malawians have become relatives.
 Teaching of morals in schools and religious institutions – the teachings help in cultivating love
and respect for one another which promotes unity
 Use of national symbols – e.g. national flag, coat of arm, national anthem; help to unite people
through the use of these symbols
 Civic education – message of national unity contained in civic education programs help to bring
unity between people of different cultures
 Bill of rights – certain articles in Bill of rights promote co-existence and unity e.g. freedom to work
and settle anywhere
 Music and dance – the purpose for performing the different music and dances are similar

Importance of unity in cultural diversity

 Preservation of different cultural elements enhance respect for other groups
 Preservation of common cultural elements promote patriotism, peace and development
 It promotes good reputation of the country hence encouraging direct foreign investment and tourism
 It helps the country to enjoy peace and stability
 It helps to avoid attacks from enemies as citizen are united

Changes in Malawian culture

Culture changes with time and society experiences changes that affect their way of doing things.
Therefore, culture can be said to be fluid or dynamic (not static)

 Eating habits – many people now eat food prepared through western methods e.g. sausage, beef
with spices. People now use forks, spoons and knives instead of bare hands when eating
 Individualistic behaviour – Nowadays people are concerned with what is best for them other than
communal (group) interests
 Family values – more parents today prefer to bring up their own children unlike in the past when
uncles had a greater influence. The children would also inherit the uncle‟s property
 Gender – In modern days, women are now being treated as equals with men unlike in the past
when women were taken as inferior.

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  Language – many words from English are increasingly being incorporated into our local language
e.g. long one and pot in English, in Chichewa langwani and mpoto respectively
 Moral Values – traditional morals are continuously getting eroded due to western culture. Some
changes are good while others are bad.
 Housing – nowadays people are building houses made of burnt bricks and iron sheets
 Marriage – marriage was highly respected in the past. Nowadays young people just enter marriage
without any traditional arrangements or without marriage counsellors. Secondly, some ethnic
groups use to practice arranged marriages but this has changed.
 Music and dance – Traditional music instruments were made from locally available materials
which do not need electricity e.g. animal skin and tree branches to make a drum. The instruments
were plucked and beaten . However, this has changed including the dancing styles .
 Dressing – this has changed due to :
o copying of western dressing
o democracy which allows women to put on trousers
o increasing knowledge and freedom of dressing
o exposure to foreign cultures by the youth

Factors that have influenced or contributed to the changes in Malawian culture

 Urbanisation – this is the movement of people from rural to urban areas (cities/towns). This
promotes cultural interaction as people of different cultures mix. It makes people to leave their
traditional beliefs
 Religion – many Malawians are now converted to foreign religions such as Islam or Christianity
leaving the African Traditional Religion (ATR) which was regarded as a component of African
culture.
 Westernisation – Western culture regards individual happiness and material possessions as more
important than community values and morality. Malawian culture has been eroded by the western
culture.
 Inter-marriages – partners in such type of marriages abandon their cultural norms and adopt new
ones in order to suit each other.
 Mass media – media means channels of communication. Through the influence of mass media e.g.
internet, radio, TV, newspapers; young people are exposed to foreign cultures which they copy.
 Education – Education is a vehicle for new ideas. After completion of their education young people
prefer to work in urban areas where there is more western life
 Trade – The exchange of goods and services also involve exchange of ideas, beliefs, values and
other elements of culture. Therefore, trade is a factor for cultural change.
 Colonisation – Colonialism brought to Malawi foreign ideas, beliefs and values which resulted in
changes of some Malawian cultural aspects e.g. introduction of

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 school as opposed to traditional institutions (simba) where young people were given moral
instructions
 Migration – the interaction with people of an area he has migrated to may lead to changes of
certain cultural elements

UNIT 7 - GENDER BIAS IN MALAWI

Gender is a social term which refers to the differences between male and female. Gender roles are
the behaviours of a person expected from the society depending on whether a person is male or
female. e.g.
Females: cooking food, taking care of family, mopping, drawing water.
Males: earning money, building housing, taking care of livestock, propose marriage

Sex is a biological term which refers to whether a person is male or female

Sex role is a behaviour that a person carries because the person is biologically male or female e.g.
Females : giving birth, breastfeeding, menstruating, gestation (carrying pregnancy) Males :
impregnating, producing sperm

Differences between gender and sex

Sex Gender
 It is acquired by birth  It is learned behaviour
 It is universal/global (it affects all  It is culturally specific (it affects the
people of the world) people in the culture concerned)
 It is permanent (it is unchanging)  It is dynamic (it changes with time)
 It is physical or biological  It is socially constructed

Gender bias is a situation where one gender is treated better than the other

Gender bias practices in the Family, Community, and the Nation

1. Marriage system (procedure)

 Most women who are married through the system of lobola are subjected to violence and
denied opportunities to make a decision e.g. number of children they should have in the family
 In matrilineal marriage system no lobola is demanded but in most cases the wife‟s brother
dominates on most crucial matters
2. Arranged marriage
 In both sena and tumbuka, a man may be rewarded his wife‟s younger sister as a second wife if
he looks after the first wife well. This is also common among Ngoni‟s and it is called Hlazi

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  In a practice called kupimbira among tumbuka and Nyakyusa in Karonga and Chitipa a girl is
forced into marriage by her poor parents when they fail to settle debts with creditors
 Chokolo is also common where a widow has to marry her brother-in-law. The man supports the
wife financially, materially and sexually
 In all these practices the females are not allowed to make a choice on who to marry. This
promotes gender based violence
3. Child rearing practices
 In most Malawian families, boys are favored and given attention than girls.
 Therefore, the boys grow up with a positive image about themselves while girls develop an
attitude of subordination (a position treated as of lesser importance than the other)
4. Succession and inheritance practices
 When a husband dies, property is taken away by relatives of the deceased husband leaving the
widow with nothing
 This reduces the status of the widow
5. Widow cleansing (kulowakufa)
 It is a traditional practice in some cultures of Southern part of Malawi
 A widow is forced to have sex with someone to be ritually cleansed and be accepted in the late
husband’s family
 This custom humiliates and devalues the status of women

Mistaken attitudes about gender roles common in Malawi and Africa

There are several attitudes about gender roles common in Africa including Malawi that lead to gender
biases, such as:
 Men own land and women work on the land
 Women are weak physically and are not creative
 Only men possess reason, intellect, logic and strong will
 Women should not stand and talk or preach before men
 It is good for a girl to marry early
 It is good for a woman to have many children
 The main role for a girl is to marry and have children
 The main aim for a boy is to do well at school and earn money
 Men make decisions in the family and women should obey their husband
 A man can marry many wives

How culture influences gender bias

Women are expected to be :
 Submissive (letting someone control your life)
 Emotional (showing strong feelings easily)
 Docile (easily managed)

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 On the other hand men are supposed to be :
 Aggressive (forceful)
 Unemotional (have no strong feeling)
 Dominate (rule over someone) As a result of
the above expectations:
 When children grow up they learn to conform (comply) to this way of thinking
 Society indoctrinates (gives ideas or opinion without letting you question) to believe that the things
should be that way
 Subcultures of ethnic groups in Malawi guarantee males privileges and ensure that family, civic and
public affairs are controlled by men. As such:
o Gender biases become rooted in culture
o Any attempt to resist such expectations is met with strong resistances

Consequences of gender biases in the family, community and the nation

 Inequalities in opportunities – girls may drop out of school due to poverty, early marriages,
unequal distribution of work. This results in more job opportunities for boys than girls because boys
have a right qualification
 Ineffective development programs – since women should listen and respect men, they are not
allowed to take part in decision making. Therefore, development programs fail to address real issues
affecting the community
 Sexual harassment and violence against women and men – gender biases result in all forms of
sexual harassment and other gender related violence. Examples of sexual harassment include :
o Rape
o Defilement
o deliberately infecting your partner with STI and HIV
o Insulting the modesty of women by calling them names
 Other forms of violence based on gender
o Property grabbing
o Depriving the family of resources
o Assault – hacking the body or chopping hands
 Gender based violence against men
o Pulling their private parts
o Locking them outside the home
o Withholding them sex
o Forceful sending away of sick men in matrilineal society

Measures for eradicating (removing) gender bias in Malawi

To effectively deal with gender bias there is need for :
 Legislation of women rights – The making of laws that safeguard and promote the rights of
women. This includes reviewing policies that are gender biased. This should be done in parliaments

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  Education and training – People should be taught on the bad effects of gender bias. Education
empowers those who suffer biases especially women to acquire status, decision making skills and
economic freedom. It also help men and women to have positive beliefs and attitudes about gender.
 Normative active or affirmative action – Normative action is a discrimination which is carried out
deliberately in order to reverse a negative trend. The underprivileged sex is specifically offered
opportunities in the non-traditional roles
e.g. offering a job to a woman provided all candidates for the position are similarly qualified.
 Eradicating cultural practices which influence gender bias – there is need to end retrogressive
cultural practices that fuel gender biases e.g. forced/arranged marriages, widow cleansing.

UNIT 8 – NATIONAL IDENTITY

National identity is the sense of belonging to one‟s nation or country.

Types of National identities

There are three main types of national identities.

1. Single National identity

 This is the one held by a person who owes his or her allegiance to one nation only.
 Any person holding single citizenship has this type of national identity
2. Dual National identity
 This is the one held by an individual who belongs to two countries.
 It applies to those holding a dual citizenship
 It also applies to those whose nation state is within another country e.g. Scotland (nation-state) in
Britain state. Therefore, a Scottish citizen has both Scottish national identity and a British
national identity
3. Sub-state national identity
 This is one held by an individual who belongs to a nation-state that is within another state
 e.g. English national identity, Welsh national identity and Scottish national identity are sub state
national identities in Britain. Similarly Ohio national identity and Michigan national identity are
sub-state national identities in the USA
 in other words, every British or American citizen has two national identities. One is for the state
in which he/she is a citizen and another for the country

Importance of national identity

 it fosters sense of pride, loyalty and patriotism to the country
 it promotes unity and oneness among people across tribal or ethnic divide

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 Identity documents
An identity document is any document used to verity details of an individual‟s personal identity
1. National identity card
 it is an identification card that a citizen is issued with and he /she is required to carry as a means
of identification
 The National Registration Bureau (NRB) is responsible for issuing this type of card
2. Passport
 It is a document that is issued by the government through the Immigration department for the
purpose of international travel to certify identity and nationality
 A passport holder is easily identified in a foreign country
3. Driver’s licence
 It is an officer document which allows a person to drive the car on the road
 It is also used as form of identification in absence of other identity documents
4. Employee identity card
 It is an official document which is used to identify employees of an organisation or company
 The employer issues it to its individual employees

Vital Registration
 This is a record of very important acts and events that countries keep about their citizens.
 Vital acts and events have something to do with an individual‟s entrance and exit from life e.g.
birth, death, marriage etc
 Vital registration is also referred to Civil registration

Vital registration and their importance

1. National identity registration
This is registration of citizens for the purposes of issuing National identity cars so that they can be
easily identified as a genuine citizen. The body which is responsible for this is the National
Registration Bureau (NRB)..
Importance of National Identity Registration
 Helps to prevent the entry of illegal immigrants
 It provides authenticity (truthfulness) of citizenship of a person
 It helps to identify real beneficiaries of relief items during disaster
 It helps to identify beneficiaries for national programs such as a Farm Input Subsidy Program
(FISP)
 It provides every citizen with an identification to access services in bank and other institutions
 It provides identification in circumstances such as death and accidents

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  It makes it easy to prevent foreigners from unfairly benefiting from national social services such
as health and education
2. Marriage registration
Registering of marriages is done at the church, mosque, magistrate court, Registrar General‟s
offices, District Councils. The newly-weds are issued with a marriage certificate.
Importance of Marriage registration
 It makes it easy to know the number of households to receive relief items
 Government is able to estimate the number of household to benefit from its programmes
 Government can easily plan for national development e.g. additional schools, clinics etc
3. Birth registration
This is registering newly born babies in hospitals, clinics etc. The information is sent to the District
Commissioners office to issue a certificate of the child. The information recorded includes: sex,
date and place of birth, etc.
Importance of Birth registration
 It provides evidence which helps to curb cheating cases in activities such as sports
 It helps with information which can help to curb child trafficking
 It provides evidence of one’s citizenship when applying for other important documents such as
passport or national identity
 It provides important information on population changes for government to appropriately plan
for national development.
4. Death registration
Deaths are registered in the hospitals, mosques and churches. Information of the death
certificate include date and place of death, cause of death etc.
Importance of Death Registration
 It provides information on major causes and frequency of death in society
 It helps government to know the types and quantities of drugs to be supplied in hospitals
 It helps government and other stakeholders to find ways of dealing with the causes of death in
society
5. Voter registration
It is a requirement that a person eligible to vote, registers before he/she is entitled or permitted to vote.
Importance of Voter registration
 It helps to prevent those who do not qualify
 Helps to ensure that all eligible voters cast their votes
 It helps to ensure that nobody votes more than once in an election

6. Business registration
Once a business is registered, a business license or permit is issued.

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 Importance of Business registration
 Government is able to keep a record of type and sizes of business operations in the country
 It is easy for government to estimate the amount of tax revenue to be collected
 It helps government to protect local businesses from competition with foreign investors

UNIT 9 - CIVIC RIGHTS, DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF A CITIZEN

Civic rights are rights and privileges that are enjoyed by citizens of a particular county

Civic rights enjoyed by Malawian citizens

 Right to vote – once they have attained 18 years
 Right to form or join a political party – participating in activities of a political party and
recruiting members of the party
 Freedom of movement and residence – free to move and reside anywhere in Malawi
 Right to protection – security for their life and property within or outside the country
 Right to stand for public office – e.g. as an MP at 21 years, as a president at 35 years of age
 Right to social services – e.g. clean and safe water, health, education, good roads
 Right to economic welfare – earn a living and support themselves through business or employment
 Right to participation in civic affairs – right to be informed what is going on in the country, join
any voluntary group
 Right to equality – not to be discriminated

Civic rights and the role of government

What the government does in making sure that citizens enjoy their civic rights

Right to clean environment

 Making laws aimed at protecting the environment
 Provide awareness to citizens on the need to protect the environment from degration
Right to good health : Government to source money to:
 Train medical professionals
 Build hospitals
 Buy drugs
Right to vote : government to
 Hold regular, free and fair elections
 Provide resources for civic education to teach citizens on how to vote in elections

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 Right to protection : government to establish
 Police service, courts to protect justice
 The defence force to protect the nation for external threats
 Diplomatic offices where Malawians can seek protection while in these foreign countries
 Immigration offices where citizens are provided with travel documents such as passports
Right to economic welfare
 Government to see to it that citizens have priority over non-citizens in any business or employment
opportunity

Civic duties and responsibilities of citizens

A duty – anything citizens are obliged to do by law or by being in charge of something.
E.g. paying taxes. Failure to carry out a duty results in punishment e.g. arrest, fine
A responsibility – it is something done out of free will and commitment. It is also a moral obligation
to do something for the good of oneself and others e.g. participating in community development.
Failure to do one‟s responsibility may not necessarily result in punishment but may retard/slow
development

Civic duties and responsibilities of citizens

 Respect – a responsible citizen has respect for other people
 Tolerance – he/she has to recognise/appreciate beliefs and practices of other people
 Co-operation – a good citizen need to work with others in community development projects
 Loyalty – a good citizen needs to abide by the laws of the country
 Looking after the family
 Take care of their life
 Obey the law
 Paying taxes and rates

Responsible citizenship
Responsible citizenship is the enjoyment of one‟s civic rights as a citizen while fulfilling your duties
and responsibility

Importance of responsible citizenship

 Promote unity
 Promote peace
 Promote good health
 Promote sense of law abiding
 Promotes collective ownership of resources
 Resources benefit everybody regardless of status
 Promote development

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 UNIT 10 – CONSTITUTION

 It is a set of rules governing a country

 It is document that describes how a country should be governed

The constitution :
 Defines how government will operate
 Provides government powers and limits on the use of those powers
 Describes how positions in government should be filled e.g. by election, by appointment
 Describes relationship between branches of government
 Describes who a citizen is and how citizenship is acquired
 Gives guide to other institutions e.g. schools, NGOs

Types of constitutions
 Written constitution
 Unwritten constitution

Written (or documentary) constitution

 A book or document that contains all rules governing a country
 All rules are in one book
 Malawi, USA, Canada, Australia, Kenya, Zambia have written constitutions
Strengths or Advantages of Written (or documentary) constitution
 Provides legal guidance to government to which it can refer to run its affairs without making
mistakes
 Easy for government and public to check operations and performance of government
 Acts as guide in drafting constitutions of political parties and organisations
 Government departments are aware of each other‟s roles
Weaknesses or Disadvantages of Written (or documentary) constitution
 Lack of flexibility for those who want to interpret in a given situation
 They are not easy to amend or remove authoritarians (strong ruler)
 Some rights conflict with those in the Bill of rights thereby causing disputes

Unwritten (or non-documentary or uncodified) constitution

 The rules are derived from different sources e.g. case laws, Acts of Parliament, authoritative books
written by law experts, customs
 Great Britain, Israel, San Mario, New Zealand have this type of constitution
Strengths or Advantages of Unwritten (or non-documentary) constitution
 They are flexible to interpretation by judges
 Are adaptable and change to deal with present situation

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 Weaknesses or Disadvantages of Unwritten (or non-documentary) constitution
 It is not easy to make reference since they are not contained in one book. Government may
therefore go astray in its operations
 It is difficult to check if rules of constitution are being observed

Common features of a constitution

 It is regarded as superior/supreme (most important) to all laws of a country
 Lay down rules for becoming a citizen of a country
 Constitutional disputes are settled in court of law
 It describes a country‟s state e.g. Republic, federation or Monarchy
 Gives government organs their powers and limits
 Describes how positions in government should be filled
 Describes methods used to make laws

How constitutions are made

Countries develop their constitutions in the following ways :
 Unwritten constitution develops spontaneously (naturally) over long period of time
 It is written when nations are created
 Undemocratic constitutions are written by small groups of people. These do not require a lot of
resources and time. However, they are not widely accepted by people
 When there is a revolution change (e.g. a great political change) in a nation.
 Involvement of many people from different backgrounds (broad based support). This takes a lot of
time and resources but it is widely accepted. This is done by :
i. Constitutional conventions – holding large meetings
ii. Constitutional commission/committee – a small group holding meetings
iii. Negotiations of political parties – different political parties forward their ideas

Other sources apart from constitutional meetings are :

 Statutes – laws passed in parliament
 Conventions – established rules controlling political behaviour in a country or informal
agreements between nations
 Judicial decisions – decisions by judges
 Treaties – formal agreements between two or more countries

Principles to be followed when drafting a constitution

 Understanding the needs of the people
 Fit the needs of the people who will use it
 Include items of permanent nature
 Grant equal rights to all
 Include workable provisions for amendments

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 Factors that influence changes in the constitution
 Political e.g. change in system of government, review of powers, change in political ideologies
 Social e.g. changing voting age from 21 to 18 years
 Economic e.g. liberalisation - where trade changes from nationalisation to privatisation

Procedures for amending the constitution

 The proposed changes need to be supported by a majority of people through referendum
 If the change affects rights of people it is done through a referendum
 Parliament passes a bill of an amendment that has gone through referendum. It required 2/3 of
the National Assembly to vote
 Rigid constitutions can be amended through Special conventions

UNIT 11 - CONSTITUTION OF THE REPUBLIC OF MALAWI

Main features of the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi

 It is supreme. All other laws in Malawi should conform to it
 It determines the sovereignty of the state of Malawi
 It describes the national territory of the Republic of Malawi
 It safeguards and protects the freedoms of the people of Malawi through Bill of Rights
 It derives its authority from the people of Malawi
 It is legally protected by the Courts
 It describes powers, limits, duties and responsibilities, codes of conduct of the president, cabinet
ministers, Members of Parliament and all officers of various government institutions

National Symbols of the Republic of Malawi

A symbol is something that stands for or represents an ideas, quality or a condition. Malawi national
symbols include all the ideas, quality or conditions that represent the whole nation.
The symbols:
 Are a sign of sovereignty (independence) of the nation
 Give citizens a feeling of belonging (patriotism)
 Promote unity within cultural diversity

The National symbols of Malawi include :

1. National flag
 Have horizontal bands of colours : black, red and green with rising sun super imposed on the
black stripe

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  Black symbolises people of Africa, the rising sun represents dawn of freedom, red represents
blood shed by Malawians and other African nations in the struggle for freedom, green stands
for ever green nature of Malawi.
 Between 2010 – 2012 it was changed to red, black and green with a full sun in white.
 It was replaced by the original flag in 2012
2. National Coat of Arms
 It has an insignia, crown, helmet and helmet cover
 A motto “Unity and Freedom”
 It is used on government official paper
 It has rising sun on top and bottom of shield
 The fish, eagle and wavy band stand for Lake Malawi
 A lion and leopard guard the crest
3. Public Seal
 It is an official stamp in the President’s office
 It stamps very important documents e.g. parliament bills
 It certifies legal documents e.g. death certificate issued by Registrar General
 It depicts a coat of arms with words “Republic of Malawi” around it
4. The National Anthem
 It is a National hymn and prayer
 A patriotic song sung at public meetings e.g. school assembly, international sporting
activities
 It was composed by Michael Fredrick Lawrence Sauka. Sauka died in 1989.
5. Independence Day for Malawi
 It falls on 6th July and Malawians celebrate their independence from colonial rule
6. The Constitution of the Republic of Malawi
 It gives a feeling that we belong to a nation with common values

Basic Principles of the Constitution of the Republic of Malawi

1. Lawful Authority
Through the constitution, the people of Malawi entrust certain persons to exercise powers
to run the affairs of government lawfully
2. The Will of the People
The people of Malawi gave the state the legal and political authority to serve and protect the
interests of the people
3. Trust into the Government
The authority to rule lasts as long as the people trust those in authority. It can be maintained
through transparency, openness and accountability
4. Universal Suffrages
It is the right to vote. The authority to govern is expressed through voting in regular, free and fair
elections.
5. National Policy

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 Refers to government commitment to promote and improve welfare of people by addressing
issues like education, environment, good governance
6. Rule of Law
Everyone must obey the law. The constitution applies equally to all citizens regardless of status,
position, race
7. Supremacy of the constitution
Supremacy is show in a number of ways e.g.
 Constitutions stresses all other laws must conform to it
 All laws derive their validity from it
 Provisions in constitution must take priority over any other provisions
 An Act or law that is inconsistent or not in agreement with constitution must be made
invalid

Principal Organs of Government

The three main branches are :
1. The Executive
 It is composed of the President, Vice President, Cabinet Ministers, Attorney General and
Director of Public Prosecutions
 It is responsible for initiation of policies, legislation and implementation of laws.
2. The Legislature
 It is made up of State President, and the National Assembly
 The National Assembly is composed of Speaker, Deputy Speakers, Members of Parliament,
Clerk of Parliament and other staff
 Their duty is to enact laws
3. The Judiciary
 It is made up of courts of laws and judicial officers e.g. Chief Justice, Judges, Magistrates
 It interprets, protects and enforces the constitution
 It works independently without influence of any other person or authority

Major changes of the Malawi Constitution since 1961

Between 1963 and 1971, there were constitutional changes. Among them were:
 Constitutional changes in 1964 made Nyasaland to become independent under a new name Malawi
 The constitutional changes in 1966 gave Malawi a Republican constitution
 Making the term of office of the president for life through the Annual Convention of the Malawi
Congress Party in 1970
 Increasing the number of constituencies from 50 to 60
 Granting of powers to the president to appoint members of parliament

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 Between 1993 and 1995 there were constitution changes which highlight the :
 Introduction of multiparty democracy following a referendum which was held on 14 June 1993 and
presidential and parliamentary general election on 17 May 1994
 Inclusion of the Bill of Rights in the constitution
 Supremacy of the constitution
 Holding regular, free and fair elections
 Separation of powers of the president over the state and government
 Lowering of voting age from 21 years to 18 years
 Independence of the judiciary
 Respect for the rule of law

UNIT 12 - PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE

 It is living together in peace rather than constant hostility

 People of different backgrounds (e.g. race, education, religion) living together without causing
trouble
 It also refers to competition without war

History of peaceful co-existence in Malawi

 It dates back to the first century AD (Anno-Domini). AD means “in the year of our Lord” when
people from different ethnic backgrounds started migrating into the country
 The earliest inhabitants of Malawi were proto-chews group known as abathwa, akafula or
Mwandionelapati.
 Despite having different backgrounds they have co-existed peacefully

Factors contributing to Peaceful Co-existence

 Humanity – understand and treat each other nicely regardless of their differences
 Tolerance – accepting that differences are normal and have to live together despite different views
 Education - it helps to understand each other better
 Religion – its acts as a unifying factor among people of different backgrounds
 Presence of stable central government – encourages peaceful co-existence as it enforces laws that
govern all people
 Intermarriages – it also helps to unite people from different backgrounds
 Shared historical background – sharing similar historical experiences e.g. being colonised by
same masters, fighting together for independence)
 Interdependence – in terms of trade, etc as no one can depend on oneself
 Other factors – language, music and dance, rituals, moral values, occupations etc

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 Importance of peaceful co-existence
It promotes :
 Socio-economic development of community and country
 Tranquillity (peace) among people
 Patriotism and maintenance of people and development
 It helps to avoid conflicts that may result in a major civil war.
 It encourages the appreciation and sharing of knowledge among people from difference
backgrounds

UNIT 13 - CONFLICTS
Every person is different from another in terms of likes/dislikes, sizes, religious beliefs etc. These
differences can lead to conflicts.
 A conflict is defined as misunderstanding or disagreement or quarrel between two persons or
groups of people
 A conflict can be violent or non-violent in nature
 Some conflicts affect families, communities, nations. They can also affect one or more geographical
regions.

Types of conflicts
1. Political conflicts
 They occur between two political parties or groups as well as individuals mainly because
they have different political ideas or just because they belong to different camp or party
 They are also fuelled by the desire for power and control over public resources
2. Social conflicts
 Occur between social groups such as ethnic, racial, sex as a result of one group being
unfairly treated.
 Happen when one group is excluded from power and therefore having no control and access
to resources.
3. Religious conflicts
 Occur between groups of different religious beliefs
 They are influenced by religious intolerance
4. Economic conflicts
 They occur between groups of people over resources whose use can generate income for
owners. E.g. land, raw materials, minerals

Causes of conflicts
1. Land disputes
 Disagreements over land may cause conflict among people within a family, community or
nation. These may result into violent clashes.
 Limited resources in general put pressure on society resulting in scramble for resources
thereby building tension and causing conflicts

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 2. Religious Differences
 Result from differing values, goals which affect values beliefs , priorities
 Conflicts arise when people have a belief that their religion is the true faith
 In Nigeria constant fights happen between Christian and moslems (led by Boko Haram)
3. Political differences (Differences in political ideologies)
 In a country with two or more parties, party groups are bound to collide due to having
different ideas/views on how to run a country
 In Malawi, these conflicts are common during election campaign between party followers
4. Economic and social differences
 Occur when groups or individuals feel exploited by others
 Occur when groups of people lack same opportunities
 Occur when there is inequality of control of resources, ownership with one group that is
dominant having advantages over the others
 Imbalances between the rich and the poor lead to resentment (anger) which results in
conflicts
 Economic resources such as raw materials lead to conflicts e.g. in DRC, Angola, Sudan
conflicts broke because of mineral resources
5. Cultural differences (Ethnic Rivarly)
 Result from differences in cultural beliefs, values, traditions
 May also result from discrimination of a tribe, race e.g. Hutus and /Tutsis in both Rwanda
and Burundi
6. Gender inequality
 Unfair treatment to people due to differences in sex e.g. giving people different
opportunities, rights, respect based on sex

Effects of National Conflicts

Conflicts have negative effects on individuals, the family, community and the nation as a whole. These
may include :

1. Famine
 Conflicts that lead to war force civilians off their farms. The farms may be neglected or
destroyed
 This leads to no or low food production and leading to scarcity of food, malnutrition,
epidemics
 E.g. in Angola, DRC, Sudan, Somalia many children, women, old people have died
2. Destruction of life and property (infrastructure)
 Violence results into wounding and death of people e.g. in Rwanda, Burundi
 Violence also results in destruction of property e.g. homes, health facilities, roads, bridges

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 3. State of insecurity
 People live in fear due to lack of peace
 Slow or no investment as investors fear losing their property, money
 Lack of investment leads to lack of jobs (unemployment)
 Unemployment results into corruption, armed robberies, prostitution
4. Refugee problem (displacement of people)
 People run away from their war torn countries
 Refugees affect the environment and development of host country
 Increased armed robberies and insecurity due to smuggled firearms
 Pollution of environment due to overcrowding
 Refugees experience problems such as scarcity of food, lack of clean water, loss of property,
sexual abuse
5. Violation of Human Rights
 In conflicts people are unable to express their views freely
 People are not able to earn a living
 Soldiers take advantage of the situation and sexually harass people
 Young children are used as soldiers
6. Epidemics
 Violent conflicts encourage outbreak of epidemics e..g cholera, diarrhoea due to destruction
of health facilities
Note:
 conflicts may arise as a result of wishing to change for the better
 Therefore, it can result into better relationships, change, redistribution of resources
 e.g. in 1992 conflicts led to national strike leading to referendum and multiparty politics in Malawi

UNIT 14 - PERSONAL FINANCE MANAGEMENT

Budget
 a plan for your future income and expenditures that you can use as a guideline for spending and
saving
 Putting money into an asset with expectation of capital appreciation, interest or dividends

A budget is based on income of an individual, family, organisation, the number of people budgeted
for, time and fixed expenses incurred.

The process of creating a sound budget calls for the following considerations

1. Add up your income (total amount of money available)

 Include all sources of income e.g. salary, spouse income

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 2. Estimate expenses
 Prepare a list of your needs in order of priority
 Divide the spending into fixed expenses (those payments that do not change much e.g. rent,
utility bills) and flexible expenses (those that change from time to time)
3. Figure out the difference
 Subtract total expenses from total monthly income
 A positive figure shows you are spending less than what you earn and you can therefore save
or invest the surplus
 A negative figure shows you are spending more than your income and therefore calls for
reduction of expenses to live within your means or try to increase your income
4. Decide how much to save
 Consider savings as a fixed expense so that you save every month
 Savings help in emergencies e.g. funerals, child birth, visitors
5. Track your budget over time to make sure you are sticking to it
 Revisit your budget to see what works for you if you find that you are not able to follow it
successfully

Importance of budgeting
It helps a person to
 know how he/she spends his/her money
 decide on priorities and what needs to be changed
 plan on how to use his/her money in future
 control his or her finances
 achieve financial goals
 meet his or her monthly savings goal
 identify wasteful expenditure
 reduce stress in time of emergencies

Savings
 it is part of a person‟s income that is not spent
 it is money that is set aside for future use
Savings take the form of bank deposits, securities or cash holdings

Types of savings
There are three (3) major types of savings
1. Short – term savings (accumulation fund)
 help people to live within their means as they plan to make purchases or save for vacations
 the savings can be used to build up enough cash for down payment on a car etc

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  people are able to reach their goals within a few months of few years
 it helps to avoid being in debts and paying interest on the debt
2. Long – term savings
 the goal is for many years
 it is meant for family security, inheritance and retirement, education for children in future
 special investment accounts for retirement and college savings can help you reach your
goals
3. Emergency savings
 it is a reserve fund set aside for unexpected expenses e.g. medical, funeral
 it helps to pay for unpleasant surprises without relying on credit
 the reserve fund should be placed where the money can easily be accessible and converted to
cash without paying for early withdrawal penalty.

Types of savings institutions (Institutions where people can save money)

There are three (3) main types of institutions where people can save money in Malawi. These are
Commercial Banks, Savings and Credit Co-operatives (SACCOs) and Deposit Taking Microfinance
Institutions (DTM)
1. Commercial Banks
 they pay less interest but are the most convenient and safe of the three
 examples of Commercial banks in Malawi include ; First Merchant Bank (FMB), Standard
Bank, FDH Bank, NBS Bank etc
2. Credit Unions
 they are substitutes to banks and are safe
 they are owned and governed by its members
 they offer slightly higher interest rate
 they are non-profit co-operative organisations organised for specific groups of people
 they provide loans to their members at reasonable interest rate
 e.g. Mudi Teachers‟ SACCO
3. Deposit Taking Microfinance Institutions (DTM)
 It is a micro-finance that has capability to offer savings and wealth creation products to the
market as well as lend to consumers who require credit at an interest
 E.g. FINCA, CARE-Malawi, Concern Universal, Small Enterprises Development
Organisation of Malawi (SEDOM), World Vision
4. Village Savings and Loans Groups (VSL Group)
 They are sustainable and low-cost options and an alternative to the formal microfinance
institutions
 Transactions for the group are carried out when all members are available
 It is a self-selected group of people who bring their own surplus money in a fund from
which members borrow with interest

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  The group meets on regular basis as decided by members
 However, it is risky business as it is subject to theft or fire because the money is kept at
home

Importance of savings
1. To save money for emergencies
 An emergency fund should be 3 to 6 months of your expenses
 It helps in time of emergencies such as sudden job loss, unexpected car repair, medical
expense
 It helps to avoid going into debt
2. To prepare for life after work (retirement)
 Savings provide with a steady source of funding when you retire so that you live a
comfortable life
3. To save for a house purchase
 The savings can be used as down-payment for a house
4. To save for vacations
 It helps you to a person to tour places of interest
 It helps to buy items of interest during vacations or holidays
5. To save for a new car
 It can be used to buy a car with cash
 It is also easier to negotiate the car price if you are willing to pay cash
6. To save for sinking funds
 A sinking fund is money set aside for future repairs or improvements on a car, home or
possessions
 It helps to avoid taking money from an emergency fund every time a person wants to fix his
or her car
7. To save for your education
 It helps a person who wishes to go for further education

Investment
 It involves committing money to buy financial instruments (e.g. Treasury Bills) or other assets in
order to gain profitable returns in the form of interest, income, appreciation (increase) of value.
 Financial assets/instruments include: shares, bonds, Treasury Bills, Treasury Notes which can be
invested through Reserve Bank of Malawi
 A person can also invest by setting up his or her own business e.g. shop, hawker, restaurant, a farm
 A person can also invest in precious metals e.g. gold, silver
 A person can also invest in real property e.g. a house

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 Importance of investing
 Enables your money work for you e.g. the assets you buy increase in value
 It helps to grow your money rather than shrink; thereby maintaining its buying power.
 It helps in time of risks and uncertainities
 It helps to prepare for the future e.g. when one retires he enjoys money from the investments

The disadvantages of investing in shares

 There is a risk of loss if the market price goes down because you end up selling your share at a
lower price compared to the issuing price (the price at which the share was bought initially)
 It requires knowledge about financial products, markets and economies

UNIT 15 - POPULATION GROWTH AND RESOURCES IN THE ENVIRONMENT

Resources are things found in the environment that are used by people to satisfy their needs and wants.
E.g. soil, water, minerals

Classification of resources in the environment

There are 3 types of resources in the environment. These are Human resources, Natural resources and
Material resources

1. Natural Resources
 The things in the environment that are not made by human beings
 The things provided by nature
 E.g. land, sunlight, water, air, minerals, wildlife, human beings
Natural resources can be grouped into Renewable and Non-renewable resources
i. Renewable resources are those resources that are capable of renewing or replacing
themselves with time; either through biological production or other human assisted
processes. E.g. water, trees, wildlife
ii. Non-renewable resources are those that do not replace themselves. They can
completely vanish. E.g. minerals (e.g. gold), natural gas
2. Material (artificial) resources
 These are resources which have been made by human beings mainly from natural resources
 E.g. clay pots, furniture, clothes, infrastructure such as buildings, communication lines;
social services, such as schools, markets, clinics
3. Human resources
 They are composed of human beings (male and female)

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  These resources include skills, capabilities, knowledge, human health, energy, attitude

Effects of Rapid (fast) population growth on resources

The resources are limited in supply and as the population increases it puts pressure on the resources.
Therefore, if the resources are overused or mismanaged they can become
: Depleted, Degraded or even Extinct
 Degradation –the act of damaging or ruining or deteriorating the quality of something
 Depletion – reduction in the number or quantity of something
 Extinction – a situation in which something no longer exists. Or the act of ending existence of
plant/animals

Effects of population growth on resources

Some effects of population growth include the following :

 Deforestation leaves mountains and other areas bare. This leads to scarcity of trees, wild fruits, wild
animals etc
 Destruction of water catchment area resulting into silting of rivers, lakes
 Destruction of fish breeding areas and animal habitat through encroachment of game reserves or
parks
 Overfishing and poaching resulting in disappearing of other species of fish and animals
 Limited land for cultivation leading to loss of soil fertility and use of marginal land for cultivation
 Famine or inadequate food supply leading to malnutrition, death and diseases
 Pollution of land, air and water leading to diseases like cholera as well as depletion of ozone layer
 Shortage of employment (unemployment)
 Pressure on social services e.g. schools, hospitals
 Low living standards of people
 Creation of squatter settlements due to lack of housing in designated areas

Importance of Resources
Each of the resources is important in its own way .

Material Resources
They improve quality of life by providing :
 Social services e.g. education, health, security, communication and transport
 Goods from raw materials such as cotton, minerals, water, maize
 Infrastructure such as power lines, roads, telephone lines and buildings

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 Human Resources
 Provide labour (skilled and unskilled)
 Provide skills, capabilities, knowledge
 Contribute to national development

Natural Resources
 Provide and support living things e.g. land as a habitat
 Provide raw materials e.g. animal skin
 Provide food for plants, animals and people
 Are sources of fuel and power (energy) e.g. water, sunlight, coal
 Source of income
 Protect water catchment areas
 Provide concoctions for medicinal use e.g. herbs
 Attract tourist as they provide scenic beauty (views)
 Balance ecosystems (plants, animals and people with their surroundings)

Citizens Responsibility towards resources

 Resources are limited in supply. Therefore, they must be managed properly. Destruction of
resources result in high levels of poverty, illiteracy, lack of sense of responsibility and ownership.
 Each citizen, therefore, has a responsibility over resources in the form of :
a) Care of the social services. Citizens should not vandalise schools, bus shelters etc
b) Conservation of resources by properly using and managing them to prevent global warming
and climate change. This results into dry spells, flush floods etc
c) Afforestation – citizens should think of ways how to deal with deforestation
d) Participating in community projects e.g. by giving ideas during resource management
meetings, making financial and material contributions
e) Environmental education – people need to be taught on use of environmental resources and
about importance of the resources
f) Citizens need to practice family planning to control population growth
g) Citizens need to conduct income generating activities to eradicate poverty in so doing fight
deforestation.
h) People should be taught on sustainable agricultural practices to control degradation of soil e.g.
avoid overstocking, over grazing, practice crop rotation

UNIT 16 - MORAL AND ETHICAL CODES OF CONDUCT

Morals
 are standards of behaviour
 are principles of right or wrong
 are standards of right behaviour

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 Ethics
 are rules of conduct for a particular profession or group of people
 are behaviours that conform to ethics of a particular group or profession e.g. teaching, nursing
Code of conduct
 is a set of rules that guide the behaviour of people in given situations which requires them to choose
between right and wrong behaviour
 is a set of rules about how one behaves
Moral Action
 is any action that agrees with standards of right behaviour
Morality
 is a system of conduct that includes principles of right and wrong
Values
 are things we believe in and uphold
Moral values
 are ideas which guide people to choose right behaviour

Factors that shape a personal moral code of conduct

People need a personal moral code of conduct to make informed decisions. A personal moral code of
conduct is shaped by different factors as follows :
a) Family values
 What every family values is passed on to children and the rest of the members
 If a family values education all members work hard to become educated so that the
standards are maintained
b) Rules of organisation
 Organisations such as schools have rules to be followed by students
 Individuals incorporate rules of the organisation they belong in to shape their personal moral
code of conduct
c) Cultural values
 They help one to fit in a society e.g. in Malawi we value humility, kindness, respect for
elders.
d) Religious Teaching
 Followers of a religion observe moral teachings contained in the holy books
 E.g. Christians follow moral teachings from the Bible and Moslems from the Quran
e) Personal values and goals
 A good personal moral code of conduct need to incorporate your aims and aspirations in life
 Personal values (preferences on what is good) and goals determine the moral choices that
individuals make in their life

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 Moral and Ethical Codes of conduct at home and school
 Respect  Fairness  Respect for truth
 punctuality  Self-discipline  good health
 faithfulness  responsibility  Acceptable dress code
 Honesty  Justice  Distinguishing right
 obedience  loyalty from wrong
 self-respect  tolerance

Importance of practicing good moral and ethical code of conduct at home or school
 It fosters orderliness at various occasions such as when queuing for a particular service
 It promotes peace leading to unity and tolerance
 It promotes good health since a person does not engage in risky behaviour
 It fosters love among people
 It fosters personal progress

Social problems at home and school

The common social problems in our society are : Rebelliousness, rape, teasing, teenage pregnancy,
abortion, indiscipline, abuse of children, sexual harassment, lack of respect, drunkenness and
vandalism.
a) Indiscipline
 This results into rebellion. Some cases of indiscipline include children being unruly to
parents, elders and teachers, teachers absconding classes, absenteeism
b) Rebellion
 Conflicts resulting from differences in interests, beliefs or opinions lead to rebellion.
 Rebellion leads to violence. Violent behaviour often results in injury to people and
destruction of property
c) Sexual harassment
 Most victims of sexual harassment are girls
 Some are raped and risk getting unwanted pregnancies, contracting STIs, shock
d) Teenage pregnancy
 Premarital sex results into teenage pregnancies among girls
 Pregnancies lead to dropping out of school, death of mother or child, inadequate parental
care for the child.
e) Abortion
 Teenagers resort to abortion for fear of parenthood, parental disapproval, expulsion from
school
 Abortion may lead to suffering or death of the girl, psychological pressure, economic strain
on the family.

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 f) Child abuse
 Cases include corporal punishment, child labour, defilement, neglect
g) Drunkenness
 Excessive drinkers are unproductive and a nuisance to the community
 Students who drink disturb other students, damage school property, absent from school
 It also leads to dismissal from school and retards development.

Causes of social problems at home and In school

a) orphanhood
 Orphans lack basic needs, parental care, love and guidance
 This may lead to engage in risky behaviour e.g. theft, prostitution.
b) poverty
 It leads to risky behaviours such as theft and prostitution in order to get basic needs
 Some abuse drugs and substances thinking it may help to forget their condition
c) peer pressure
 It influences girls and boys to do certain things
 E.g. premarital sex, drinking beer, smoking in order to be accepted by friends and make
them happy
d) frustration
 It is a state of being disappointed, dissatisfied, annoyed for failure to fulfil one’s wishes or
achieve something.
 If not handled properly frustration may influence drug and substance abuse, smoking and
beer drinking.
e) ignorance
 Some girls and boys get involved in bad behaviour because they lack information on the bad
effects
f) drunkenness
 Some people are violent when drunk
 Students that are drunk vandalise school property and create an environment that is not
conducive for others to learn
g) influence of the media
 Videos, magazines, newspapers, internet and radio expose boys and girls to foreign and
uncensored cultural materials
 Young people may copy these behaviours which dilute the moral values of our society.

Effects of moral degradation (Breakdown of moral values

 Increased spread of STIs and HIV/AIDS
 Breakdown of law and order

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  Rise in crime rate
 Rise in cases of women and child abuse
 Vandalism of public and private property
 Leads to suffering and death
 Sterility or barrenness
 Leads to sexual harassment
 Communication breakdown between the older generation and the new generation thereby creating
chaos
 Prostitution
 Slow development

Ways of preventing moral decay (degradation)

1. Problem solving and decision making skills
 It helps to make sound and informed decisions
 It helps to make better choices in life by weighing consequences
 It helps to avoid thoughtless decision that may contribute to moral decay
2. Self-discipline or self-control
 It is about exercising control over one’s behaviour and emotions
 It involves self-respect and respect for others
 It helps to prevent moral decay
3. Setting positive goals in Life
 A goal is a purpose or aim
 It helps to avoid things like early marriage, premarital sex, drug and substance abuse which
may distract you from achieving your goals
4. Assertiveness
 It involves standing by one’s opinion or decision without offending others
 An assertive person is therefore able to resist pressure, achieve goals and maintain moral
values of the society
5. Keeping busy
 Helps one to avoid getting involved in bad behaviours e.g. casual sex
 This helps to prevent moral decay
6. Obedience
 Respecting rules and advice from parents, elders and teachers
 It helps to conform to standards set by society

Human Virtues and Vices

Virtue – are desirable or good characters of a person

Vice - are undesirable or bad characters of a person

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 Examples of Virtues Examples of Vices
 Tolerance  intolerance
 Responsibility  disobedience
 Honesty  drunkenness
 Humility  arrogance
 Justice  impudence
 Self-control  greed
 Prudence  selfishness
 Charity  impatience
 Courage  cowardice
 Patience  envy
 Obedience  sexual immorality
 Generosity  cheating
 Hard work  laziness
 Love  irresponsibility
 Empathy  disrespect

Importance of virtues Disadvantages of Vices

 promotes fairness and equality  conflicts and wars
 promote good health  suffering and death
 promote peace, prosperity  wastage of resources
 cement friendships and marriages  poverty and lack of development
 ensure proper use of resources  breakup of marriages
 help in development  frustration, disunity, mistrust
 breakdown of law and order
 Nepotism

Ways in which virtues are developed

 Constant and persistent practice
 Associating with people of good character
 Obeying laws of organisations e.g. schools
 Seeking guidance and counselling

UNIT 17 - ADOLESCENCE AND SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT

Adolescence is a transitional period between childhood and adulthood.

Puberty is the onset of bodily changes due to secretion of hormones in the body. It is the time in life
when a boy or girl becomes sexually mature

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 Physical changes that take place in the person’s body during puberty and adolescence

Boys Girls
 Growth of facial hair (beard)  Development of breast
 Growth of armpit hair  Growth of armpit hair
 Growth of pubic hair  Growth of pubic hair
 Deepening of voice  Soft voice
 Broadening of chest and shoulders  Widening of hips
 Development of muscles  Onset of menstruation period
 Start to produce sperms  Soft skin
 Penis and testicles start to get big  May have pimples and spots on the face
 May have pimples and spots on face

Effects of physical changes on adolescents

 They cause certain emotional anxiety and embarrassment
 As the body changes it causes sexual confusion and excitement e.g. wet dreams
 Girls do not know how to handle or deal with menstruation and this also causes embarrassment.

Psychological changes in adolescents

These happen in the way boys and girls think and feel
 They develop personal values and beliefs
 Increased sensitivity to failure
 Frequent changes in their mood
 Special interest in the opposite sex
 Obsession with their physical appearance
 They want attention and appreciation
 They want to become more independent
 Sensitivity to remarks made by adults and peers about their changes or appearance

Effects of psychological changes on adolescents

 May lead to moral value breakdown
 The excitement may lead to smoking , drinking beer
 May lead to breaking down of school rules deliberately
 Having sexual intercourse leading to teenage pregnancy and STI contraction
 Rudeness, short tempered, quarrelsome

Potential opportunities of adolescents

 Being able to earn money
 Make choice to obtain further education
 Choosing friends
 Recognising their uniqueness and worthiness

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  Learning to value elders advice
 Choosing a career
 Learning useful skill

Challenges of adolescents
 Peer pressure
 Sexual desires
 Parents and teachers expectations
 Personal goals and needs

Adolescents need problem solving and decision making skills to deal with the opportunities and
challenges that come their way.

Importance of sound decision making, assertiveness and self-esteem

 Help to set realistic goals and to be able to achieve them
 To choose friends wisely
 To contribute positively to home, school and community
 To resist peer pressure
 To avoid making decisions without considering the effects
 To take pieces of advice and also be able to counsel others
 To be able to cope with stressful situations

Responsible adolescence and interpersonal relationships

 Interpersonal relationship refers to how people interact or relate to each other.
 Responsible conduct promotes good interpersonal relationships
 Responsible adolescence in interpersonal relationships helps to enhance mutual trust, co-operation,
mutual support, respect, tolerance etc

Characteristics of responsible adolescence in interpersonal relationships

 Receptive to guidance and counselling
 Promotion of spirit of brotherhood or sisterhood
 Is able to control his/her sexual desire
 Makes good choice of peers
 Observes norms and values of the society
 Takes care of public property
 Exercises control over his or her emotions

Effects of responsible adolescence in interpersonal relationship

 It promotes mutual trust and respect
 It promotes good health
 It creates a morally clean society
 It helps to avoid teenage pregnancies

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  It promotes tolerance and co-existence
 It enables one to make well thought decisions

Effects of Irresponsible adolescence

 It leads to spread of STIs and HIV/AIDS
 Vandalism of public and private property
 Increase in crime rate and general state of insecurity
 Increase in school drop out
 Lack of mutual trust, respect and tolerance
 It leads to conflicts an domestic violence
 Increase in cases of teenage pregnancy

Ways of avoiding irresponsible adolescence

 Being obedient to parents, elders and those in authority such as teachers
 Making use of problem solving and decision making skills
 Being assertive to resist peer pressure
 Seeking guidance and counselling
 Proper planning of one‟s leisure time
 Getting busy with positive things such as sporting activities, games and reading God‟s word

UNIT 18 - GOOD HEALTH HABITS

Good personal hygiene practices

a) Taking a bath with soap regularly

 To remove dirt, body odour, germs that cause diseases
 It helps to look attractive
b) Washing dirty clothes
 Helps to look neat and attractive
 Helps to avoid harbouring lice
c) Brushing teeth after meal
 Using toothbrush helps prevent tooth decay
 Using soft and appropriate bristle toothbrush helps to remove food particles between teeth
 Tooth decay result in bad breath
d) Combing hair and keeping it to right size
 Helps to look neat and presentable
e) Cleaning genitals
 It helps to remove dirt to prevent infections
 It helps to remove bad smell

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 f) Eating a variety of good foods
 It helps to have a healthy body
 Eating fibre helps to remove solid waste
 Eat the right amount of food (not too much or too little)
g) Drinking plenty of clean water
 The body needs water to function properly

Ways of keeping the surrounding clean

 Planting flowers and grass
 Slashing grass around premises
 Picking up and disposing litter into rubbish bins or pits
 Sweeping outside premises
 Avoid urinating in public places e.g. on trees, wall fences
 Sweeping and dusting the inside of the house and buildings
 Mopping inside of houses and buildings
 Trimming hedges
 Removing stagnant water to prevent mosquitoes

Good health habits

Practicing good health habits helps us to avoid contracting and spreading diseases. Some of good
health habits are:
 Proper use of toilets
 Use of handkerchief
 Washing hands before eating
 Washing fruits and vegetables before eating them
 Use of rubbish pits and bins
 Seeking reliable health care information
 Practicing prevention and taking action for early detection of diseases

Ways of keeping physically fit

 Sleeping early to get enough sleep
 Doing manual work
 Doing physical exercises
 Participating in sporting activities during one‟s leisure time
 Correct posture e.g. sitting up, sleeping correctly, walking upright and fast

UNIT 19 - SOCIAL JUSTICE

 It is a principle of equality, fairness and respect for human rights of all people and the law (mostly
by institutions such as courts of law, the police and government).

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  It is about making the society more just through removal of barriers which people face because of
gender, age, race, ethnicity, religion, culture, disability, sexual orientation
 In social justice nobody feels excluded, disadvantaged or victimised in terms of opportunities and
enjoyment of human rights
 Social justice is practiced everywhere
a) In homes – parents love their children equally and give them equal opportunities regardless of
physical or mental conditions
b) In schools – fair punishments be given based on school rules, providing special assistance to
those with special needs so that they are not disadvantaged
c) In community – fair distribution of resources e.g. the FISP – Impartiality is important

Social injustice
 It is the unequal, unfair and inhuman treatment of people
 It includes unfair distribution of resources, opportunities and oppression and anything that prevents
people from realising their full potential
 It also includes any form of human rights violation
 Social injustice occurs because perpetrators (those who commit social injustices) are the
beneficiaries.

Examples of social injustice

 Poverty – the rich continue to get rich at the expense of the poor not because the poor are not
hardworking but because of systems that favour the rich
 Corruption – the poor are disadvantaged because they cannot offer anything in order to gain or
obtain favours from those in authority.
 Oppression – this happens where a person is prevented from speaking or doing something freely.
Usually the poor are victims of oppression.
 Discrimination – treating people differently because of certain characteristics e.g. race, educational
background etc. Discrimination takes place in schools, workplaces, social institutions
 Other examples of social injustices are - lack of freedom, hate crimes, slavery, bullying,
nepotism, gender bias, parent not taking care of their own children, favouritism, tribalism

Consequences of social injustice in the home and community

 Slow pace of development
 Increased poverty and crime
 Gross violation of human rights
 Loss of trust in the local governance system
 Increased hatred and violence
 Exclusion of those who would have made significant contribution to communal welfare and
development

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 Effects of social injustice on the individual
 One has bitterness after being unfairly treated
 One may lose self-confidence
 A person may stop working hard
 A person may stop obeying rules of society and turn to crime
 A person may become worried and develop ill-health

How to eradicate (get rid of) social injustice

 Leaders should set a good example by being the first to condemn social injustice
 Civic educating people on their human rights
 Campaigning for the rights of those who cannot speak for themselves e.g. children
 Come up with strategies to end poverty
 Establishing community report centres where people can report social injustice cases
 Teaching young people high moral standards to refrain from committing social injustice
 Discouraging all cultural practices that encourage social injustice e.g. polygamy, death cleansing
 Schools should use established rules to avoid inconsistency which may lead to unfair treatment of
students

Importance of social justice in the home and community

 There is respect for human rights for all
 Family and communal resources benefit everybody
 There is peace and stability
 Everybody has the opportunity to exploit his/her full potential
 It enhances love and reduces hatred among family and community members
 It promotes people‟s trust in the local governance system
 The weak and the disadvantaged are protected from abuse and exploitation

UNIT 20 - JUDICIAL SYSTEM OF MALAWI

The judicial system in Malawi is made up of courts, laws and judges who are guided by the
constitution. Hence, they are independent from any other influence.

Structure of the Judicial System in Malawi

1. The Supreme Court of Appeal

 It is the highest court in the country which hears cases from the High court if any disputing
parties‟ is not satisfied with the judgement passed.
 Its determination is final

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 2. The High Court
 It normally handles fresh cases of both criminal and civil nature
 It also hears cases which lower courts have failed to handle
3. Industrial Courts
 It deals with labour cases or disputes
 Labour disputes may involve disagreements between employees and their employers
 Decisions made can be appealed against in the High court
4. Special Tribunals
 Are established by an Act of Parliament to deal with special matters e.g. the National
Compensation Tribunal (NCT)
 NCT handled complaints from people against the government in the one party rule and
awarded them with damages to those who had suffered
 Decision made in Special Tribunals can be appealed against in High Court
5. Magistrate Courts
This is where most cases are held. Two types of magistrate courts are :
a) Resident Magistrate
 They include Chief Resident Magistrate, Principal Resident Magistrate,
Senior Resident Magistrate and Resident Magistrate
 Resident Magistrate deals with criminal and civil cases except manslaughter, murder
and treason (a case against the state)
b) Graded Magistrate
 They are graded into First, Second, Third and Fourth Grade Magistrate
 These hear minor civil and criminal cases e.g. marriage disputes, petty theft
6. Traditional courts
 They are headed by Chiefs and they hear minor cases to do with customary law
(determination of the cases is based on culture, tradition and moral values)
 Fines that are imposed include goats, chicken etc
 It does not require trained person to preside over the case
 There is no prescribed dressing code for those presiding
 Do not require a lawyer to represent either of the two parties

Judicial Officers
1. Chief Justice
 The Chief Justice is the most senior officer and is appointed by the President
 His appointment is confirmed by the National Assembly.
 He may preside over cases in Supreme Court and High court
2. Justices of Appeal (Justices of the Supreme Court of Appeal)

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  They are appointed by the President on recommendation from Judicial Service Commission
(JSC). The JSC is chaired by the Chief Justice
 They preside over cases at Supreme court of Appeal
 An un even number of Justices (minimum of 3) hears cases and determine them by voting
3. High Court Judges
 They are appointed by the President on recommendation from JSC
 They preside over cases in High court
 Their decision can be appealed in the Supreme Court
4. Registrar of the Supreme court / Registrar of the High Court
 They perform judicial functions (assessing damages, granting injunctions, keeping roll of
legal practitioners in the country)
 They also perform administrative functions (setting dates for hearing, filing of documents
from court proceedings e.g. affidavits, statement of claim)
5. Industrial Relations Court (IRC) judges
 It is a subordinate to High Court
 They preside over cases in industrial court
 They restricted to labour disputes
 Any decision by IRC can be appealed in the High Court
6. Magistrates
 Two types of magistrates are Resident Magistrate and Graded Magistrate
 They are appointed by Chief Justice on recommendation from JSC
 They preside over cases in lower courts and therefore have no jurisdiction over cases of
murder, manslaughter, treason
7. Barristers
 Are lawyers who speak and argue in court on behalf of a client
 The law is very complicated and difficult for an ordinary person that is why they speak on
their behalf

How cases are brought before the court of law

1. Police
 The police service has prosecutors who take law breakers to court on behalf of victims
2. Private lawyers
 They can sue an accused person or organisation on behalf of their clients
3. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
 He or she is appointed by the President and confirmed by the Public Appointments
Committee of Parliament
 The DPP is a lawyer for the government and is mandated to take criminal cases to court on
behalf of government
 When the government is sued it is defended in court by the Attorney General (AG) who is
the Principal Legal Advisor to the government.

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 4. The Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB)
 It monitors and investigates corrupt cases and brings offenders to court subject to the
direction of the DPP
5. The office of the ombudsman/ombudsperson
 This office investigates cases where a person suffered injustice

Importance of the Judicial system

 It helps to maintain law and order
 Protecting citizens rights thereby ensuring human dignity
 Ensuring justice and fairness
 Promotion of good governance by ensuring a balance between legislature and executive branch

UNIT 21 - SOCIAL SERVICES

 They are public services that are provided to people in their communities or societies
e.g. education
 Any institution that provides services to the community e.g. schools

Social Service Institutions

Social Service Institution Service
Schools Provide education
Hospitals/clinics Provide health care e.g. family planning, maternal care
Markets A place where people buy and sell things
Youth Clubs Guidance and counselling to youth
Farmers Clubs Provide training in modern farming methods, loans,
markets for farm products
Police Security to people and their property
Church/Mosque Provide spiritual services
Orphanages Provide care and support to orphans
Red Cross Provide relief support to people affected by disaster
Post Office Postal and telecommunication services
Community halls Provide recreation

Organisations that provide social services

The provision of social services to community is the responsibility of many organisations. Some of
the organisations are as follows :

1. Government
 it is a major player in the provision of services. It uses money raised from taxes e.g. it
operates schools through the Ministry of Education.

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 2. Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) -
 they raise money through donations
 e.g. Malawi Against Physical Disabilities (MAP) provides physiotherapy health services,
BLM (provides family planning), YONECO, PLAN, Save the Children etc
3. Religious Organisations
 They provide education in primary, secondary schools as well as tertiary
 Also provide health care under the Christian Heath Association in Malawi (CHAM)
 Muslim Association of Malawi (MAM) provides education
4. Local Communities
 Provide social services on self help basis e.g. moulding bricks for a school block, planting
trees
 They establish neighbourhood was as a form of security
5. Clubs
 They provide counselling, training in certain life skills, assisting the vulnerable with loans
 E.g. Youth clubs, Farmers Club

The role of citizens in the provision of social services

 Organising self-help development projects
 Making financial and material contributions towards community projects
 Maintaining available social services to prolong their utility to the community
 Protecting social services against vandalism and theft
 Paying taxes to enable government to provide social services

Voluntary services
 Voluntary services are those services offered by individuals or groups without being asked to by
anyone
 E.g. building houses for the aged, offering literacy lessons to adults for free etc.
 Those that offer voluntary services expect no reward

Importance of voluntary services in the community

 Reducing community dependence on government finances
 Instilling a sense of self-reliance in members
 Encourages creative thinking on how to solve local problems
 Local problems are solved faster without going through government bureaucracy

Social services for Special groups

Special groups are those people that receive special treatment due to their age or condition e.g. the
elderly, children, people with disabilities

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 1. Mental hospital – provide care to psychiatric (mentally ill) patients e.g. Zomba mental hospital
2. Day care centres – they provide care during the day to children while their parents are at work.
These services are paid for.
3. Reformatory Centres and Approved schools
 For changing the behaviour of young offenders by providing mental, moral and physical
training so that they become useful citizens.
 E.g. Chilwa Approved School in Zomba, Mpemba Boys Home in Blantyre
4. Orphanage Centres
 They are run by individuals, organisations and churches
 They offer shelter, food, education and other facilities to orphans as well as street children
 The District Assemblies facilitate enrolment into the orphanages through their social welfare
department
5. Under - Five clinics
 They provide treatment and support to children below the age of five
 Children need special attention because they have low immunity levels which make them
vulnerable to disease attacks
6. Institutions for people with disabilities
 They provide education and training to people with disabilities e.g. the deaf, blind,
physically challenged
 Schools for the blind e.g. Chilanga School for the blind in Kasungu, Malingunde School for
the blind in Lilongwe
 Embangweni school for the deaf in Mzimba, Nguludi school for the deaf and blind in
Chiradzulu
 Kachere Rehabilitation Centre in Blantyre, Malawi Council for the Handicapped
(MACOHA)

Standards for social services

 These are practices, principles or guidelines which define the desired quality for the social service
 They are also set of rules for ensuring quality.
 Poor quality services results from not adhering to standards

Importance of standards in the provision of social services

 Delivery of high quality services
 Durability of services (long lasting)
 Reliable social services
 Efficiency and effectiveness in delivery of social service

Effects of poor standards in the provision of social services

 A health risk to those accessing the service
 Provision of low quality services

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  Certification that cannot compete favourably on the international market
 Retarded social economic development
 Provision of less durable services

UNIT 22 - GOVERNMENT POLICY ON THE ENVIRONMENT

Policy of the Government towards the environment

 A policy is a course of action adopted or proposed by government, party, business or individuals
 An Environmental Policy is the commitment of an organisation or government to the laws,
regulations concerning the environment.
 Environmental policy focuses on problems arising from human impact on environment which have
negative effects on human values e.g. good health
 The government made a commitment in 1994 in the constitution Section 13(d) to manage the
environment in order to :
o Prevent degradation
o Provide healthy living and working environment for people
o Promote environmental protection as well as sustainable development of natural resources
o Conserve biological diversity

National Environmental Policy of 2004 (Revised)

 Through participatory process with NGOs, private sector, local communities, government formed
the National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP) in 1994004
 It describes the environment situation existing in the country and outlines the strategies, measures
and programs necessary for promoting the conservation and sustainable utilisation of natural
resources
 The National Environmental Policy (NEP) was formed from the National Environmental Action
Plan (NEAP)

Main aims of the National Environmental Policy (NEP)

 Promote the efficient utilisation and management of our natural resources
 Facilitate rehabilitation and management of essential ecosystems and ecological processes
 Enhance public awareness of the importance of sound environmental management
 Promote co-operation between government, local communities, women groups, NGOs and private
sector in the management and sustainable utilisation of the natural resources and the environment.
In order to do this, the NEP
 Requires the strengthening of institutional mechanisms
 Reviewing or even enacting environmental laws

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  Integrating environmental concerns into national, regional and district planning systems
 Developing and implementing systems and guidelines for assessing environmental impacts of
developmental projects and programs
 Undertaking training programmes to develop capacity for environmental management
 Increasing environmental education and public awareness
 Involving the private sector and NGOs in all aspects of planning and management of natural
resources and the environment
 Empowering local communities in the management of natural resources through community
participation

Malawi follows a sectoral approach for the conservation of environment and these include forestry,
fisheries, water, land use and management, wildlife, irrigation and tourism. The sector policies are
formed in line with NEP and Environmental Management Act (EMA).

Environmental Management Act (EMA) aims to :

 Assist stakeholders in policy formulation
 Conducts environmental impact assessments
 Control pollution and discharge of waste
 Waste management and protection of the ozone layer
 Makes provisions for the environmental protection areas

Other Actions taken by the Government

Government of Malawi has developed the following sectoral policies on environment as follows :

National Parks and Wildlife Act (1992)

 Provides for wildlife management e.g. identification of species designated for protection
 Declares any area of land or water in Malawi as National Park or Reserve
Establishment of National Parks and Wildlife Resources
 Malawi has 5 National parks and 4 wildlife reserves
 Tourists come to see these animals in their natural environment
The Forestry Act (1997)
 Provides for participatory management, forestry research, forestry education, protection
 It discourages deforestation and encroachment on forest reserves
National Forestry Policy (1996)
 It was adopted to address problems in the Forestry Act e.g. non-recognition of communities to own,
manage forests

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  To encourage private sector involvement in forest conservation for the nation‟s benefit by
o Establishing incentives that will promote community based conservation
o Contributing to the quality of life in rural communities
The National Fisheries and Aquaculture Policy (2001)
 It was developed to improve efficiency of national fisheries industry e.g.
o Production and supply of existing fish products
o Development of new products to satisfy local demands and potential export markets
o Control and monitor fishing activities
Fisheries Conservation and Management Act (1997)
 Promotes community participation in protecting fish
 Does not provide for incentives to encourage fish farming
The National Wildlife Policy (2000)
Ensures proper conservation and management of wildlife resources. The policy seeks to:
 Raise public awareness and appreciation of the importance of wildlife conservation and
management
 Provide enabling laws to control poaching
 Encourage wild-based enterprises
 Develop cost effective measures for managing wild life resources
Water Resources Management Policy (1994)
 Provision of portable water
 It failed to address issues to deal with monitoring, assessment. These were addressed in
the Draft Water Resources Management Policy of 2004
The National Herbarium and Botanic Gardens Act (1987)
 Development and management of herbarium and botanic gardens as national heritage
National Aquatic Resources Management Programme (1998)
 Encouraging fishing communities to see how they can manage their natural resources in a
sustainable way
Laws Against Pollution
 Discourages careless disposal of industrial waste, chemicals and household rubbish which can
pollute the air, water and land
National Adaptation Program of Action
Helps to deal with effects of climate change by :
 Adopting new agricultural methods
 Sensitisation of new and better agricultural methods
 Equipment of better and reliable irrigation tools to minimise reliance on rainfall

Evaluation on the Government Environmental Policy

The revised NEP still has shortfalls (weaknesses) that undermine efficacy and enforcement of the
policy. The Government tends to neglect, abuse and avoid its NEP responsibilities. The following table
shows some improvements to be made on the NEP

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 Weakness in the National Suggestion on improvement
Environmental Policy (NEP)
Difficult to identify perpetrating parties There should be clear clauses on culprits
responsible for environmental damages on environmental mismanagement and be
due to inadequate scope and content/weak clear on adequate penalties on who breaks
enforcement laws and should be enforced
Legislation fails to provide for adequate Impose penalties on those people who do
penalties to have any effect not observe laws and regulations
Lack of proper waste disposal in industries Conduct proper Environmental Impact
and mining sites, and uncared deposit sites Assessment before implementation of any
industry and mining activity and
conducting regular follow-ups and
inspections during implementations

Politicians and top government officials There is a need to seriously make the
make decisions over mining and industry Environmental Affairs Department a
sectors without consulting the specialists professional body whose decisions are
in the Environmental Affairs Department, beyond political or business interference
private sector and the public e.g. oil or manipulation
mining on Lake Malawi and Kayelekera
uranium mining. Politicians tend to
impose their will on EAD to make a
particular decision regardless of what true
scientific facts
Lack of laws to guide the activity of cross-
Outline procedures or measures to be
border sales so that exporting of the undertaken by all stakeholders on how the
minerals from the country by foreign cross border sale should be effectively
countries is not difficult conducted to promote sustainable
Development
Local communities lack participation The local communities need to be trained
because they are not trained in so that they are empowered to participate
environmental management e.g. eco- effectively in environmental management
tourism
No clear penalties for environmental law Penalties for environmental law breakers
breakers such as poachers should be made clear so that the
irresponsible actions are meted
Hydro-electricity which is clean and Expand rural electrification programme
environmental friendly is expensive form and the government should allow the
of energy which force people to cheaper private sector to invest in the energy
energy sources such charcoal and industry as well as promote the use of
firewood renewable energy technologies
Poverty is rampant which force people to Government should ensure that policies on
solely depend on their environment for poverty eradication are effectively
their livelihood implemented. Its alleviation is critical to
natural resource conservation, protection
and sustainable utilisation.
Lack of co-operation among government Should promote collaborative process so
departments and other stakeholders as that agreement can be reached when
decisions are made without consent or varying interests are included from the
professional comments and concerns are outset in a particular issue. The public

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 ignored. No opportunity for the public should have the opportunity to comment
comment and input on governmental proposals
Natural disasters still cause havoc among Policy to consider developing resilient
communities in Malawi communities to the impacts of climate
Change

UNIT 23 - INTERDEPENDENCE OF NATIONS

 Interdependence means supporting or needing the help of each other

 Interdependence means every nation in the world relies on other countries in various ways
 Interdependence is more of a mutual or common relationship. It involves give-and- take relations
 Interdependence is measured by the costs of severing the relationship or benefits of developing it.
 Nations depend on each other in many ways e.g. economically, socially, politically

How Nations can depend on each other

1. International Trade
 Developing (poor) countries export raw materials to developed (rich) countries (sometimes
called the “Global North”. In return, the developing countries are used as markets for the
finished products
 Global North controls prices of goods from developing nations e.g. tobacco prices. As such
terms of trade favour developed countries because of low and variable prices from
developing countries.
 Countries therefore focus on producing goods which it is better placed to produce cheaply
compared to another country. This is called Comparative advantage.
2. Communication and Cultural Exchange
 Technologically advanced countries like USA have satellites into the space which are used
by other countries
 By intensifying cultural visits between nations it promotes understanding and co-operation
among nations.
3. Transport
 Land locked countries like Malawi depend on other nations ports to access their goods
 E.g. Malawi uses Beira in Mozambique to access some of its goods
4. Health
 Epidemics like HIV/AIDS, Ebola need assistance from other countries
 Drugs and medical equipment made in some parts of the world are made available to other
countries

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 5. Security
 Soldiers from different nations in Africa come together during conflict i.e. peacekeeping in
DRC, Kosovo, Sudan
6. Education
 Most African nations send their citizens to America, Asia, Europe etc to get specialised
training in the fields such as medicine, technology etc
 Many scholars seeking to study and undertake research in Africa come to University of
Malawi
7. Membership to Regional and World organisations
 By belonging to the same regional organisations, countries co-operate to help solve
problems e.g. SADC, COMESA
8. Economic Aid/Assistance from developing countries
 Developing countries need more aid to offset climate disasters, epidemics, delivery of health

Interdependence of Nations is important to :

 Improve efficiency when dealing with problems
 Save costs
 Promote relationships leading to peaceful co-existence
 Promote sharing of resources among nations e.g. labour, material donations

Notes taken from :

 Arise with Social Studies Students’ Book 1 by Mkomba & Majamanda (2013)
 Social Studies Junior Secondary School Course Students’ Book 1 by Yamikani Agabu (2014)
 Social Studies Students’ Book 1 by Gondwe and Tembo (2014)

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 ESSAY WRITING
An essay is a short piece of writing on a particular topic or subject
Contents of an essay
 Title
 Introduction
 Body
 conclusion
1. Title or heading
 this is the frame from the question that you have been asked
 a good essay must have a title which is short and centralised and written in capital letters
 a title if written in small letters must be underlined
 a title must not be a mere repetition of the question to be answered
 e.g. explain four types of families
TYPES OF FAMILIES
Types of families
2. Introduction
 the essay must be opened by an introduction which can be a definition of the key words in
the question and a simple statement of the objective (main purpose) of the essay
 An introduction must be kept short (it should be one paragraph only)
 E.g. A family is group of people who are related through blood, marriage or adoption. There
are different types of families and this essay will explain four types.
 Or A family is group of people who are related through blood, marriage or adoption. This
essay will explain four types of families such as nuclear, single parent, child headed and
extended family.
3. Body
 Here is where you explain all the points you have been asked. Each paragraph
must contain one idea or point
 Once a point has been raised, it should be explained and an appropriate example must be
given to expound it
 Use short and clear sentences as long sentences may distort meaning
 Imagine that you are writing to a reader who is not knowledgeable about the topic at hand.
Be an expert of the topic
 Leave a line between paragraphs
 For proper boundaries of paragraphs use „signalling devices‟. These are used for logical and
thorough flow of information
 Paragraph 1 – use firstly, to begin with, in the first place
 Paragraph 2 – use secondly, apart from point above, in the second place
 Paragraph 3 – use thirdly, in the third place, in addition to points above, furthermore
 Paragraph 4 – Use finally, lastly (assuming paragraph 4 is the last one)

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  e.g. The first type of family is child headed. This is where the children live and take care of
themselves without the parents. This type of family comes into existence when both parents
have died leaving the children without any relative to take care of them. It may also happen
where the parent abandons the children.
4. Conclusion
 Must be a short statement closing the discussion.
 Do not repeat the points raised in the body
 Use the following devices : In conclusion, In summary, To conclude, To sum up, To
summarise
 E.g. In conclusion, the essay has explained the four types of families.
 Or In conclusion, the essay has explained four types of families such as nuclear, single
parent, child headed and extended.
Note : do not use bullets, dots, colon, numbering, sub titles or sub headings

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