Posts tagged Malawi

Two men were detained by the police in Machinga, Malawi after they were caught in possession of human bones believed to be of an albino person. The police stated that the suspects will be charged with trafficking of human organs or possession of human tissue. The deep-seated beliefs in superstition in various African countries often result in dangerous and criminal practices affecting people with albinism.

An estimated 168 million children are trapped in child labour globally with many of them working full-time. According to the United Nations some of these children do not go to school, have little or no time to play, do not receive proper nutrition or care and are denied the chance to be children. Can Africa allow children not to labour?

Mozambique police reportedly warned that bald men may be attacked for the purposes of witchcraft and rituals after two bald men were brutally killed in the country’s Zambezia province, one of whom was found with his head cut off and his organs removed. “The belief is that the head of a bald man contains gold.” People with albinism have been targets of vicious killings based on various superstitions. Authorities across the continent and civil groups need to do more to ensure citizens are protected, educated and empowered on how to challenge, resist these practices.

World Malaria Day was celebrated with the news of a new malaria vaccine. Kenya, Malawi, and Ghana have been chosen for the pilot programme. The project will begin in the three countries next year. The injectable vaccine RTS,S was developed to protect young children from the most deadly form of malaria, WHO has said.

Professor Tomohiko Sugishita doesn’t believe in drive-by kindness. Starting from when he was a newly-minted medical doctor taking care of the medical needs of 2 million Malawians at the height of the HIV epidemic in 1995, Professor Sugishita has always believed in sinking deep roots into a community and helping it help itself. He recently sat down for an interview with veteran Kenyan journalist Wycliffe Muga and opened up about what lit his fire for medicine, his long years of medical practice in Africa and why he has come to believe in the “unlearning process”.

The fight against racial discrimination on the continent has a long way to go. In a recent incident in Malawi, a black driver was called a monkey by his white employer, an incident which has caused an outrage. Hinteregger Jurgen, a German national faces deportation from Malawi for the slur.

Kenya has banned the use of plastic bags for commercial and household packing, becoming the latest African country to outlaw the plastic-bag carriers. The ban is expected to play a key role in helping to protect the environment. Kenya now joins Rwanda, Cameroon, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia, Mauritania and Malawi, countries that have issued similar bans.

The American pop-star Madonna successfully adopted twin girls in Malawi, the second time that the diva has adopted Malawian children. The American pop-diva who started a charity called Raising Malawi in Malawi, has previously adopted two Malawian children David Banda and Mercy James. “I can officially confirm I have completed the process of adopting twin sisters from Malawi and am overjoyed that they are now part of our family” Madonna said.

Global pop star Rihanna visited Malawi as part of her duties as the ambassador for Global Citizen and Global Partnership for Education (GPE). The pop star whose philanthropic activities started with the establishment of her foundation, Clara Lionel Foundation, spent her time with students and the board of directors of GPE. The foundation says its committed to the fight against injustice, inequality, and poverty, through education.

Malawians across major cities today participated in protest marches against alleged proposals by the government to legalise abortion and homosexuality in the country. Various religious groups participated in the protest, which also attracted members of the Rastafari faith. Numerous images of the protest shared on social media show people carrying pro-life placards and anti-gay banners.