UNIVERSITY STUDENTS ASSOCIATION OF MACHINGA (USAM)
1. Machinga is one of the districts with low literacy rates in Malawi. The district is located in the eastern side of the Southern Region of Malawi. Literacy is one of the indicators of socioeconomic development in a society. The impact of literacy is not only on reading and writing, but also on
personal dignity, the right to participate, the empowerment of the marginalized and excluded, and the opportunity to learn in a variety of ways and settings (NSO, 2010). According to the findings of the Population and Housing Census 2008, Malawi has registered some improvements in literacy, moving from as low as 22% in 1977, 42% in 1987 and 58% in 1998 to 64% in 2008 (NSO, 2010). Although such improvements have been observed across all regions and districts in the country the situation in Machinga has always been pathetic. During the 1977 Population and Housing Census had literacy rate of 9% against a regional rate of 20%; in the other recent censuses, the district registered literacy rates of 23% in 1987, 41% in 1998 and 49% in 2008 compared with the rates of 39%, 57% and 62% which the Southern Region registered in the years 1987, 1998 and 2009, respectively. Across the gender divide, females registered extremely lower literacy rates than males. Within the observed census periods, only 5% of females in Machinga district were literate compared to 12% and 14%, at regional and national levels, respectively. The pathetic situation above also applied to secondary and higher education. According to 2008 Population and Housing Census, 7% of Malawi’s population aged 10years and over had a Malawi School Certificate of Education (MSCE/GCE) as the highest education attainment. At regional level, Northern Region had 6% while Central Southern Region had 7% and 8%, respectively. Although Southern Region had registered the highest percentage of population aged10 years and over with MSCE/GCE, only 4% of the population in category had attained MSCE/GCE in Machinga district; 6% of males and 4% of females had MSCE/GCE in the district. This clearly shows that Machinga district has an insignificantly low percentage of its population that has attained tertiary education, let alone full-tenure university level qualification. Several reasons have been given to explain the low literacy and education attainment in the Machinga district. One of the notable reasons for the low educational attainments in the district is fishing on Lake Chirwa which tends to be financially more attractive to young people, especially males. The other reason revolves around emigration of the young males to South Africa in search of low scale job opportunities which tend to be relatively more lucrative than the case at home where to get a salary one must be highly educated. Furthermore, young people from Machinga spend most of their time in to***co estates. As for the females, the major reasons for low educational attainment spin around early marriages. This tendency has given chance to people from other districts in the country to look down upon Machinga as the place for fishing and as a source of cheap labour to South Africa, and not a district where education can flourish.
2. Rationale for the birth of USAM
University Students Association of Machinga, was born on December 2, 2013 at the University of Malawi, Chancellor College by the students from Machinga district who felt obliged and duty-bound to help out trying to improve the education standards in Machinga district thereby increasing the number of students selected to various universities in this country. We also realized that as partakers of the university education in the country, we have an obligation to encourage the youth of our home (Machinga) to take up education more seriously for a better tomorrow. We have a passion for our home district which is guided by a strong desire to change the mindset of fellow youths in the district and improve the situation in the long-run. Therefore, the purpose of this association is to encourage students to go further with their education, assist them with fees and necessary materials where appropriate and guiding them on careers and other academic and social economic matters. The association is mostly intended to target secondary school students in order to empower them to reach university level of education. However, primary education shall also be considered due to the fact that, without good primary education, students cannot attain secondary education.
3. OBJECTIVES FOR THE PROGRAMME
Main Objective
The overall objective is to improve the number of students enrolled into tertiary education from Machinga district in the next three to five years and reduce the school dropout rate.
4. To provide career guidance and coaching skills for students on academics in Machinga district
2. To liaise with other organizations that promotes education to motivate students in secondary schools of Machinga in tertiary education issues.
3. To encourage hard working spirit and confidence in students of secondary schools of Machinga.
4. To fight against early marriages
5. To instill the spirit of hard work, confidence and patriotism to the district in the youth of Machinga.
6. To fight against the habit of going to South Africa for labour and fishing in lake Chirwa and Chiuta instead of going to school.
5. STRATAGES OF ACHIEVING THE ABOVE OJECTIVES
Among its other activities, USAM shall strive to achieve its objectives through the following modes of operation:
(1) Paying visits to secondary and primary schools for career and academic talks
(2) Paying school fees for needy students where necessary and funds permitting
(3) Provision of learning materials where possible
(4) Liaising with other organizations that promote education
(5) Undertaking tasks as delegated to it by the donor community and other humanitarian aid providers
(6) Conducting quiz and other educational competitions
In conclusion, it must be noted that as University Students Association of Machinga, we shall work very hard to improve the standards of education in our district, by making sure that the number of students being selected to various universities has increased, the number of students that drop out from school decreases and also reducing cases of early marriages. We believe that if supported by well wishers and various organizations, including the government, we will achieve our objectives.
