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Malawi CASE STUDY#2 Read the following background information. Think about possible actions one could take to change the situation for the better. Then select one of the options given.BACKGROUND INFORMATION: Malawi is one of the poorest nations in Africa. Some areas of Malawi are incredibly desperate. This area has suffered extensive damage to crops, houses, roads and bridges caused by floods in 1997 and 1998. Floods caused extensive crop loss, especially in Mpato in Karonga district. In addition to the other problems faced by the farmers, they also had to find the seed to replant the crops washed away by the flood waters. |
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| Farmers
reliance on maize as a staple has made them vulnerable to food insecurity
as they can no longer afford the hybrid maize seed and the fertilizers needed
to grow it. The supply of the maize seed was erratic and so expensive
that many households could not afford to buy it. Most people were actually
buying less than 10 kg, even though they had very large families. Erosion and deforestation are common, and soil infertility is a real problem. In addition to the floods one year, the area was also prone to erratic rainfall and extended periods of drought. Poor and inadequate school infrastructure and equipment mean that the huts leak when wet, there are no desks or other supplies, and students sit on dusty or wet floors. There have been no sports in the area for over 20 years as there is no equipment. Girls have been lagging farther and farther behind in terms of education, due to cultural influences and poverty. For every boy that drops out of school, three girls leave, and as a result, there are very few girls in secondary school. High illiteracy is one of the causes of poverty. Illiteracy averages around 60%, meaning 60% of the people can not read and write. The rate is even higher among women. |
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| OPTIONS: 1. Give the farmers enough hybrid maize seed and fertilizer for one year. 2. Give the farmers seeds for some alternative crops so they can grow different kinds of food. 3. Build schools to teach the children how to read and write. Then they can learn how to solve their own problems. |
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