Take it or leave it. Our tourism industry needs a big revamp and a change in strategy. That we are reliant on subsistence Agriculture needs no mention and we have to remind ourselves that it has often let us down.
Our gurus in the industry have always belived that tourism is getting some Jack and Jean from Europe to a resort in Mangochi. What else does one see there. Basi munthu wachoka ku England to sleep at Nkopola or Boadzulu! Zatha...nanga awonatso chani? Azimayi ndi anyamata ogulitsa nsomba outside the hotel.
The Kenyan potical crisis opened some insights about the importance of the multi-million dollar industry that toursim is. What do those guys go to see in Kenya? I dont think they are into sleeping in a hotel and catch a palne back to Europe. This is our version of tourism. Tourists flock to Kenyas Masai Park or even the Serengeti, Kilimanjaro in TZ to see the animals. The same applies to Kruger in national park in South Africa and Mfuwe in Eastern Zambia. Belive you me that all these places are easily accessible by road either in rain or dry seasons. Actually Kenya has two rain seasons!
Now turn to Malawi: No tarmac road to Nyika, Vwaza, Liwonde, Majete, Lengwe, Mwabvi, Lake Malawi National parks. These are the places that attract tourists and not some hotel that offers nothing but a good sleep and reminds the traveller of Europe. Somehow we belive in the wrong things. We let people from most European countries enter Malawi without VISAs in the name of attracting tourists! But they dont come, they go to Kenya where they pay for their VISAs. This is another case of misplaced strategies of developing the industry.
If one were to check official statistics, of people who cross our borders every year something funny strikes my mind. Actually most of the people who come to Malawi are Mozambicans involved in the kachewere business at Lizulu and assocaited trading centres along the M1 road in Ntcheu and Dedza.
If the infrastructure to these places remains underdeveloped, we can continue singing toursim blues. BUT THE POTENTAIL IS THERE!
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Our dying Malawi
I am not an alarmist but as a Malawian who has had a taste of rural and our cities i am failing to come to terms to understand how we have been let down. In the old days, whenever someone died, we kids could be locked in the house. I must think it was meant to show that death was scarely, unique and whatever one could think of.But look now! Death is as common as breakfast.
The situation has changed of late. Deaths of our people have become so common. Everyday you drive on the main highways that connect our cities,,,the sight of a pickup truck flashing hazards is too common. We are dying young and the burden of caring for the ones we leave behind is so huge. Who is going to enjoy the fruits of economic growth? Are there any fruits? Our nation is full of young people in their productive years and this is the group that is dying enmass.
Where have we got it wrong? Should we blame everything on AIDS? Is it the last days as the Bible suggests. Malawians are very humble people and I am sorry to say that we lack ambition too. This is reflected in our politicians who run the affairs of this country. We have not invested enough in health care system but we have always belived that we have a good health system. Very wrong indeed. I think the health care systems in our neighbouring countries are much better. But sometimes we have never been serious in improving the health care of our people. If the momentum that we had over free primary eduaction in 1994 was spread to health, maybe things could have changed. We have wasted alot of time blaming Western countries who recruit our nurses and doctors. We have sat back and done nothing. Government with the help of donors has been topping up salaries of medical personnel but it is not working. We have sat back trying to treat a symptom instead of hitting the problem at its core. Where is the equipment that a doctor needs to work with? Nanga chipatala chizikhala opanda ma gloves? Where does all the money that is put in the budget go? Nanga chipatala chizikhala opanda ma drip?
The situation has changed of late. Deaths of our people have become so common. Everyday you drive on the main highways that connect our cities,,,the sight of a pickup truck flashing hazards is too common. We are dying young and the burden of caring for the ones we leave behind is so huge. Who is going to enjoy the fruits of economic growth? Are there any fruits? Our nation is full of young people in their productive years and this is the group that is dying enmass.
Where have we got it wrong? Should we blame everything on AIDS? Is it the last days as the Bible suggests. Malawians are very humble people and I am sorry to say that we lack ambition too. This is reflected in our politicians who run the affairs of this country. We have not invested enough in health care system but we have always belived that we have a good health system. Very wrong indeed. I think the health care systems in our neighbouring countries are much better. But sometimes we have never been serious in improving the health care of our people. If the momentum that we had over free primary eduaction in 1994 was spread to health, maybe things could have changed. We have wasted alot of time blaming Western countries who recruit our nurses and doctors. We have sat back and done nothing. Government with the help of donors has been topping up salaries of medical personnel but it is not working. We have sat back trying to treat a symptom instead of hitting the problem at its core. Where is the equipment that a doctor needs to work with? Nanga chipatala chizikhala opanda ma gloves? Where does all the money that is put in the budget go? Nanga chipatala chizikhala opanda ma drip?
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