To Saulos Chilima and all Airtel Staff,
I write to express my dissappointment in your service provision in our area. For the past three days we have had no network in the Mulanje Muloza area. An area of around 5KM has not be able to connect to your network since December 24 from around 2pm. This means that we have not been able to make or receive calls, access the internet, send SMS, and even call your customer care service.
The worst thing is that you did not warn us of this network interruption of even acknowledge the problem through any media. You cannot say that you don't know about this problem because it has been happening in the past and your men were coming to repair what breaks down. However this has come at a very akward time when we were supposed to be communicating with friends and relatives over this festive period.
Apart from the fact that we have been affected in our personal issues, a lot of businesses have been affected because of this network. As you are aware Muloza is where Malawi borders with Mozambique and the area in question includes where there are Immigration, Police and Customs offices. As am writing these important offices have been affected in one way or another.
On behalf of thousands of people who have been affected by your poor service, I demand that you apologize to us and restore the network once for all. The world has changed and we cannot live without communicating with the rest of the world so the least we can have is a network that behaves.
Looking forward to hearing from you in either way you deem appropriate.
On behalf of Muloza residents,
Vincent Kumwenda
Showing posts with label poor. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poor. Show all posts
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Unfair World
I see them everyday at my work place selling different kinds of things. As young as seven, who can hardly give you the right amount of change, are selling us bananas, cooked maize and sugarcanes. They wake up very early and walk to various areas to sell the things sent by their parents.
Some have even stopped going to school because of various reasons but mainly their parents too poor to take care of them. So they are sent to sell these foods to find their daily needs. I have managed to talk to some of them who narrated very sad stories about their families. Life is unfair.
The word 'unfair world' keeps coming to mind when I see them everyday. I always try to engange them in conversation to hear them out. They all have stories to tell. Even their parents are able to tell me why they send them to the streets. They are convinced that that's the only way.
One example is of a thirteen year old girl called Maggie who has just started selling cooked maize near our office. I talked to her several times. She has just written the Primary School Leaving examinations and in search for money to pay for secondary education, her parents sent her to do business. She seems to like this idea.
But the streets are not a safe place for a 13yr old who has to travel a long distance to her home in the evening. We read in papers of 8yr olds who are raped right in their homes. What more with a 13yr old who is looking money to make ends meet? Life is unfair.
I feel sorry for them everday. I try to help where I can but they just keep coming. You can see it in the way they dress, the food they eat and the life they live.
Some have even stopped going to school because of various reasons but mainly their parents too poor to take care of them. So they are sent to sell these foods to find their daily needs. I have managed to talk to some of them who narrated very sad stories about their families. Life is unfair.
The word 'unfair world' keeps coming to mind when I see them everyday. I always try to engange them in conversation to hear them out. They all have stories to tell. Even their parents are able to tell me why they send them to the streets. They are convinced that that's the only way.
One example is of a thirteen year old girl called Maggie who has just started selling cooked maize near our office. I talked to her several times. She has just written the Primary School Leaving examinations and in search for money to pay for secondary education, her parents sent her to do business. She seems to like this idea.
But the streets are not a safe place for a 13yr old who has to travel a long distance to her home in the evening. We read in papers of 8yr olds who are raped right in their homes. What more with a 13yr old who is looking money to make ends meet? Life is unfair.
I feel sorry for them everday. I try to help where I can but they just keep coming. You can see it in the way they dress, the food they eat and the life they live.
Friday, August 21, 2009
WHO CARES?
To them that’s how life is like. There is nothing they can do to change their present situation. Life to them means struggling to find basic needs. They just came to accept this fact. Every five years they vote for people who they hope will bring change, but nothing changes. Who cares?
Every morning they wake up from their sleeping mats to be greeted by the sight of their poorly dressed and hunger stricken children. At times one meal per day strategically prepared to cover all the three meals does the trick. Not that they are too busy to eat but availability of food to be prepared thrice.
Farming, yes, the God given talent is all there is to give them the much needed food. But with the prices of fertilizer that they cannot afford, they harvest very little from a large piece of land. Subsidies are there but they target a few people who have connections.
Who cares what they dress? As long as they cover their nakedness, fashion to them means nothing. There is no money to buy the latest Pierre Cardin suit. Freely they walk in tatters and some second hand clothes sold cheaply at various trading centres.
Education, yes their kids need to be educated. Thank God primary school is free, but that’s where it ends. Secondary schools have become very expensive for them. To buy uniform, pay fees, and buy other needed resources for learning is a big burden to them. Even those that are lucky to have finished their secondary school are still expecting to be fed by them. Who is going to give them a job? Forget about college. It’s a luxury very few can afford.
This is what life means to them. Days turn to months and months to years with little changes. Only governments change but sufferring remains. Young men turn to fathers at a tender age catching the virus in the process. Girls as young as 15 become wives and mothers. Children suffer from malnutrition and other related diseases.
On paper, policies, strategies and goals are made but very little impacts the poor masses. They continue suffering every day of their lives. There is no better explanation to this kind of life. Who is wrong or what should be done to change this? Poverty is here to stay if nobody cares for these fellow country men.
Pictures taken by Caitriona Rogerson and Natasha Fitzpatrick in Blantyre, Malawi
Every morning they wake up from their sleeping mats to be greeted by the sight of their poorly dressed and hunger stricken children. At times one meal per day strategically prepared to cover all the three meals does the trick. Not that they are too busy to eat but availability of food to be prepared thrice.
Farming, yes, the God given talent is all there is to give them the much needed food. But with the prices of fertilizer that they cannot afford, they harvest very little from a large piece of land. Subsidies are there but they target a few people who have connections.
Who cares what they dress? As long as they cover their nakedness, fashion to them means nothing. There is no money to buy the latest Pierre Cardin suit. Freely they walk in tatters and some second hand clothes sold cheaply at various trading centres.
Education, yes their kids need to be educated. Thank God primary school is free, but that’s where it ends. Secondary schools have become very expensive for them. To buy uniform, pay fees, and buy other needed resources for learning is a big burden to them. Even those that are lucky to have finished their secondary school are still expecting to be fed by them. Who is going to give them a job? Forget about college. It’s a luxury very few can afford.
This is what life means to them. Days turn to months and months to years with little changes. Only governments change but sufferring remains. Young men turn to fathers at a tender age catching the virus in the process. Girls as young as 15 become wives and mothers. Children suffer from malnutrition and other related diseases.
On paper, policies, strategies and goals are made but very little impacts the poor masses. They continue suffering every day of their lives. There is no better explanation to this kind of life. Who is wrong or what should be done to change this? Poverty is here to stay if nobody cares for these fellow country men.
Pictures taken by Caitriona Rogerson and Natasha Fitzpatrick in Blantyre, Malawi
Monday, July 20, 2009
SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE NEEDS YOU
They are out there yet we hardly see them
they choose not to complain......
They struggle with life yet continue to live
stoically accepting their situations.....
Every morning they wake up to face the same things
no food, no clothes, no fees, no friends, no money, no hope....
In silence they watch their kids dressed in tatters
scrambling for the little food they have
Yet we choose to ignore them
They silently pray we come to their rescue.....
We have them here, you have them there yet we don't know them....
everyday we pass them, riding buses with them even chatting
If only we knew their situations....
they try to laugh with us yet tears of pain are secretly flowing
We have them in offices, schools, stadiums, car parks....
yet nobody seems to care
Somebody somewhere needs you......
There are many in our church, i believe yours too.....
zealous with church work, running up and down
They dance, confess, recite, worship and sing.....
yet nothing changes their situations
They praise God for our testimonies, new job, new car, house,business
clapping hands, shouting on top of their voices amen!! amen!!
The state of their shoes, suits, bibles or hymns reminds them everything....
spiritually satisfied yet on empty stomachs they go
If only you could discern.....
that someone somewhere needs you
In our neighborhood we have them, hope yours too
happy when rain comes for their crops.......
Yet their houses dangerously leak
yes !! they have dreams, plans and hopes.....
Good futures, educated children, beautiful houses, cars
yet they fail to find a starting point......
next month's salary, next years farm produce, next time
whilst days are turning to weeks, months and years.....
Yet we are there prosperous and rich than ever
all along they are there, next door, next bench, next desk, next pew.....
Check out your neighbor, friend, relative...
because he needs you.........
(dedicated to those who lack basic needs in life)
they choose not to complain......
They struggle with life yet continue to live
stoically accepting their situations.....
Every morning they wake up to face the same things
no food, no clothes, no fees, no friends, no money, no hope....
In silence they watch their kids dressed in tatters
scrambling for the little food they have
Yet we choose to ignore them
They silently pray we come to their rescue.....
We have them here, you have them there yet we don't know them....
everyday we pass them, riding buses with them even chatting
If only we knew their situations....
they try to laugh with us yet tears of pain are secretly flowing
We have them in offices, schools, stadiums, car parks....
yet nobody seems to care
Somebody somewhere needs you......
There are many in our church, i believe yours too.....
zealous with church work, running up and down
They dance, confess, recite, worship and sing.....
yet nothing changes their situations
They praise God for our testimonies, new job, new car, house,business
clapping hands, shouting on top of their voices amen!! amen!!
The state of their shoes, suits, bibles or hymns reminds them everything....
spiritually satisfied yet on empty stomachs they go
If only you could discern.....
that someone somewhere needs you
In our neighborhood we have them, hope yours too
happy when rain comes for their crops.......
Yet their houses dangerously leak
yes !! they have dreams, plans and hopes.....
Good futures, educated children, beautiful houses, cars
yet they fail to find a starting point......
next month's salary, next years farm produce, next time
whilst days are turning to weeks, months and years.....
Yet we are there prosperous and rich than ever
all along they are there, next door, next bench, next desk, next pew.....
Check out your neighbor, friend, relative...
because he needs you.........
(dedicated to those who lack basic needs in life)
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