It has been said several times at different forums organized with the issue of climate change being at the pivot of the agenda, that the unimpeded growth of greenhouse gas emissions is raising the earth’s temperature.
Ardent researchers have gone further to warn that the consequences of these greenhouse gas emissions include melting glaciers, more precipitation, more and more extreme weather events, and shifting seasons. It appears this year, it has undoubtedly come here in Africa, especially Sub-Saharan Africa, that we should have a feel of what this climate change is all about.
The accelerating pace of climate change, combined with global population and income growth, threatens food security everywhere, and experts here in Malawi have already warned that the country is likely to experience hunger after this growing season.
Undoubtedly, agriculture is extremely vulnerable to climate change. This has already been vindicated in many areas where farmers are at a risk of not harvesting anything because the rains are not coming. In other areas, even though the rains have started coming, farmers have already given up because they feel that the growing season is now over.
On the other hand, even in areas where rains have been sufficient, higher temperatures are eventually reducing yields of desirable crops while encouraging weed and pest proliferation. In such cases, it is impossible to have the usual bumper harvests.
Again, changes in precipitation patterns increase the likelihood of short-run crop failures and long-run production declines. Already, it has been observed that while some areas are facing prolonged dry spells, others are receiving rains continuously. Although there will be gains in some crops in some regions of the world, the overall impacts of climate change on agriculture are expected to be negative, threatening global food security.
Farmers have not yet adapted to the changes in climate and it is therefore very difficult for them to sow seeds in February when what they know is that they are supposed to sow in the months of November, December and January. It may need to take the intervention of experts in the environmental fields to advise farmers that the shifting of seasons due to climate change may mean that the growing season may as well shift.
Populations in the developing world, which are already vulnerable and food insecure, like in most African countries, are likely to be the most seriously affected. A research conducted by Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) reveals that in 2005, nearly half of the economically active population in developing countries, which translates to 2.5 billion people, relied on agriculture for its livelihood.
Different researches conducted on climate change in different countries of the world have also revealed that climate change is already affecting water resources, agriculture, land resources, and biodiversity, and will continue to do so. According to the researches, grain crops will mature more rapidly, but increasing temperatures will increase the risk of crop failures, particularly if precipitation decreases or becomes more variable.
Higher temperatures are affecting livestock negatively. Warmer ‘wet seasons’ will reduce mortality but this will be more than offset by greater mortality in hotter summers. Hotter temperatures will also result in reduced productivity of livestock and dairy animals. This is already being experienced in hot areas of Malawi like the Lower Shire where farmers have already started losing their livestock due to the hot temperatures.
It is up to concerned stakeholders to sensitize people on what they are supposed to do in their respective farming areas according to climate experiences which such areas are likely to meet each and every season. This may require that such sensitizations should be done now and then since climate change is not constant.
Climate change and agriculture are interrelated processes, both of which take place on a global scale. Thus, assessment of the effects of global climate changes on agriculture might help to properly anticipate and adapt farming to maximize agricultural production. So far, this appears to be the only remedy that can redress the imbalance.
Despite technological advances, such as improved varieties, genetically modified organisms, and irrigation systems, weather is still a key factor in agricultural productivity, as well as soil properties and natural communities. That is why it is imperative that other measures other than those involving technological advances should be applied to deal with the effects of climate change.
Other researchers have concluded that the poorest countries would be hardest hit, with reductions in crop yields in most tropical and sub-tropical regions due to decreased water availability, and new or changed insect pest incidence.
In most African countries, many rain-fed crops are near their maximum temperature tolerance, so that yields are likely to fall sharply for even small climate changes. That is why, perhaps in areas where irrigation is feasible, it should be seriously encouraged.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
On Part-time Lesson Ban
Recently, government made a directive that there should no longer be part-time lessons in all public schools. It appears this is part of government’s process of reconstructing the education sector in Malawi. It started with the shutting down of all sub-standard secondary schools, mainly privately owned ones.
Government went further to ban summer term lessons in secondary schools and ruled that if at all summer lessons were to be held, then they should be free of charge. The Private Schools Association of Malawi (Prisam) expressed its concern over the directive, but it appears this is no time for any government’s directive to flop. To a larger extent, it seems we are living in an era where everything that government says is supposed to be adhered to even if it does not wholly appeal to the majority.
And now, some teachers and parents have expressed their misgivings over the ban on part-time lessons. In essence, on the part of government, the ban on summer terms and part-time lessons is aimed at avoiding putting at a disadvantage students who cannot afford to pay for the ‘extra’ lessons.
An official from the Ministry of Education intimated that the problem with these ‘extra’ lessons was that a student who misses them will not be able to recapture them because they would not be re-taught in the normal learning period.
But much as this is true, it does not imply that in the normal learning period, everything in the teaching syllabus will be covered, especially this academic year when the learning period has been lessened to such an extent that only the inclusion of some extra effort by both the teachers and the students can help redress the teaching/learning imbalance.
So, it is imperative to let those who can attend extra lessons do so without any restraint. It is true that everywhere in the world, there are both the rich and the poor, but it does not imply that because the poor cannot afford something, then the rich too, should not be allowed to get it. This kind of philosophy, to me, appears to be just opium of the masses which is only aimed at pleasing the economically-disadvantaged, while tramping over them at the same time.
There are those who could afford to pay for their children’s part-time school fees (after some struggles, though) but are encouraged not to do so because the playing field has been ‘levelled’.
Government should not just implement policies without proper consultation. There are many departments both in the public and private sectors that can assist in conducting relevant researches whose results government can use to implement policies.
It is no denying fact that part-time lessons have helped many pupils/students do well in their examinations and the ban categorically means that the performance of many pupils/students will dwindle.
Just like one teacher argued in The Daily Times of last Monday, some pupils take part-time lessons more seriously than they do normal-time lessons. Part-time lessons also make pupils concentrate on their education other than other distractive activities which can affect their lessons. After the normal lessons, instead of pupils going to entertainment centres, they are forced to attend part-time lessons and they subsequently have very little time to spend on something else other than education.
It is being unrealistic of government to demand that teachers who hold part-time lessons should not charge students/pupils any amount of money. How does government expect someone to teach for hours on end on a part-time basis and be satisfied with nothing? A teacher needs to be satisfied so that they can work diligently. In fact, this is the spirit of every working environment: diligence and efficiency comes from satisfied workers.
On the other hand, rehabilitating the education sector in Malawi is a welcome development considering the fact that in recent years, complaints have emanated from different quarters that education standards in Malawi are going down. But policies which negatively affect the rehabilitation process should be avoided.
Government went further to ban summer term lessons in secondary schools and ruled that if at all summer lessons were to be held, then they should be free of charge. The Private Schools Association of Malawi (Prisam) expressed its concern over the directive, but it appears this is no time for any government’s directive to flop. To a larger extent, it seems we are living in an era where everything that government says is supposed to be adhered to even if it does not wholly appeal to the majority.
And now, some teachers and parents have expressed their misgivings over the ban on part-time lessons. In essence, on the part of government, the ban on summer terms and part-time lessons is aimed at avoiding putting at a disadvantage students who cannot afford to pay for the ‘extra’ lessons.
An official from the Ministry of Education intimated that the problem with these ‘extra’ lessons was that a student who misses them will not be able to recapture them because they would not be re-taught in the normal learning period.
But much as this is true, it does not imply that in the normal learning period, everything in the teaching syllabus will be covered, especially this academic year when the learning period has been lessened to such an extent that only the inclusion of some extra effort by both the teachers and the students can help redress the teaching/learning imbalance.
So, it is imperative to let those who can attend extra lessons do so without any restraint. It is true that everywhere in the world, there are both the rich and the poor, but it does not imply that because the poor cannot afford something, then the rich too, should not be allowed to get it. This kind of philosophy, to me, appears to be just opium of the masses which is only aimed at pleasing the economically-disadvantaged, while tramping over them at the same time.
There are those who could afford to pay for their children’s part-time school fees (after some struggles, though) but are encouraged not to do so because the playing field has been ‘levelled’.
Government should not just implement policies without proper consultation. There are many departments both in the public and private sectors that can assist in conducting relevant researches whose results government can use to implement policies.
It is no denying fact that part-time lessons have helped many pupils/students do well in their examinations and the ban categorically means that the performance of many pupils/students will dwindle.
Just like one teacher argued in The Daily Times of last Monday, some pupils take part-time lessons more seriously than they do normal-time lessons. Part-time lessons also make pupils concentrate on their education other than other distractive activities which can affect their lessons. After the normal lessons, instead of pupils going to entertainment centres, they are forced to attend part-time lessons and they subsequently have very little time to spend on something else other than education.
It is being unrealistic of government to demand that teachers who hold part-time lessons should not charge students/pupils any amount of money. How does government expect someone to teach for hours on end on a part-time basis and be satisfied with nothing? A teacher needs to be satisfied so that they can work diligently. In fact, this is the spirit of every working environment: diligence and efficiency comes from satisfied workers.
On the other hand, rehabilitating the education sector in Malawi is a welcome development considering the fact that in recent years, complaints have emanated from different quarters that education standards in Malawi are going down. But policies which negatively affect the rehabilitation process should be avoided.
Is Abortion Murder?
Human life has for times without number been put to some fatal test by human beings. In many circumstances, we have found ourselves debating on issues that deal directly with human life; with the debate centering on whether at some point in time, such life which was always described as sacred by the late Pope John Paul should be terminated or not. One topic which has drawn mixed reactions from different individuals and stakeholders is abortion. Up to now, it appears it is very difficult for global dwellers to reach a consensus and agree on one thing regarding abortion: whether it should be legalized or not.
Abortion is defined as a human action carried with the chief aim of preventing the continuation of a human life. This implies that by all means, abortion results in death of some sort. So the most significant question for those who honestly feel like addressing matters to do with abortion is whether or not the pre-birth annihilation of a pregnancy is in reality a wicked killing of a human being, murder in technical terms.
Since time immemorial, the response has always depended on diverse people’s perceptions and understanding of the same. To certain extent, some if not most of those who argue for abortion maintain that the fetus is not a living person and that therefore, when it is destroyed, a human being is not taken. As a result, they hold that abortion is an ethically nonaligned act.
Some even hold that it is a good act.
Analyzing the above argument will need that we first of all have to look at when human life begins. Professionals in biological science unanimously agree that any organism which exhibits the seven traits of life which include metabolism, excitability, conductivity, contractility, differentiation, growth, and reproduction is living, and is living according to its own kind.
During each stage of development within the mother's body, the zygote, morula, blastocyst, embryo, and fetus all exhibit these traits of life. The mere fact that because the intra-uterine organism is in a process of development and is unseen does not warrant the view that it does not possess life; life in accord with its nature, in this case human life.
Since the zygote possesses all of the seven traits of life, all biological scientists agree that life begins at conception. They identify this already objective fact of when life begins.
In fact, there is no other point at which life can begin. Whatever the circumstance, there is never any non-life stage that finally develops into a life-stage during a pregnancy. Such a concept is completely foreign to biological life. That which has life now or any other time had time from the very beginning.
In other words, it is an established scientific fact and a logical one as well that there is no other developmental stage in which life begins other than the moment of conception.
Whatever one's spiritual or unspiritual presuppositions may be, these biological facts cannot be denied by any person of sound reason. Human life is not definable in terms of stages of development. At all stages of development, human life is present. Therefore, destroying it at any of the stages is to destroy a human life, a living person.
“The beginning of a single human life is from a biological point of view a simple, straightforward matter – the beginning is conception. This straightforward biological fact should not be distorted to serve sociological, political, or economic goals,” Argues Dr. Watson Bowes of the University of Colorado. His view is corroborated by Dr. Micheline Matthews-Roth, a Research Associate at Harvard Medical School who notes that it is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception.”
“Each of us has a unique beginning, the moment of conception. Our entire being is contained in the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) in the very first moment of fertilization.” This is noted by Dr. Jerome Lejeune, Genetics Professor at Rene Descartes University of Paris.
However, on the other hand, it may be unreasonable to rush to conclude that abortion is always completely wrong. There are some women who feel they have a good cause for performing abortions, especially in cases where they might have fallen pregnant after being raped. But still here, it is still the case that human life (which has to be protected whatever the case) is there.
So in this case as well it may only be reasonable to preserve human life since the sovereignty of life supersedes any other factors which may inspire an abortion.
It is true that children, especially babies, are expensive. They need clothes, food, diapers and many other things. But still that does not outdo the value of human life.
It does not take God or religion to determine that, just basic rationality. Children have no control over the personal and social lives of their parents at the time of their conception; consequently, they should not have to pay the ultimate price for someone else’s mistakes.
A child conceived in rape is still a child. A baby with health challenges is still human. Perhaps those who feel like aborting a baby because they did not conceive it voluntarily should consider keeping it until deliverance when they can let it out for adoption.
Religiously, the bible teaches us not to commit murder. God Himself is the source of life. Thus, to reject life is to reject the source of life and is to reject God, who is the very source and author of life.
Let abortion remain illegal whatever the circumstance. Ron Paul a U.S. Politician, astutely believes that a fetus is a human life, and that a fetus deserves the same legal protections afforded to all human beings. He observes that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.
And Peter Singer, a Professor of Philosophy strongly believes that a fetus is a human life, and that a fetus deserves the same legal protections as everyone else. Thus abortion should remain illegal, at least here in Malawi. Human life should not be out to test by human beings.
Abortion is defined as a human action carried with the chief aim of preventing the continuation of a human life. This implies that by all means, abortion results in death of some sort. So the most significant question for those who honestly feel like addressing matters to do with abortion is whether or not the pre-birth annihilation of a pregnancy is in reality a wicked killing of a human being, murder in technical terms.
Since time immemorial, the response has always depended on diverse people’s perceptions and understanding of the same. To certain extent, some if not most of those who argue for abortion maintain that the fetus is not a living person and that therefore, when it is destroyed, a human being is not taken. As a result, they hold that abortion is an ethically nonaligned act.
Some even hold that it is a good act.
Analyzing the above argument will need that we first of all have to look at when human life begins. Professionals in biological science unanimously agree that any organism which exhibits the seven traits of life which include metabolism, excitability, conductivity, contractility, differentiation, growth, and reproduction is living, and is living according to its own kind.
During each stage of development within the mother's body, the zygote, morula, blastocyst, embryo, and fetus all exhibit these traits of life. The mere fact that because the intra-uterine organism is in a process of development and is unseen does not warrant the view that it does not possess life; life in accord with its nature, in this case human life.
Since the zygote possesses all of the seven traits of life, all biological scientists agree that life begins at conception. They identify this already objective fact of when life begins.
In fact, there is no other point at which life can begin. Whatever the circumstance, there is never any non-life stage that finally develops into a life-stage during a pregnancy. Such a concept is completely foreign to biological life. That which has life now or any other time had time from the very beginning.
In other words, it is an established scientific fact and a logical one as well that there is no other developmental stage in which life begins other than the moment of conception.
Whatever one's spiritual or unspiritual presuppositions may be, these biological facts cannot be denied by any person of sound reason. Human life is not definable in terms of stages of development. At all stages of development, human life is present. Therefore, destroying it at any of the stages is to destroy a human life, a living person.
“The beginning of a single human life is from a biological point of view a simple, straightforward matter – the beginning is conception. This straightforward biological fact should not be distorted to serve sociological, political, or economic goals,” Argues Dr. Watson Bowes of the University of Colorado. His view is corroborated by Dr. Micheline Matthews-Roth, a Research Associate at Harvard Medical School who notes that it is scientifically correct to say that an individual human life begins at conception.”
“Each of us has a unique beginning, the moment of conception. Our entire being is contained in the Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) in the very first moment of fertilization.” This is noted by Dr. Jerome Lejeune, Genetics Professor at Rene Descartes University of Paris.
However, on the other hand, it may be unreasonable to rush to conclude that abortion is always completely wrong. There are some women who feel they have a good cause for performing abortions, especially in cases where they might have fallen pregnant after being raped. But still here, it is still the case that human life (which has to be protected whatever the case) is there.
So in this case as well it may only be reasonable to preserve human life since the sovereignty of life supersedes any other factors which may inspire an abortion.
It is true that children, especially babies, are expensive. They need clothes, food, diapers and many other things. But still that does not outdo the value of human life.
It does not take God or religion to determine that, just basic rationality. Children have no control over the personal and social lives of their parents at the time of their conception; consequently, they should not have to pay the ultimate price for someone else’s mistakes.
A child conceived in rape is still a child. A baby with health challenges is still human. Perhaps those who feel like aborting a baby because they did not conceive it voluntarily should consider keeping it until deliverance when they can let it out for adoption.
Religiously, the bible teaches us not to commit murder. God Himself is the source of life. Thus, to reject life is to reject the source of life and is to reject God, who is the very source and author of life.
Let abortion remain illegal whatever the circumstance. Ron Paul a U.S. Politician, astutely believes that a fetus is a human life, and that a fetus deserves the same legal protections afforded to all human beings. He observes that human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception.
And Peter Singer, a Professor of Philosophy strongly believes that a fetus is a human life, and that a fetus deserves the same legal protections as everyone else. Thus abortion should remain illegal, at least here in Malawi. Human life should not be out to test by human beings.
On Crime Rise, Morality
There always is something, oftentimes, in hearts of men that compel them to avoid evil. Human beings being what we are, are consciously designed to navigate away from the face of evil even without a pastor or police officer watching us. The battle between good and evil rages in all mankind; society only crowns it all: it helps us become what we want, with the help of our authority.
Man, being naturally a moral being, would comfortably live in the world without solders, lawyers, police officers and judges. Yet, now these individuals shape our lives. They determine how we live and they reward us with plenty or nothing, in accordance with how we live our lives.
All human beings are equal; the environment is what shapes us into different kinds. Yet, the environment does not have control over one’s life. Poverty means nothing other than lack of what others have. And richness is not the basis of judging humanity; humanity is humanity even without clothes. On the other hand, humans can be there only if they have what are basic necessities.
But does the fact that someone does not have these basic necessities warrant that such an individual should use immoral means of acquiring them? Philosophy, religion, and even basic wisdom never approves of such means.
Yet crime is on the rise, and those who advocate for a return to our roots lack all conviction. It is like that situation portrayed in W.B. Yeats’s poem The Second Coming, where the falcon can no longer hear the falconer and things are falling apart as the centre if failing to hold.
Why is it that as today we hear that a 50-year-old man has ravished a 10-year-old girl, tomorrow we hear that two men were holding an engagement ceremony somewhere? Where has our sanity gone? Where have our morals instantly vanished to?
The most dangerous thing about morality is that it is never constant if at all you entertain change. There are societies that were initially very firm when it came to guarding their morals, but have lost them because of ‘adaptation to change’. Change is only necessary if it does not conflict with the basic morals of a society.
There were things which were considered alien to some societies, but have long at last been accepted as axioms of morality in the very same societies. Our hope in the law courts is fast waning: their use of intellectual determination has betrayed many a people who advocate for morality.
Imagine this: a man breaks into a house and rapes a woman; and he is finally apprehended and hauled up before a court of law. And time has come that he should ask the prosecutor questions and the conversation goes as follows:
“When I was raping the so-called woman, was she sleeping or not?” and the prosecutor answers that she was sleeping. “No,” says the defendant. “She was not sleeping.” And he goes on to ask questions which clearly entail that he indeed raped the woman; only that the prosecutor does not have sufficient information and ends up giving wrong answers.
At the end, the learned judge now has information that the defendant indeed raped the woman but acquits him because the prosecutor did not give enough evidence regarding the case. Such is the folly of intellectual wisdom. Much as intellectual wisdom may form the basis of legal arguments, on the one hand, I should think morality is supposed to be practiced more often than not by our honorable judges.
And then there is the issue of armed robberies. Someone has pressed charges against an armed robber who was caught in the process of robbing a house or an institution and because the robber hires very prominent lawyers, he wins the case where it is clear that he indeed committed the crime. Can we say laws are indeed there to protect the innocent or to give hope to criminals?
In other instances, people who never committed any offence find themselves behind bars just because they could not afford a lawyer. Yet, it may be even in instances where it clear that they never committed a crime (of course, those in the law fraternity will always claim that those who are convicted are always guilty).
Well, whatever the case, it appears our fight against crime is still a long way to go. Old measures seem to be failing; old strategies appear to have been mastered by offenders; and it appears hope reigns only among the well-off.
Factual axioms of morality appear to matter less now and intellectual determination supersedes all human wisdom. And the tasks of “officers of the watch” continue being myriad in the face of the rising rate of crime. Yet, oftentimes, there is something in hearts of judges that was supposed to impel them to understand the nature of cases; only that it may just be ignored.
Man, being naturally a moral being, would comfortably live in the world without solders, lawyers, police officers and judges. Yet, now these individuals shape our lives. They determine how we live and they reward us with plenty or nothing, in accordance with how we live our lives.
All human beings are equal; the environment is what shapes us into different kinds. Yet, the environment does not have control over one’s life. Poverty means nothing other than lack of what others have. And richness is not the basis of judging humanity; humanity is humanity even without clothes. On the other hand, humans can be there only if they have what are basic necessities.
But does the fact that someone does not have these basic necessities warrant that such an individual should use immoral means of acquiring them? Philosophy, religion, and even basic wisdom never approves of such means.
Yet crime is on the rise, and those who advocate for a return to our roots lack all conviction. It is like that situation portrayed in W.B. Yeats’s poem The Second Coming, where the falcon can no longer hear the falconer and things are falling apart as the centre if failing to hold.
Why is it that as today we hear that a 50-year-old man has ravished a 10-year-old girl, tomorrow we hear that two men were holding an engagement ceremony somewhere? Where has our sanity gone? Where have our morals instantly vanished to?
The most dangerous thing about morality is that it is never constant if at all you entertain change. There are societies that were initially very firm when it came to guarding their morals, but have lost them because of ‘adaptation to change’. Change is only necessary if it does not conflict with the basic morals of a society.
There were things which were considered alien to some societies, but have long at last been accepted as axioms of morality in the very same societies. Our hope in the law courts is fast waning: their use of intellectual determination has betrayed many a people who advocate for morality.
Imagine this: a man breaks into a house and rapes a woman; and he is finally apprehended and hauled up before a court of law. And time has come that he should ask the prosecutor questions and the conversation goes as follows:
“When I was raping the so-called woman, was she sleeping or not?” and the prosecutor answers that she was sleeping. “No,” says the defendant. “She was not sleeping.” And he goes on to ask questions which clearly entail that he indeed raped the woman; only that the prosecutor does not have sufficient information and ends up giving wrong answers.
At the end, the learned judge now has information that the defendant indeed raped the woman but acquits him because the prosecutor did not give enough evidence regarding the case. Such is the folly of intellectual wisdom. Much as intellectual wisdom may form the basis of legal arguments, on the one hand, I should think morality is supposed to be practiced more often than not by our honorable judges.
And then there is the issue of armed robberies. Someone has pressed charges against an armed robber who was caught in the process of robbing a house or an institution and because the robber hires very prominent lawyers, he wins the case where it is clear that he indeed committed the crime. Can we say laws are indeed there to protect the innocent or to give hope to criminals?
In other instances, people who never committed any offence find themselves behind bars just because they could not afford a lawyer. Yet, it may be even in instances where it clear that they never committed a crime (of course, those in the law fraternity will always claim that those who are convicted are always guilty).
Well, whatever the case, it appears our fight against crime is still a long way to go. Old measures seem to be failing; old strategies appear to have been mastered by offenders; and it appears hope reigns only among the well-off.
Factual axioms of morality appear to matter less now and intellectual determination supersedes all human wisdom. And the tasks of “officers of the watch” continue being myriad in the face of the rising rate of crime. Yet, oftentimes, there is something in hearts of judges that was supposed to impel them to understand the nature of cases; only that it may just be ignored.
Poems Miscellaneous
Illusions of love
Away many miles even you may be,
In my heart pain mounts, breaking away
Its delicate bits glued together for free
By love from you who for my comfort has final say.
For many days with me you may live,
But yet for you my passion glows like fire.
For me you were made tho’ you may not believe,
That’s why you can’t suppress in you that desire.
A day without you but strengthens my soul;
Thus, yours too needs to face the truth,
As there at the altar no vow was made
That when comes your death mine too peeps.
Two are two
All I have for you is my heart, nothing else.
Now and then the feeling is renewed;
Although life exists only in us two;
But as for me, none is there other than you;
Yet be not conceited for separately we were made;
And alone each will be claimed.
Before our meet I was strong,
But now my life has been weakened.
Thus I find this desire for you absurd;
For what does it benefit me now?
When all truth is I am and you are.
They that say forever they shall be one
Only display a real sense of artificiality,
For out of two one make will never be pure;
And out of two shall be two, nothing more.
Hence even now we are two, not one,
For my heart is all what makes me,
And your heart all what makes you;
Whose merging can only bring death.
Thus my stand stands: two are two, never one.
Feel my pulse
Feel my pulse and append some commentary.
Does it mean anything to you now?
Tell me the truth and unburden me now;
For all I need is a true answer from you,
That I may concede defeat or celebrate win.
Look into my eyes and observe something.
Is there any reflection of love that goes into yours?
Hide nothing and put my mind at ease;
As I may be fooled by my own distant illusions
Of hopes that are coined out of wishes.
Feel my pulse and feel my life.
Is it normal when swift it is now?
And abnormal when slow it was yesterday?
An honest answer can come from you only;
You who controls my life, even in your ignorance.
Oh, pink rose!
Oh, pink rose you bring me real joy!
As the air you scent for me, no one else.
Among roses of all hues you stand out,
And render all nature but useless;
For you alone were made with all care.
But for me you are not yet one
And this way I feel it good and real;
For when I come, pluck and keep you,
Your beauty I may no longer adore.
Oh pink rose, be there in the field for my joy
To hold you between my fingers I can’t afford.
Yet all I want is no man should pluck you,
And own you as his own for a day or more;
For that way, I may not adore you anymore,
In fear of breaking a holy commandment;
As I have within my heart proved it
That I can’t own you, yet I can’t avoid you,
Then my life may as well be on the balance.
From me comes this warning
I am but a silent observer placed far and high,
Yet among you my eyes roam boldly.
From me comes a message the time is nigh;
For you whom I love fondly.
Now be to you time to straighten your ways,
That such may you after passing on have joy,
For having lived enough even for a few years;
And truly your king you shall not annoy.
From me quickly comes this message;
A message but extolling sincere warning,
That there in The Book you search a passage,
For your real life to be devoid of groaning.
Worst be times for he that has condemned
With or without ignorance, yet be the scripture
That for all message of warning has proclaimed.
But for they that wait, filled with hope for rapture;
Are required for the holy place to bring more in,
And cast wide the net for fulfilment of the commission.
Hence for them even after death joyful life may begin;
As judgment will be cast without error or omission.
Away many miles even you may be,
In my heart pain mounts, breaking away
Its delicate bits glued together for free
By love from you who for my comfort has final say.
For many days with me you may live,
But yet for you my passion glows like fire.
For me you were made tho’ you may not believe,
That’s why you can’t suppress in you that desire.
A day without you but strengthens my soul;
Thus, yours too needs to face the truth,
As there at the altar no vow was made
That when comes your death mine too peeps.
Two are two
All I have for you is my heart, nothing else.
Now and then the feeling is renewed;
Although life exists only in us two;
But as for me, none is there other than you;
Yet be not conceited for separately we were made;
And alone each will be claimed.
Before our meet I was strong,
But now my life has been weakened.
Thus I find this desire for you absurd;
For what does it benefit me now?
When all truth is I am and you are.
They that say forever they shall be one
Only display a real sense of artificiality,
For out of two one make will never be pure;
And out of two shall be two, nothing more.
Hence even now we are two, not one,
For my heart is all what makes me,
And your heart all what makes you;
Whose merging can only bring death.
Thus my stand stands: two are two, never one.
Feel my pulse
Feel my pulse and append some commentary.
Does it mean anything to you now?
Tell me the truth and unburden me now;
For all I need is a true answer from you,
That I may concede defeat or celebrate win.
Look into my eyes and observe something.
Is there any reflection of love that goes into yours?
Hide nothing and put my mind at ease;
As I may be fooled by my own distant illusions
Of hopes that are coined out of wishes.
Feel my pulse and feel my life.
Is it normal when swift it is now?
And abnormal when slow it was yesterday?
An honest answer can come from you only;
You who controls my life, even in your ignorance.
Oh, pink rose!
Oh, pink rose you bring me real joy!
As the air you scent for me, no one else.
Among roses of all hues you stand out,
And render all nature but useless;
For you alone were made with all care.
But for me you are not yet one
And this way I feel it good and real;
For when I come, pluck and keep you,
Your beauty I may no longer adore.
Oh pink rose, be there in the field for my joy
To hold you between my fingers I can’t afford.
Yet all I want is no man should pluck you,
And own you as his own for a day or more;
For that way, I may not adore you anymore,
In fear of breaking a holy commandment;
As I have within my heart proved it
That I can’t own you, yet I can’t avoid you,
Then my life may as well be on the balance.
From me comes this warning
I am but a silent observer placed far and high,
Yet among you my eyes roam boldly.
From me comes a message the time is nigh;
For you whom I love fondly.
Now be to you time to straighten your ways,
That such may you after passing on have joy,
For having lived enough even for a few years;
And truly your king you shall not annoy.
From me quickly comes this message;
A message but extolling sincere warning,
That there in The Book you search a passage,
For your real life to be devoid of groaning.
Worst be times for he that has condemned
With or without ignorance, yet be the scripture
That for all message of warning has proclaimed.
But for they that wait, filled with hope for rapture;
Are required for the holy place to bring more in,
And cast wide the net for fulfilment of the commission.
Hence for them even after death joyful life may begin;
As judgment will be cast without error or omission.
The Detective
Detective Kayange sat serenely behind his cypress desk thinking about how he would present himself before this woman whom he had been assigned to investigate. Her name was Anganile and she had been dating Mongololo, the General Manager of a certain downtown hotel, for three years now and they were planning to tie the knot the following month.
Mongololo had been tipped by some of his workmates that his fiancée was having an affair with another man. But he was not a man who would rush to act based on rumours but always wanted to establish the truth.
Above everything, he loved Anganile so much he never thought she would ever double-cross him.
Anganile was a raving beauty. Her gleaming ivories were like pellets of frozen rain. Her gentle smiley countenance spoke volumes of how much she cared for it. As she walked in the streets, men would stop dead in their tracks to feast their eyes on this wonderful creation of nature.
Only those who were confident enough had the guts to greet her. Men feared her like hell, yet she was a very sociable woman according to circumstances.
Now Kayange had been given this task by Mongololo to find out the truth concerning her alleged promiscuity. It was part of his profession and he could hardly turn down the assignment. After all, he was known to be a very competent detective, but somehow he thought that this special assignment was too difficult.
Never in his challenging profession had he ever come across such an episode which appeared to be thick with labyrinths. He knew that he was dealing with the future of both Mongololo and Anganile and that the former would kill him if he messed things up, while the latter would be terribly angry with him should she learn that her husband-to-be had jilted her because some nosy parker called a detective had fed him with some negative information.
And to another extent, the detective decided that Mongololo would not believe it should he come to him and tell him that all the rumours about Anganile going out with other men were just baseless.
Kayange pulled a file from the lowest compartment of a desk drawer, subsequently discarding some old newspapers and magazines. Holding one magazine in front of himself, he flipped through its pages purposelessly. Then he dropped it back in the drawer.
The vague impression on his mind that could be easily read on his face meant nothing progressed in him better than the usual reflex actions which he could not control. He had not been tipped by anyone what he would rank a good clue so far because he did not want anyone to interfere with his investigation.
No informant was needed as far as the secrecy of the investigation was concerned, he assured himself.
He walked out of his office with gentle springs in his measured steps and headed towards Anganile’s workplace where he though that the investigation had to start. She was working as a sales officer at a certain company which was about 200 metres away from the detective’s office.
He just thought that the investigation had to start there without making any premeditated plans. He believed that sometimes spontaneous plans worked best in his profession.
A few minutes later, he found himself on the road that connected with the one leading to Anganile’s workplace. Across the road stood a three-storey complex where the woman worked.
“So far so good,” the detective mumbled to himself as he neared the complex.
Suddenly he became unfocussed and disorganised but still he did not completely flinch from doing the assignment. He stood in front of the doorway into Anganile’s office and seemed to lose all the confidence with which he had started.
Then he knocked at the door gently and a soft feminine voice ushered him in.
After some formal greeting, Detective Kayange said to Anganile: “I am the General Manager of Tuliko Bank and have heard quite a lot about you; how you diligently work and how you have helped your organisation make outstanding profits this year.”
“What do you mean sir,” asked Anganile.
“Anyway, to be frank, my coming here is to ask you if you may consider joining our bank as an employee. I know that it might surprise you but sometimes where there is honey, you don’t necessarily need to wait till the bees leave; for they cannot leave when the honey is still there.”
Anganile smiled. She had always looked forward to the day when her welfare would be improved and here was this grand opportunity which she could hardly despise. It was a stepping stone into a brighter future, a future filled with glory.
“What should I do to return the gesture?” she wanted to know.
“You can have dinner with me tonight if you don’t already have an appointment.”
“I am a married woman.”
“Wow, I never knew. Alright what do you think you can do which you will be comfortable with?” He decided that perhaps it could have been better if he had brought with him the recorder so that he would record the whole conversation.
Anganile just smiled without saying a word. It was clear that the ball was in the detective’s court. The woman just moved to and fro in her swivel chair. The detective decided that he had discovered enough about this woman but the only problem was that he did not have any evidence that she was promiscuous.
He wanted to leave, but her beam was so inviting and he could hardly ignore it.
“Come,” she beckoned him pointing at her lap.
Who was Kayange to reject the offer? Who was he to discount this angel beckoning him, this bird which had perched itself on a snare which he had never set. He was human, born of fresh and blood and he had feelings like all humans. He ambled towards her and looked in her roving eyes.
“Come and sit here,” she repeated and pointed at her left thigh this time around.
He resisted but finally he fell to the temptations of the fresh. He forgot that he was on a mission and that he had a family at home which relied on him on everything. The two were like they had been lovers for a decade, yet they had only met that day.
That marked the beginning of a love relationship. Mongololo kept waiting for Detective Kayange to give him the final information as soon as possible. After waiting for too long he decided to visit the detective and ask how far he had gone with the investigation.
But when he arrived at the detective’s office, he was told that he had gone out. Then he decided to go to his fiancée’s office. There he found the detective sitting on Anganile’s lap comfortably reading a newspaper. Mongololo could not believe his eyes. What the hell was going on? Why the hell would Kayange do that to him? He collapsed.
Mongololo had been tipped by some of his workmates that his fiancée was having an affair with another man. But he was not a man who would rush to act based on rumours but always wanted to establish the truth.
Above everything, he loved Anganile so much he never thought she would ever double-cross him.
Anganile was a raving beauty. Her gleaming ivories were like pellets of frozen rain. Her gentle smiley countenance spoke volumes of how much she cared for it. As she walked in the streets, men would stop dead in their tracks to feast their eyes on this wonderful creation of nature.
Only those who were confident enough had the guts to greet her. Men feared her like hell, yet she was a very sociable woman according to circumstances.
Now Kayange had been given this task by Mongololo to find out the truth concerning her alleged promiscuity. It was part of his profession and he could hardly turn down the assignment. After all, he was known to be a very competent detective, but somehow he thought that this special assignment was too difficult.
Never in his challenging profession had he ever come across such an episode which appeared to be thick with labyrinths. He knew that he was dealing with the future of both Mongololo and Anganile and that the former would kill him if he messed things up, while the latter would be terribly angry with him should she learn that her husband-to-be had jilted her because some nosy parker called a detective had fed him with some negative information.
And to another extent, the detective decided that Mongololo would not believe it should he come to him and tell him that all the rumours about Anganile going out with other men were just baseless.
Kayange pulled a file from the lowest compartment of a desk drawer, subsequently discarding some old newspapers and magazines. Holding one magazine in front of himself, he flipped through its pages purposelessly. Then he dropped it back in the drawer.
The vague impression on his mind that could be easily read on his face meant nothing progressed in him better than the usual reflex actions which he could not control. He had not been tipped by anyone what he would rank a good clue so far because he did not want anyone to interfere with his investigation.
No informant was needed as far as the secrecy of the investigation was concerned, he assured himself.
He walked out of his office with gentle springs in his measured steps and headed towards Anganile’s workplace where he though that the investigation had to start. She was working as a sales officer at a certain company which was about 200 metres away from the detective’s office.
He just thought that the investigation had to start there without making any premeditated plans. He believed that sometimes spontaneous plans worked best in his profession.
A few minutes later, he found himself on the road that connected with the one leading to Anganile’s workplace. Across the road stood a three-storey complex where the woman worked.
“So far so good,” the detective mumbled to himself as he neared the complex.
Suddenly he became unfocussed and disorganised but still he did not completely flinch from doing the assignment. He stood in front of the doorway into Anganile’s office and seemed to lose all the confidence with which he had started.
Then he knocked at the door gently and a soft feminine voice ushered him in.
After some formal greeting, Detective Kayange said to Anganile: “I am the General Manager of Tuliko Bank and have heard quite a lot about you; how you diligently work and how you have helped your organisation make outstanding profits this year.”
“What do you mean sir,” asked Anganile.
“Anyway, to be frank, my coming here is to ask you if you may consider joining our bank as an employee. I know that it might surprise you but sometimes where there is honey, you don’t necessarily need to wait till the bees leave; for they cannot leave when the honey is still there.”
Anganile smiled. She had always looked forward to the day when her welfare would be improved and here was this grand opportunity which she could hardly despise. It was a stepping stone into a brighter future, a future filled with glory.
“What should I do to return the gesture?” she wanted to know.
“You can have dinner with me tonight if you don’t already have an appointment.”
“I am a married woman.”
“Wow, I never knew. Alright what do you think you can do which you will be comfortable with?” He decided that perhaps it could have been better if he had brought with him the recorder so that he would record the whole conversation.
Anganile just smiled without saying a word. It was clear that the ball was in the detective’s court. The woman just moved to and fro in her swivel chair. The detective decided that he had discovered enough about this woman but the only problem was that he did not have any evidence that she was promiscuous.
He wanted to leave, but her beam was so inviting and he could hardly ignore it.
“Come,” she beckoned him pointing at her lap.
Who was Kayange to reject the offer? Who was he to discount this angel beckoning him, this bird which had perched itself on a snare which he had never set. He was human, born of fresh and blood and he had feelings like all humans. He ambled towards her and looked in her roving eyes.
“Come and sit here,” she repeated and pointed at her left thigh this time around.
He resisted but finally he fell to the temptations of the fresh. He forgot that he was on a mission and that he had a family at home which relied on him on everything. The two were like they had been lovers for a decade, yet they had only met that day.
That marked the beginning of a love relationship. Mongololo kept waiting for Detective Kayange to give him the final information as soon as possible. After waiting for too long he decided to visit the detective and ask how far he had gone with the investigation.
But when he arrived at the detective’s office, he was told that he had gone out. Then he decided to go to his fiancée’s office. There he found the detective sitting on Anganile’s lap comfortably reading a newspaper. Mongololo could not believe his eyes. What the hell was going on? Why the hell would Kayange do that to him? He collapsed.
Home is Best for All Mankind
Those of us who are keenly aware of how life out of a defined home – life in the midst of strangers – is, might not consider it wise to express any disapproval towards government’s desire to have street kids relocated to their homes, or at least a place they can comfortably call home.
Street kids might spend their nights under roofs, eat good food from their daily alms and appear to be satisfied with how they live; yet above everything, what they need most is a place they can call home; a place where they will feel deep within their souls that they belong.
It is a fact that they always desire to have someone around them on whom they can lean when misfortunes strike. Yet, while they remain in streets – in places where they are reportedly abused in different ways – such tidings remain as far-fetched as gold dust. Life there in the streets treats them unfairly – or may be fairly, since that is its nature: peace, comfort and harmony can never be guaranteed in streets.
From the beginning of this millennium, or thereabout, street kids – both males and females – have been constant victims of all kinds of abuse, both physical and sexual. And since the perpetrators have not always been successfully brought to book, it is wise to take these kids away from harm’s way. They are human beings, and nothing separates them from the indisputable position of them being such in all kinds.
They have taken streets to be their homes because that is where they feel they can find the ultimate hope for their survival. Some of them have been driven out of their real homes by their own parents and are left with only one option: to call the streets home. They can be forgiven for that, for that is where they find hope and comfort; that is wherever they hang, and that is where they always feel they belong.
Street kids have perceptions of all mankind and their feelings are not completely manipulated by the illusory comfort of life in the streets. They, at one point in time, develop a sentimental longing towards home. This is their real home where they have to belong; and in fact, where they always feel they belong.
We, as human beings, might take different directions and stay in different places, but something will still haunt us. This is the desire to go back home. Of course, some have argued before that home is wherever one feels comfortable and wherever one finds all what they need; nevertheless, real home will always beckon us towards it, naturally.
And in streets, no one belongs, even if some may feel they do. That is why street kids duly need to be taken back home. All we need to do is to welcome them and give them an embrace of brotherhood or sisterhood. The social status of the families in which they were born, their physical condition or the state of whether they have parents or not should not alien them from mankind; they too, are human beings and need to belong among human beings.
There are parents who fell out with their kids, and subsequently resorted to chasing them out of their homes. My plea to them is to forgive them and forget everything so that a new life – a renewed one – may blossom between or among them. This might be the most intriguing experiences of their lives. Let the kid/s be received back like the biblical prodigal son and be embraced with many smiles. That will again make them feel human; it will revive the hope they once had and open a new chapter in their lives.
One thing that will always remain so is that no human being is completely detached from the race of mankind, for by default, he is part of it. All street kids, no matter where they were born, have some relations or, at least someone so close to them that they can take them as their next father or mother or brother or sister. If we have the potential of living with them, let us do so and save the futures of these street kids.
Of course, there are some street kids – and they are likely to be many for that matter – who may present some resistance towards the ‘relocation’ exercise. Such kids need some psychological counseling so that they understand that no one belongs to the streets. They might have undergone terrible experiences which drove them to the streets, but the most important thing is that we tell them that there is always a better home beyond the streets; a home that smells sweet because it is always designed to be home.
Time has come – and is fully ripe – that street kids should have the opportunity of redefining home. They should be taken home, where they can, at least be assured of safety and security, and where they can take pride and understand that it is always home even if it may not be so homely. Above everything, street kids, too, like all of us, need a place they can comfortably call home, for home is best for all mankind.
Street kids might spend their nights under roofs, eat good food from their daily alms and appear to be satisfied with how they live; yet above everything, what they need most is a place they can call home; a place where they will feel deep within their souls that they belong.
It is a fact that they always desire to have someone around them on whom they can lean when misfortunes strike. Yet, while they remain in streets – in places where they are reportedly abused in different ways – such tidings remain as far-fetched as gold dust. Life there in the streets treats them unfairly – or may be fairly, since that is its nature: peace, comfort and harmony can never be guaranteed in streets.
From the beginning of this millennium, or thereabout, street kids – both males and females – have been constant victims of all kinds of abuse, both physical and sexual. And since the perpetrators have not always been successfully brought to book, it is wise to take these kids away from harm’s way. They are human beings, and nothing separates them from the indisputable position of them being such in all kinds.
They have taken streets to be their homes because that is where they feel they can find the ultimate hope for their survival. Some of them have been driven out of their real homes by their own parents and are left with only one option: to call the streets home. They can be forgiven for that, for that is where they find hope and comfort; that is wherever they hang, and that is where they always feel they belong.
Street kids have perceptions of all mankind and their feelings are not completely manipulated by the illusory comfort of life in the streets. They, at one point in time, develop a sentimental longing towards home. This is their real home where they have to belong; and in fact, where they always feel they belong.
We, as human beings, might take different directions and stay in different places, but something will still haunt us. This is the desire to go back home. Of course, some have argued before that home is wherever one feels comfortable and wherever one finds all what they need; nevertheless, real home will always beckon us towards it, naturally.
And in streets, no one belongs, even if some may feel they do. That is why street kids duly need to be taken back home. All we need to do is to welcome them and give them an embrace of brotherhood or sisterhood. The social status of the families in which they were born, their physical condition or the state of whether they have parents or not should not alien them from mankind; they too, are human beings and need to belong among human beings.
There are parents who fell out with their kids, and subsequently resorted to chasing them out of their homes. My plea to them is to forgive them and forget everything so that a new life – a renewed one – may blossom between or among them. This might be the most intriguing experiences of their lives. Let the kid/s be received back like the biblical prodigal son and be embraced with many smiles. That will again make them feel human; it will revive the hope they once had and open a new chapter in their lives.
One thing that will always remain so is that no human being is completely detached from the race of mankind, for by default, he is part of it. All street kids, no matter where they were born, have some relations or, at least someone so close to them that they can take them as their next father or mother or brother or sister. If we have the potential of living with them, let us do so and save the futures of these street kids.
Of course, there are some street kids – and they are likely to be many for that matter – who may present some resistance towards the ‘relocation’ exercise. Such kids need some psychological counseling so that they understand that no one belongs to the streets. They might have undergone terrible experiences which drove them to the streets, but the most important thing is that we tell them that there is always a better home beyond the streets; a home that smells sweet because it is always designed to be home.
Time has come – and is fully ripe – that street kids should have the opportunity of redefining home. They should be taken home, where they can, at least be assured of safety and security, and where they can take pride and understand that it is always home even if it may not be so homely. Above everything, street kids, too, like all of us, need a place they can comfortably call home, for home is best for all mankind.
Tragedy in our Midst
It is usually the nature of tragedy to strike when we least expect it; yet we always expect it – we always live with it – that is why we must strive to make things better. Always. On the other hand, we always need to avoid tragedy; that is if at all it can be avoided. Nevertheless, oftentimes, tragedy has proved to be beyond human wisdom; beyond all technological predictions – for it strikes even palaces which have maximum security.
Still more, if tragedy can, at all, at least be foretold, we must prepare for its coming. We must put in place precautionary measures of dealing with it because he will be ridiculed if it strikes us after an alarm has already been sounded.
There is some tragedy in our amidst. Our own actions have led to extreme weather conditions which we have never experienced before, and things are fast getting out of hand. The current climate change is not accidental; it was forewarned and all what we needed to do was to avoid all what precipitates it.
Yet, we never did; instead, we cut down trees carelessly and increased green house gas emissions and now things are falling apart. The whole scenario has turned against us now and human wisdom appears to be constantly failing.
Nevertheless, we still have alternatives which can help redress this global tragedy. We can reduce green house gas emissions and plant as many trees as possible. We, as the situation is now, appear to have no choice. In most African countries, the most viable mode of contributing towards the mitigation of climate change is by planting trees, and above all, by avoiding cutting them.
Some experts argue that the most painful thing about climate change is that most areas which are horribly affected are those that contribute the least to it. Some have gone further to point out that the effects of climate change are now coming when most African countries are making great strides in their development, industrial development inclusive. Well, whatever the case, climate change is here with us and we cannot fold our arms and wait for come what may.
We need to do something before things completely get out hand. The fact of who contributes most to climate change might be of little significance now: you don’t fail to take your poisoned child to hospital just because you are not the one who poisoned him. Your priority is to have him saved and you need to do everything within your capacity to ensure he is healed. Thus, it makes little or no sense at all to argue that we should not be concerned about mitigating the impacts of climate change just because we contribute very little to it.
Environmental organizations and, in fact, all of us should take a leading role in conserving the environment – for our own sake and for the sake of our children. Projections of when the real impacts of climate change will be terribly felt by mankind might be placed far from today, but it will still be time when those affected will remain human beings, and they will be our own children, for that matter. In fact, there might be no need to go as far as the future generations because the tragedy of climate change is evidently already here, and is affecting us who live now.
Charcoal and firewood businesses can be given alternatives, thereby curtailing the careless cutting down of trees. Otherwise, the current trend of charcoal and firewood business has gone to horrible levels and needs to be curbed without procrastination.
Another thing which worries most Malawians is that despite the fact that charcoal burning is a criminal offense, you will still find numerous bags of the same perched along the main roads of this country. And you sometimes wonder who is not doing whose job. Where do the sellers find the courage with which to fell numerous trees for charcoal burning if the fear of being found on the wrong side of the law is in them? It is clear that, much as the laws are there in the departments of forestry and wildlife, such laws are seldom put into practice.
Stakeholders can come in and help Malawi return to its roots. They can promote the lives of Malawians in different ways so that the green vegetation that is there in this country should not perish; hope should not be completely mutilated. The little that is there can be sustained.
In other instances, it appears most areas which were supposed to be protected are undergoing constant abuse in terms of cutting down trees and setting them on wild bushfires. Perhaps government, through the relevant ministry or departments, can do something about these areas because it is not always charcoal selling that is diminishing our vegetation.
Tragedy should only strike where it is beyond human wisdom. It is mostly true that on one hand it is not always anticipated. Still more, we live with it and sometimes deliberately choose to embrace it, yet it never comes singing calming songs; rather its main aim is to maim all hope. This tragedy of climate change is something that has been solely initiated by man – and subsequently needs to be redressed by man since it is affecting man himself.
Still more, if tragedy can, at all, at least be foretold, we must prepare for its coming. We must put in place precautionary measures of dealing with it because he will be ridiculed if it strikes us after an alarm has already been sounded.
There is some tragedy in our amidst. Our own actions have led to extreme weather conditions which we have never experienced before, and things are fast getting out of hand. The current climate change is not accidental; it was forewarned and all what we needed to do was to avoid all what precipitates it.
Yet, we never did; instead, we cut down trees carelessly and increased green house gas emissions and now things are falling apart. The whole scenario has turned against us now and human wisdom appears to be constantly failing.
Nevertheless, we still have alternatives which can help redress this global tragedy. We can reduce green house gas emissions and plant as many trees as possible. We, as the situation is now, appear to have no choice. In most African countries, the most viable mode of contributing towards the mitigation of climate change is by planting trees, and above all, by avoiding cutting them.
Some experts argue that the most painful thing about climate change is that most areas which are horribly affected are those that contribute the least to it. Some have gone further to point out that the effects of climate change are now coming when most African countries are making great strides in their development, industrial development inclusive. Well, whatever the case, climate change is here with us and we cannot fold our arms and wait for come what may.
We need to do something before things completely get out hand. The fact of who contributes most to climate change might be of little significance now: you don’t fail to take your poisoned child to hospital just because you are not the one who poisoned him. Your priority is to have him saved and you need to do everything within your capacity to ensure he is healed. Thus, it makes little or no sense at all to argue that we should not be concerned about mitigating the impacts of climate change just because we contribute very little to it.
Environmental organizations and, in fact, all of us should take a leading role in conserving the environment – for our own sake and for the sake of our children. Projections of when the real impacts of climate change will be terribly felt by mankind might be placed far from today, but it will still be time when those affected will remain human beings, and they will be our own children, for that matter. In fact, there might be no need to go as far as the future generations because the tragedy of climate change is evidently already here, and is affecting us who live now.
Charcoal and firewood businesses can be given alternatives, thereby curtailing the careless cutting down of trees. Otherwise, the current trend of charcoal and firewood business has gone to horrible levels and needs to be curbed without procrastination.
Another thing which worries most Malawians is that despite the fact that charcoal burning is a criminal offense, you will still find numerous bags of the same perched along the main roads of this country. And you sometimes wonder who is not doing whose job. Where do the sellers find the courage with which to fell numerous trees for charcoal burning if the fear of being found on the wrong side of the law is in them? It is clear that, much as the laws are there in the departments of forestry and wildlife, such laws are seldom put into practice.
Stakeholders can come in and help Malawi return to its roots. They can promote the lives of Malawians in different ways so that the green vegetation that is there in this country should not perish; hope should not be completely mutilated. The little that is there can be sustained.
In other instances, it appears most areas which were supposed to be protected are undergoing constant abuse in terms of cutting down trees and setting them on wild bushfires. Perhaps government, through the relevant ministry or departments, can do something about these areas because it is not always charcoal selling that is diminishing our vegetation.
Tragedy should only strike where it is beyond human wisdom. It is mostly true that on one hand it is not always anticipated. Still more, we live with it and sometimes deliberately choose to embrace it, yet it never comes singing calming songs; rather its main aim is to maim all hope. This tragedy of climate change is something that has been solely initiated by man – and subsequently needs to be redressed by man since it is affecting man himself.
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