Allen's Journey from Child Labor to Academic Resilience

The reality in Mwandima Village in the Chitipa district of Malawi is challenging for youth. As is the case in various districts across Malawi, educational infrastructure in Chitipa is sparse, forcing children to commence their education later than usual. This delay arises due to the considerable distances that children must traverse to reach the nearest school, sometimes crossing perilous rivers without supervision.

Allen's case, however, was compounded by additional socio-economic factors. Born and raised in a modest village in the Misuku Hills, Allen had to leave education at a young age to contribute to his family's income. His parents, who are laborers, often struggled due to the lack of resources, which led Allen to engage in child labour at local coffee plantations when he was between eight and nine years old. Subjected to 12-hour workdays with limited rest, Allen's educational aspirations were put on an indefinite hold.

. Though some people laugh at me, I care less about my age. Instead, I work hard in school because I want to go all the way to university."

Allen

“Of course, most of the other youth my age is almost done with secondary school now. I envy them but I believe I will make it too. Though some people laugh at me, I care less about my age. Instead, I work hard in school because I want to go all the way to university,” he says.
When asked, Allen recalls how he found himself out of school: “My parents are poor labourers. Seeing how tough it was to find food back then, I joined them and my siblings to work for food in the coffee plantations. I started doing the work when I was between eight and nine years old,” he says.

Allen was a victim of child labour, working 12 hours every day, from 6 am to 6 pm, without adequate breaks to rest in between.

“I was weeding coffee farms with chemicals. I was also picking coffee using bare hands and carrying the coffee on my head to the factory for processing,” Allen recalls the toil that was earning him a meagre K2,000 (US$2) a day.

At the age of 14, he completely stopped going to school because “we did not have enough money to survive on. I was now a fulltime labourer and I completely forgot about school,” Allen says.

I was weeding coffee farms with chemicals. I was also picking coffee using bare hands and carrying the coffee on my head to the factory for processing."

Allen

In July 2022, as Allen approached his 19th birthday, a significant turn of events took place. A delegation from Chanya Primary School, along with its governing body, visited Mwandima Village. Their mission was two-fold: to discuss the crucial importance of education and to encourage school dropouts to resume their education. Through the intervention of this initiative, Allen was given the opportunity to return to school, this time as a beneficiary of the ACCEL Africa project. The project equipped him with essential learning materials, including textbooks, thereby facilitating his reintegration into the educational system.

“I agreed to return to school because I was assured that they would give me enough support. I believe that I will become self-reliant after completing school, especially at university level,” he notes.

Allen is indeed proud to be back at at school and is grateful for the support he is getting from his teachers. Allen says that after the normal classes, “my teachers offer me remedial classes in the afternoon so that I can catch up with my colleagues.”

According to Allen, the subjects he most like are Mathematics and English which he hopes to be teaching in future, as he aspires to become a teacher.

Allen is currently enrolled as a student in Standard Seven, sharing a classroom with pupils averaging nine years younger than him. This age gap, far from being a hindrance, serves as a motivating factor for him. Determined to excel, Allen sees his age and experiences as an impetus to work harder. His goal is to impart knowledge and contribute to the educational advancement of children in his community.

“I also hope to raise awareness among parents about the need to let their children go to school to learn and not direct them to work. Earning a living should be the responsibility of adults only,” Allen signals.

Allen's journey exemplifies the transformative power of education and serves as an inspiration for others in similar circumstances. With sustained efforts from local communities, governing bodies, and international organizations, many more stories like Allen's could unfold, changing the narrative of education in Chitipa and beyond.

His story is a testament to the importance of initiatives that address the root causes of child labour, thereby providing vulnerable youth with a second chance at fulfilling their educational and career aspirations.