malawi

Kids in the U.S.A comparing their lives to a 13 year old girl named Edith in Malawi.

The Grymes Memorial School fourth grade class watched a series of Global Lives videos of Edith Kaphuka, a 13-year-old student at Domasi Mission Primary School in Zomba District, Malawi (Global Lives Project shoot in 2007). The oldest of four girls, Edith has many responsibilities at her home in Ngwale Village, such as fetching water, cleaning the dishes, and gardening. Her little sister, Memory, is her best friend; when the two are together, they are nearly inseparable. While Edith and her family are Yao, they more readily speak Chichewa, Malawi's national language. This book describes the similarities and differences between a kids life in Malawi and the United States. The photos of Malawi are taken by Jason J Price and can be found on his Global Lives Project Malawi Flickr Site.

Global Lives

Transportation

Edith goes places very different than us. She walks everywhere and never goes on vacations, at least, not out of the country.

On the other hand, I take cars, busses or planes when I go from place to place. Just like Edith, I walk to other places in my house, just not to school. I do go on vacations, but, since the US is big, I don’t go out of the country, just out of the state.

House

Edith has a toilet outside. She has only one little trunk to put her clothes in. She doesn’t have any running water.

My house is very different. I have a pool, heated bed, hot tub, diving board, and electricity.

Edith’s morning routine

Edith’s morning routine goes something like this: wake up (4 am), get dressed and do chores, and make breakfast. Mine is not really different from hers.

This is my morning routine: wake up and get dressed, eat breakfast, brush my teeth. My morning routine seems easier than hers.

DRINKING WATER

Where Edith lives there are few wells. She has to walk a long way to get water. Water is limited to Edith and her family.

We only have to turn a faucet to get water. Or we buy bottled water. We drink water all day. Our water is clean.

Chores

Edith does many chores such as making breakfast, sweeping, and getting water. (She definitely does more chores than I do!)

Now, I don`t make breakfast, or get water, but I do make my bed, and help with my animals. I also sweep, like Edith does!

Homework

Edith has to do homework like reading and math in the candlelight. They learn Chichewa.

I do homework with lights. I also do math and reading but also spelling. I learn Spanish and English.

Games

Edith plays basketball at her school and the basket has no net or backboard. At home she plays jump rope with her friends and family. Sometimes she plays a game of kick ball at school.

When I get home I go to my room and play Minecraft. When I go downstairs I jump on the trampoline . On Saturdays I play lacrosse.

Getting to school

To get to school Edith has to walk. It takes an extremely long time.

For me getting to school is fast and easy. All I have to do is hop on the bus.

School

Edith has assemblies and so do I, but nobody talks in hers and she is marching the whole time. She also doesn’t get her own stuff . She has to share her books and her desk.

At my school we have technology like computers and phones and at Edith’s school she has no technology. She is also dismissed earlier. I get my own books and desk.

Sports

Edith does a lot of different sports. They play basketball without a backboard and no dribbling. Their equipment is very different. They did not wear any shoes. In Malawi they use flat basketballs. Their field is dirty and dry.

In the USA our basketball hoop has a backboard and we dribble. Our fields and courts are very clean. Our equipment is nice and clean. We wear basketball shoes when we play sports.

Money

Their money is a lot different then ours. We have dollars and they have Kwacha.

kwacha

382 Kwacha =$1.00 in the USA The people in Malawi don’t get allowance. The do more work than I do. Some kids have to walk 3 days to get water. How do they not get paid for that!