FIC IN MALAWI

NUMBERS

The FIC has been active in Malawi since 1960.

At present the FIC province in Malawi has a very international appearance. We find ten Malawian brothers, two Ghaneans, two Indonesians and eleven Dutch brothers three of whom are actually retired and two others intend to return to the Netherlands in the course of 2002.

Out of the 25 brothers in Malawi 18 have taken their vows for life, five took their temporary vows and two are preparing for their profession in the FIC.

The Malawian province consists of five communities, the Formation House, Mary View, Mzedi, Newlands, all in Blantyre District and finally Mitengo in Thyolo District.

One brother lives and works in Nyanga in Zimbabwe.

ACTIVITIES

Several brothers work in St. Patrick's Secondary School in Limbe. They are responsible for catechesis, are involved in teaching and one is Headmaster.

Two brothers are involved in an agricultural project. They teach farmers how to improve cultivation of the land even under very poor conditions.

Two brothers are employed in the teacher training programme, one as instructor the other one as a tutor.

One brother is active in primary education and one is Director of a technical school.

Two brothers are involved in the education of the deaf.

In difficult circumstances , due to continuous shortness of food one brother takes care of the catering for boarders and communities.

One brother works as honorary consul of the Dutch government. He is the only official representative of the Netherlands in Malawi.

One brother spends all his free time on the care and attention of aids patients. Another one is fully involved in a social programme for the wellfare of streetchildren in Limbe/Blantyre.

THE SITUATION IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

For years our schools could rely on full support of the Ministry of Education in Malawi. There was no need to call for financial support from the General Council in the Netherlands.

Unfortunately this situation has changed. The Malawian government appears no longer to be in a position to allocate sufficient funds for education and formation. Teachers receive a moderate salary and often they have to wait for months before they are paid. This sometimes leads to great tension in schools. The situation in education in Malawi is just awkward.

Teaching standards are low. Government has too little means to keep primary education up to the mark. National debts went up to an unacceptable level.

Many teachers are not sufficiently motivated nor are they properly trained. Teaching is often not a matter of vocation but simply a way of earning a living.

In 1994 education became free for all. In principle this was a good thing but the consequence was that schools got overcrowded. Besides the lack of teachers there is a tremendous need for teaching material and classrooms.

Many teachers are often absent because of illness or numerous funerals (of aids patients). This is alo true for pupils who often fail to report as they have to help on the land.

Until 1970 education of the handicapped was hardly given any attention. From that time brothers became active in the education of the deaf and the visually handicapped. You can read more about this in the interviews with the brothers Kees van Oudheusden and Ludwin Speth.

At present special education has for the greater part been taken over by Malawians.

The FIC founded three boarding schools for the deaf in Mary View, Mua and Mountainview respectively.

Our brothers are still of opinion that in the spirit of their founders Mgr. Rutten and Brother Bernard good education and good formation are the basics for the development of the individual person and for the nation as a whole.

In Malawi we try to set examples for teachers in our teaching methods, organisation and faithfulness in the teaching profession.

OTHER APOSTOLATES

It should be mentioned that two of our brothers dedicate themselves, on top of their main job, to the care for the increasing number of aids patients and street children. Aids is a scourge specifically for Africa where the disease is denied and where too few preventive measures are taken. Innumerable people die from that disease. Many orphans are the result. A complete generation of young people is being wiped out. Here we try on a small scale to lend a hand. As drops in the ocean.

Source: BERICHTEN VAN DE BROEDERS VAN MAASTRICHT, 2002, nummer 1

Translation Bro. Rudolf van Oudheusden, f.i.c.