Aspects of Malawi 2: At home in Malawi
To give children a glimpse of daily life in a village in Malawi.
by Helen Redfern
Suitable for Whole School (Pri)
Aims
To give children a glimpse of daily life in a village in Malawi.
Preparation and materials
-
A girl of about six years to be a reader, preferably wearing a piece of colourful cloth tied around her waist as a skirt. This is called a ‘tchenje’ in Malawi.
- A washing-up bowl with some plastic cups and plates in.
- Some pieces of wood.
- A basket for collecting fruit.
- Photographs are available to download to accompany this assembly.
Assembly
- Brainstorm ideas from the children about the objects we have in our homes in this country. Imagine a house with:
no chairs …
no tables …
no television …
no running water …
no electricity …
no carpets …
no cupboards …
Most houses in Malawi do not have any of these things. - Ask your reader to read this section (or the leader could read and the girl could act it out):
My name is Grace. I live in a village near Lake Malawi.
I live with my mother, my grandma and my brother. My grandma weaves mats for us to sit on.
My brother goes to school in the next village. He loves playing football.
I do not go to school. I help my mother. I take the plates to wash in the lake. (Carries the bowl on her head.)
I collect wood for the fire. (Picks up pieces of wood.)
I pick up the apples that have fallen from the tree. (Pretends to pick up apples and put them in the basket.)
I chase the dogs and chickens out of the house. - Grace lives in a house made of mud bricks.
The bricks are cut out of the dry river bed.
There is no furniture in the house. Grace and her family sit and sleep on the floor.
The kitchen, toilet and washing area are all outside.
Time for reflection
Take time to imagine what it might be like to live like Grace.
Imagine living in a house with no furniture.
Our houses are so full of things to be thankful for.
As we consider the country of Malawi, let us open our minds to learn from how the people live and work and play.
Let us open our hearts to appreciate all that we have.
Let us open our imaginations to help the hopes of the people of Malawi become realities.
Song/music
‘He’s got the whole world’ (Come and Praise, 19)
