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Malawi and its Heritage
Malawi is located in East-Central Africa and in size comparable to England. It has a population of about 12 million people. This makes Malawi not only one of the poorest but also one of the most populated countries in Africa. Malawi was a British protectorate named Nyasaland till 1964. During colonial rule the existence of a notable African history before the arrival of Livingstone was denied. Regrettably, this notion has subsequently spread into all layers of Malawi society. The current poverty hampers correction of this historical error. In view of the precarious financial situation, cultural heritage conservation and education, no matter how important for matters of identity and development important for matters of identity and development, has low priority for national government, let alone for the average Malawian family that has to live on a dollar a day. As a result large groups of people have been disconnected from their past.
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This might well become an irrevocable process as, with the current scarcity of arable land, archaeological sites are continuously being destroyed. Intangible cultural heritage, such as masked dances, story telling and spirit possession rites, is being lost in the face of Christianization, democratization, and modernization.
The Establishment of Mlambe Foundation
In many respects, the past can be a resource for the present and the future. In light of this, Mlambe Foundation was established to increase awareness of a Malawian past that is worth being proud of and the remaining vestiges of which need protection in order to keep the memory of it alive. This heritage can further be an inspiration for income generating activities that could contribute to wide-spread poverty reduction efforts in the country. |
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