Orphan geographies in Malawi

Abstract

There are about one million orphans in Malawi. The global response has been a mix of alarm and inaction, with well-intended efforts often stymied by misunderstandings about childhoods, family dynamics, and poverty in Malawi. This paper uses children's geographies and interviews with 25 orphans in Malawi to bring forward the everyday lives and circumstances of orphans at the micro-scale, while addressing the impact of macro-scale processes such as the Millennium Development Goals and transnational charities. The results point to specific problems with contemporary understandings of orphanhood in southern Africa and underscore the need for reflection on the effectiveness of interventions targeted at orphans as a discrete group.

Keywords:

• orphans
• childhoods
• Malawi
• Africa
• rural geography
• development

Acknowledgements

The author thanks Dr Rachel Bezner Kerr, Dr Tony Weis, Mrs Esther Lupafya, Mr Penjani Kanyimbo and Mr Chimwemwe Salie Hara for their vital contributions to this research.

Notes

1. Pseudonyms are used in this paper to preserve the anonymity of participants.