Give Malawians the reason to smile

The 2024 International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) World Happiness Report has shown that Malawians are becoming increasingly disillusioned with their quality of life amid socio-economic hardships.

Local sociologists and psychologists have agreed with the assessment in the report.

We, too, agree that Malawians are becoming more and more depressed and unhappy with their quality of life due to many factors, including the cost of living that has been steadily rising coupled with the devaluation and leadership that has veered off from what it promised.

Ever since the Reserve Bank of Malawi devalued the kwacha, first by 25 percent in May 2022 and second by 44 percent last November, life has never been the same for Malawians. Everything changed. What has remained unchanged, though, was personal income such that many Malawians are barely making ends meet. Inflation has been on the rise too.

It is hard in such circumstances to find a smiling face. The unhappiness is worsened by the fact that Malawians know that they deserve better, but they are not getting what they deserve. Look at the unemployment levels. Every year public universities are graduating thousands of graduates that cannot be absolved in the industry.

But is there a light at the end of the tunnel? How do we get to a better Malawi 2063 and its 10-year targets one of which is due in 2030 to transform the economy to lower middle-income status? There is much talk about and promotion of megafarms, but are they the panacea to every problem the country is facing? The long-term development strategies feel like light at the end of the tunnel, but it is unclear how we will get there.

Malawians feel stuck with no way out of the current socio-economic problems, it is no wonder people are fighting everywhere, on the streets, in church and at home. Suicide cases are also on the rise. There is so much despair.

This is when leadership needs to step up and address the problems affecting the most productive population of our country. Industrialisation is perhaps the most sure way of dealing with high levels of unemployment. Let the government focus on that because right now, every projection looks gloomy.

Malawians deserve better, give them the reason to smile.