By
Pearson Nkhoma
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Personal Contacts
Email: pnkhoma@gmail.com or pearpie_c@yahoo.com
Mobile Phone: +2658603556 or +2659308956
Postal Address: C/O Mr. H. Kayuni, PAS Dept., Chancellor College, P/O Box 280, Zomba. Malawi.
Academic Background
The author is a Forth Year student at Chancellor College pursuing Bachelor Degree in Media for Development Communication studies. His focus of study include: Development, Media and journalism, human rights, advocacy and Communication for Development, Public Health, Rural and Community Development, Poverty and Reduction.
Research Background
The author is an upcoming researcher who co authored and presented a paper at the “2007 National Language Symposium” that was hosted by the University of Malawi’s Centre of Language Studies. The paper was titled, The Role of Local Languages in Achieving Socio-Economic Development: A Critical Analysis on how Usage of Local Languages in Development Strategies and Development Fora can Accelerate Development and Attainment of the MDG’S in Malawi?
He is also freelance writers for National print media, the Sunday Times and Malawi News and has published articles in areas to do with national development.
MALAWI’s PERFORMANCE ON THE MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A CRITICAL ASSESSMENT ON WHETHER MALAWI IS ON TRACK TO ACHIEVE THE EDUCATION AND GENDER GOALS BY 2015.
By Pearson Nkhoma
ABSTRACT
The efforts to eradicate poverty in Malawi have a very long history. The country has so far adopted many development policies and plans since colonial era with an attempt to address different dimensions of development challenges. One such development strategies are the International Development Goals, set up in 1996, which Malawi, together with 188 other countries adopted in September 2000 at the UN Millennium Summit as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) with a target of halving most development challenges like extreme poverty by 2015. The MDGs comprise of 8 goals, 18 targets and 48 indicators and are time bound for making real progress by 2015.
However, we are now almost half way through and there have been many outcries if the country is on track or not. It is in this light that this paper attempts to assess, review and evaluate the performance of the country towards achieving the MDGs by 2015 with a special focus on Education and Gender Goals. It summarizes the progress of the country with an aim of providing a clearer understanding of the constraints Malawi is facing on attaining these goals, and with an effort to evaluate and analyse whether Malawi is on track or not.
Key Words: Poverty, Sustainable Development, Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), education, gender, Participation and Malawi.