By Witness Chausi.
A standard five primary school dropout pupil from Malivenji Primary School in Mzuzu City , has revealed that he earns his living through the sand business that makes him have money for his family.
A boy who lives beyond poverty line, has complained the hardship he is facing to meet his end meet as he is the only son to take care of his siblings.
James Mhango is a 13-year-old boy who at his age has survived through piece works by waking up early in the morning parking wet sand into vehicles where he gets K200 on each vehicle.
Through this business James has managed to venture into another business, a sugarcane business, though he says, is not enough for him to live on.
“Life has been hard for me because my family is very poor and they found it hard to pay my school development fees and to buy school materials like exercise books, pens and other things for me and my siblings.
He further said , “After seeing that, things are not easy for my family, I decided to start doing some piece works so that I can help myself and my siblings on our school needs,” lamented James.
However, when the time passed by, life was not easy for James since situations at his home was out of control as they could eat nothing the whole day as such he was forced to drop out of school and start focusing on doing piece works and selling sugarcanes.
The head teacher of Malivenji Primary School, Frank Mwanjawala, says children in the area are no longer focusing on their education due to lack of basic needs as they are busy with activities that gives them money.
He further says, most children escape school activities as they are left with no other option but rather to look after themselves and play the role of their parents.
“Parents here no longer support their children to go to school as they are busy doing their businesses at Kaviwale market resulting to children losing interest on their education hence high number of schools drop outs,” he explained.
Last year the school enrolled about 800 learners but only 700 pupils have shown interest to continue with their education and many of them do not come frequently to attend classes.