Mchinji
Encyclopedia
Mchinji is a town in the Mchinji District
of the Central Region
of Malawi
. As of 2008 estimates, Mchinji has a population of 25,184. The area's economy is sustained by rain-fed agriculture, although the town is currently in the midst of a food crisis. Mchinji is also a major railroad junction, being the railhead
nearest to Zambia
.
Mchinji was formerly known as Fort Manning. In 1930, Fort Manning was attacked by a lion that caused over thirty-six deaths over a five month period.
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake
struck Mchinji on March 10, 1989. At least 9 people were killed, 100 injured and about 50,000 left homeless in Malawi. It was also felt in Zambia.
American pop singer
Madonna
adopted 13-month-old David Banda from Mchinji in October 2006. This generated international controversy because Malawian law stated that she needed one year of residence for potential adoptive parents. The effort was highly publicised and culminated in legal disputes.
On June 19, 2008, the British Minister for International Development responsible for Africa, Gillian Merron, visited Mchinji and spoke about maternal health and challenges faced by residents.
. Harvesting rain-fed agriculture is the main occupation in Mchinji, with groundnut
s, tobacco
, soya
and casava beans being the primary cash crops. Maize
, yam
s, velvet beans and pumpkin
are prominent food crops. During the dry season, secondary activities are pursued, such as brick-making, beer brewing, bicycle repair and carpentry. Due to a food shortage partially caused by the region's many droughts and partially caused by poor government planning, a UNDP rural development program was established in Mchinji. Mchinji is currently the location of a pilot project of a social cash transfer to benefit very poor members of rural areas.
.
, mothers "only come here if their children are really sick because work on the farm nearly always comes first." AIDS
is rampant in the region. As of 2008, the children's ward of the hospital contains 185 children suffering from malaria, pneumonia or anaemia. Patients at the hospital are fed a blend of milk, protein and medicine. The hospital does not have beds for those accompanying the sick, cooking or washing facilities, although in early 2008 a brick shelter was created to protect parents from nature.
nearest the Zambian border, after the 570 miles (917.3 km) railway from Lilongwe was extended to Mchinji in 1980. In September 2010, an extension to the Zambian border town of Chipata
was opened, providing a new rail access point to Zambia via Mchinji.
The idea of a Mchinji-Chipata railway was conceived in 1982 as part of a bilateral project between Zambia and Malawi, and the Malawi section of the railroad was completed in 1984, though Zambia did not actively pursue the project until 2006.
Minibuses run from Mchinji to Lilongwe
, and local shared taxis can be taken from Mchingi to the Zambian border. A water transport system existed from Lilongwe to Mchinji, though Bakili Muluzi
favored road transport and the system was dropped. The nearest airport is at Lilongwe, 47 miles (75.6 km) away.
Mchinji District
Mchinji is a district in the Central Region of Malawi. The capital is Mchinji. The district covers an area of 3,356 km.² and has a population of 324,941....
of the Central Region
Central Region, Malawi
The Central Region of Malawi, population 5,491,034 , covers an area of 35,592 km². Its capital city is Lilongwe, which is also the national capital...
of Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
. As of 2008 estimates, Mchinji has a population of 25,184. The area's economy is sustained by rain-fed agriculture, although the town is currently in the midst of a food crisis. Mchinji is also a major railroad junction, being the railhead
Railhead
The word railhead is a railway term with two distinct meanings, depending upon its context.Sometimes, particularly in the context of modern freight terminals, the word is used to denote a terminus of a railway line, especially if the line is not yet finished, or if the terminus interfaces with...
nearest to Zambia
Zambia
Zambia , officially the Republic of Zambia, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. The neighbouring countries are the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the north, Tanzania to the north-east, Malawi to the east, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia to the south, and Angola to the west....
.
History
A magnitude 6.6 earthquake
1989 Malawi earthquake
The 1989 Malawi earthquake, a magnitude 6.6 quake, occurred on March 10, 1989 in central Malawi. At least 9 people were killed, 100 injured and damage was in the Salima-Dedza-Mchinji area. About 50,000 were left homeless in Malawi. It was felt strongly in much of central Malawi, Niassa and Tete...
struck Mchinji on March 10, 1989. At least 9 people were killed, 100 injured and about 50,000 left homeless in Malawi. It was also felt in Zambia.
American pop singer
Pop Singer
"Pop Singer" is the début single from London-based glam rockers Rachel Stamp. It was released in February, 1996 through WEA. The single was released as a 2 track CD Single and limited edition pink 7" vinyl of 1000 copies...
Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
adopted 13-month-old David Banda from Mchinji in October 2006. This generated international controversy because Malawian law stated that she needed one year of residence for potential adoptive parents. The effort was highly publicised and culminated in legal disputes.
On June 19, 2008, the British Minister for International Development responsible for Africa, Gillian Merron, visited Mchinji and spoke about maternal health and challenges faced by residents.
Geography
Mchinji lies at an elevation of 3877 feet (1,181.7 m), 12 kilometres (7.5 mi) from the Zambian border. It is situated 7.7 miles (12.4 km) away from Katambo, 2.2 miles (3.5 km) away from Kadulama Lambo, 1.4 miles (2.3 km) away from Daka and 2.8 miles (4.5 km) away from Tsumba.Population development
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1987 | 4,921 |
| 1998 | 11,479 |
| 2008 | 25,184 |
Economy
Mchinji is described as "dirt poor" by The TimesThe Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
. Harvesting rain-fed agriculture is the main occupation in Mchinji, with groundnut
Peanut
The peanut, or groundnut , is a species in the legume or "bean" family , so it is not a nut. The peanut was probably first cultivated in the valleys of Peru. It is an annual herbaceous plant growing tall...
s, tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
, soya
Soya
Soya can mean:* Soya bean* Sōya District, Hokkaidō* Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaidō* Soya3D, a high-level three-dimensional rendering engine for the Python programming language* Soya sauce, a fermented sauce made from soybeans, roasted grain, water and salt....
and casava beans being the primary cash crops. Maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, yam
Yam (vegetable)
Yam is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea . These are perennial herbaceous vines cultivated for the consumption of their starchy tubers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Oceania...
s, velvet beans and pumpkin
Pumpkin
A pumpkin is a gourd-like squash of the genus Cucurbita and the family Cucurbitaceae . It commonly refers to cultivars of any one of the species Cucurbita pepo, Cucurbita mixta, Cucurbita maxima, and Cucurbita moschata, and is native to North America...
are prominent food crops. During the dry season, secondary activities are pursued, such as brick-making, beer brewing, bicycle repair and carpentry. Due to a food shortage partially caused by the region's many droughts and partially caused by poor government planning, a UNDP rural development program was established in Mchinji. Mchinji is currently the location of a pilot project of a social cash transfer to benefit very poor members of rural areas.
Politics
The Member of the Malawian National Assembly for Mchinji East is D. M. Kamphambe, while the MP for Mchinji North is L. Kayera, A. M. Tembo for Mchinji North East, D. S. Zaipa for Mchinji South, Godfrey C. Zulu for Mchinji South West, and H. T. Fwataki for Mchinji West. All are members of the Malawi Congress PartyMalawi Congress Party
The Malawi Congress Party is a political party in Malawi.It was the successor to the Nyasaland African Congress , which was banned in 1959.The MCP was founded by Hastings Banda and other NAC leaders in 1960....
.
Orphanage
The Mchinji Mission Orphanage, popularly known as the "Home of Hope", is one of the largest children's homes in Malawi. Reverend Thomson Chipeta, remembering losing both his parents, brought orphaned children into his home in 1992 and construction of an orphanage began in 1998. As of 2007, there are six large residential houses, a dining/assembly hall, a clinic, classrooms for nursery, primary and secondary classes, and staff housing. "Baby David" lived in the orphanage prior to being adopted by Madonna.Education
The "Home of Hope" provides a primary school to its residents. Due to a shortage in secondary schools in Malawi, the orphanage built one in January 2006 to cater to all residents in the surrounding area. Children are taught in smaller groups than at government schools and have November and December off. In March 2007, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) donated 600 textbooks to that secondary school.Medical
Mchinji Hospital is the only medical facility for several miles. According to actress Claire SweeneyClaire Sweeney
Claire Jane Sweeney is an English actress, singer and television personality best known for playing the role of Lindsey Corkhill in the Channel 4 soap opera Brookside and her appearance on the first series of the Reality TV show Celebrity Big Brother.-Early Life:Sweeney was born in Walton, Liverpool...
, mothers "only come here if their children are really sick because work on the farm nearly always comes first." AIDS
AIDS
Acquired immune deficiency syndrome or acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is a disease of the human immune system caused by the human immunodeficiency virus...
is rampant in the region. As of 2008, the children's ward of the hospital contains 185 children suffering from malaria, pneumonia or anaemia. Patients at the hospital are fed a blend of milk, protein and medicine. The hospital does not have beds for those accompanying the sick, cooking or washing facilities, although in early 2008 a brick shelter was created to protect parents from nature.
Transport
Mchinji was previously the railheadRailhead
The word railhead is a railway term with two distinct meanings, depending upon its context.Sometimes, particularly in the context of modern freight terminals, the word is used to denote a terminus of a railway line, especially if the line is not yet finished, or if the terminus interfaces with...
nearest the Zambian border, after the 570 miles (917.3 km) railway from Lilongwe was extended to Mchinji in 1980. In September 2010, an extension to the Zambian border town of Chipata
Chipata
Chipata, population 98,416, is the capital of the Eastern Province of Zambia. The two languages spoken are Nyanja and English, though you might find some Indian languages, as there is a large number of Zambian Indians located in the town...
was opened, providing a new rail access point to Zambia via Mchinji.
The idea of a Mchinji-Chipata railway was conceived in 1982 as part of a bilateral project between Zambia and Malawi, and the Malawi section of the railroad was completed in 1984, though Zambia did not actively pursue the project until 2006.
Minibuses run from Mchinji to Lilongwe
Lilongwe
Lilongwe, estimated population 902,388 as of 2009, is the capital and largest city of Malawi. It lies in the country's central region, on the Lilongwe River, near the border of Malawi, Mozambique, and Zambia, and on the main north-south highway of Malawi, the M1.-History:The city started life as a...
, and local shared taxis can be taken from Mchingi to the Zambian border. A water transport system existed from Lilongwe to Mchinji, though Bakili Muluzi
Bakili Muluzi
Elson Bakili Muluzi is a Malawian politician. He was the President of Malawi from 1994 to 2004 and was Chairman of the United Democratic Front until 2009.-Presidency:...
favored road transport and the system was dropped. The nearest airport is at Lilongwe, 47 miles (75.6 km) away.