The sun is slowly drifting down beyond the hills on the western side of Nsanje District’s border with Mozambique, casting a fiery light over a school and villages near the western banks of the Shire River.
John Kambalame is a typical farmer, born and raised in the remote village of Chididi in Nsanje District.
Each day, he rises with the sun, the rooster’s crow echoing through the hilly fields as he prepares for another gruelling day of work.
He relies on the land for survival, yet even in this peaceful part of the world, the weight of life feels heavy.
Like many farmers in Chididi, Kambalame faces an unrelenting struggle against the high cost of living.
The prices of seeds, fertiliser and tools rise every year, while the income from his crops seems to shrink.
The maize and sorghum that he grows on his small piece of land are enough to feed his family, but there is rarely anything left over to sell.
“Life is an everyday struggle. In our country, the rich are getting richer while the poor, like me, are getting poorer. It makes me feel that all talk about economic equality is meaningless,” he grumbles as he lifts his hoe onto his shoulder.
Kambalame often bargains with local market vendors for food, knowing that the money spent on essentials— like maize flour and soap—could be used for something else, such as repairing his children’s school uniforms.
The price of cooking oil has skyrocketed recently and even other groceries have become more expensive.
“We no longer use cooking oil often. It is something we can only afford once in a while,” he says.
Kambalame’s family, like so many others in Chididi and across the country, is trapped in the grip of relentless economic pressure.
Despite collecting taxes from people like him through the goods he purchases, the government has provided few meaningful social services.
There is no public health centre nearby, so when someone falls ill, they must travel several hours to the nearest hospital at Nsanje Town Centre, often at huge expense.
The health centre close to their location is privately funded, owned by a church and operated under the Christian Health Association of Malawi.
Only minor services are available free of charge, through an agreement with the government.
“To us, there is no equality in the world. It is often painful to see rich people making laws that burden us further,” Kambalame says.
The Centre for Social Accountability and Transparency (Csat), with financial support from Oxfam Malawi, is mobilising people like him to demand greater accountability from the government, particularly regarding pressing socioeconomic issues.
Csat argues that the poor are often sidelined when it comes to economic policies and laws that directly affect their lives.
The organisation stresses the importance of engaging with those in power, especially for those most affected by taxes and other policies.
“Policies and laws designed by authorities, such as Members of Parliament and government officials, must not impinge on the rights of the poor.
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