An Argentinian economist in Malawi
Imagine living with only six hours of electricity every day, floods during half of the year, and drought during the remaining six months. This is the way Tomás Barbero, an Argentinian economist, lives after moving to Malawi. He is only 30 years old, and he is going through a mind-opening experience that is capable of changing anyone’s life. Many people might find it hard to live under these conditions, but he knows that his job is worth it.
Barbero, has been living in Malawi for two year, and this is the first time he has come back to Argentina since he left. He works for a German company called German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ), a service provider company in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and international education work. He works in the area of Social Protection, that is related to poverty and inequalities, and the lack of necessary elements for living. This company gets part of the money it uses to function from taxes from the German population. Since he was a teenager, Barbero has been into social work, and has enjoyed it so much that decided to make this hobby his job. Even though he is an economist, he specializes in public policies and social protection, and he feels more related to that than to economics.
His life in Malawi is not easy. He has 6 hours per day without electricity, and does not have internet at his house. As he lives in a small town, there are many products that he cannot buy, and has to go to the capital city. Moreover, as Malawi is a poor country, and in the town where he lives in, he is “the only white man”, Barbero is prejudged for being rich by many people in the town. Many citizens beg him for money, and the only friends he has are the ones he has made in the company he works for. However, he highlights that, although many people beg for money, Malawi is a very peaceful and safe country. “Safer than Argentina”, he says.
Barbero explained that there are many social problems in Malawi. One of them is the persecution of albino people. In Malawi HIV is a huge issue, and many tribes think that making love with albino women takes the disease away from them. In this way HIV continues to spread, and many albino women even die because of the sexual abuse and sometimes murders they suffer. Another problem that happens often is the hunger people have to go through because of the floods, that destroy all of their crops.
According to Barbero, there are some ways in which anyone who wants to help people in Malawi can do it. International aid agencies are always looking for financial help. However, as Barbero explained, “if you want to do something yourself, a lot of these people need someone that listens to them. They feel isolated from the world, and knowing that someone cares about them makes them feel important”.
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