The GDP per capita in Malawi is $800. That means the total income of the country (including children) amounts to less than a thousand dollars a year.

It's not the poorest country in the world, but it's way down on the list.

Rich societies can afford child labor laws, but poor ones put children to work as soon as they can. Picking tobacco for export brings money into the country from rich nations. School is important, but "eating" and "having a place to live" manage to be even more important. And when your total income is so low, you start making those tradeoffs.

I'm not stating this as if I approve of it. I'm simply outlining the facts. It would be great if the Malawians had the luxury to learn to read and write. Perhaps eventually they'd even be able to produce something more valuable than tobacco, and break the cycle of poverty. But for the moment they do what they have to survive.
Source(s):
http://www.international.ucla.edu/africa/countries/article.asp?parentid=969...


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