Safeguarding plantation records of Malawi

Abstract

The paper on safeguarding plantation records of Malawi is a case study of a digitisation project that was carried out in 2018. The purpose of the study was to identify the most endangered plantation records and examine their storage conditions. Fifteen tea and tobacco plantations, namely Angoniland estates, Chimphamba Estate, Katondo_Chizinga_kandaula Estates, Likabula Tea Estates, Lusingwe Estates, Malosa Estates, Mbumba Estates, Mchenga and Falls Dairy, Mfumba Estates, Mgweritsi Estates, Monjesi Estates, Nachambo Estates, Nyasa Tobacco Estates and Rusa Estates, were purposefully sampled as the earliest plantations having been established in the 1800s. The data were collected through field visits to the estates and interviews with the estate owners. In terms of the implementation, about 600 images were digitised as samples and are accessible on the EAP website. The study concluded that the plantations were in the custody of valuable records, which have historical significance to the nation but the records were degrading slowly to poor storage conditions. Therefore, the study recommended that a major project had to be carried out with the aim of developing proper records rooms in the plantations and digitising the most endangered records. In addition, the National Archives of Malawi should work closely with the plantation owners to institute a deliberate programme of management of records in the estates.