Malawi


World Vision’s History in Malawi


World Vision has worked in Malawi for over 30 years. From 1975 to 1992, World Vision partnered with the Africa Evangelical Fellowship to support the Lulwe School for the Blind, a Christian residential institution. World Vision helped provide children with primary education, Braille reading and writing skills, mobility training, handicrafts and clothes making training, transportation, medical care, and good nutrition.

 Malawi, Africa
 
In 1978, World Vision assisted St. Luke’s Hospital, in partnership with the Anglican Church, by supplying 30 rural health centers with medicine and roofing materials for repairs after a strong whirlwind.

In 1981, World Vision opened an office in Malawi and began child sponsorship. By the end of 1985, a total of 4,056 children were receiving care. Numerous sponsorship and community development projects were initiated to provide assistance in regard to nutrition, clean water access, medical services, education, adult literacy, income generation, vocational training, and evangelism, as well as training in health and child care, agriculture, animal husbandry, handicrafts, and community leadership.

Moreover, the need for improved primary school facilities in rural areas was addressed. Bridges were built to provide communities with crucial access to schools and hospitals as well as commercial routes.

Near the end of 1986, development activities were being conducted in 68 communities. That same year, relief assistance began to the rising number of Mozambican refugees entering Malawi. In 1990, the number of refugees had reached 860,000.

By 1991, World Vision was working in 127 development projects and reaching 22,147 sponsored children. Assistance to Mozambican refugees also continued into the 1990s. World Vision’s increasing awareness and concern for the special disadvantages of women and their pivotal role in the health care of children and as teachers of future generations led to implementation of projects specifically targeting women’s needs. Efforts included:
  • The Kachere Women in Development Project provided training in income generation, spiritual nurture and evangelism, immunization clinics, and revolving loans.
  • The Kabudula Child Survival Project addressed the high morbidity rates among children under age five. Activities included interventions in nutrition, immunization, sanitation, and malaria prevention.
  • The Zomba Relief Food Project was initiated following a severe drought and resulting crop failure in 1994. World Vision began a massive distribution of food to affected families.


World Vision in Malawi Today


World Vision’s efforts continue to benefit the people of Malawi. World Vision is changing the lives of 18,682 girls and boys through child sponsorship. The United States World Vision office also supports six area development programs (ADPs): Chingale, Ching'anda, Chikwina/Mpamba, Mutendere, Nthondo, and Senzani. Programs focus on food & nutrition, safe water, education, health care, child immunization, training of health workers, agricultural production, income generation, and HIV/AIDS interventions, education, and training.

Through the gifts of generous donors, the lives of children and families in Malawi are being transformed.

World Vision continues to offer children and their families help today and hope for tomorrow.


Learn More About Malawi

Malawi is a landlocked country located in southeast Africa that is surrounded by Mozambique, Zambia, and Tanzania. Lake Malawi occupies nearly all of the country’s eastern border. The north-south Rift Valley is flanked by mountain ranges and high plateaus. In the higher elevations, Malawi is pleasantly cooler than many other African countries, but the lowlands are hot, humid, and tropical. Natural resources include limestone, hydropower, uranium, coal, and bauxite.

The British protectorate of Nyasaland was established in 1891 and became the independent nation of Malawi on July 6, 1964. Following 30 years of one-party rule, Malawi held multiparty elections in 1994 when a new constitution was instituted. The population is comprised of several ethnic groups, including Chewa, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, Ngonde, Asian, and European. English and Chichewa are the official languages, though others are spoken regionally.

Increasing political corruption remains an issue. President Bakili Muzuli’s government is believed to have sold 160,000 tons of reserve maize in 2000 despite signs of an imminent famine. Malawi’s food crisis has reached a point where most families do not have sufficient food to meet daily nutritional requirements and 3 million people are near starvation. The president declared a state of disaster in his country in February 2002 when a drought followed by heavy rains destroyed two seasons of crops.

In May 2004, Bingu wa Mutharika, an economist, was elected president through an election process that many consider irregular.

Nearly 90 percent of people live in rural areas and are engaged in farming. Agriculture products include sugarcane, cotton, tea, vegetables, nuts, cattle, and goats. More than 55 percent of Malawians live below the poverty threshold, and the inflation rate is 28 percent. Malawi is a very poor and densely populated nation and is ranked as one of the world’s least developed countries. Despite attempts at economic reform, the government continues to face challenges due to a rapidly growing population, the increasing number of HIV/AIDS cases, limited and poorly managed natural resources, recurrent droughts, environmental degradation, and food insecurity.

The economy of Malawi relies on substantial economic assistance from the World Bank and other nations. The government is attempting to develop a market economy, improve educational facilities, and address environmental issues, as well as deal with the escalating problem of HIV/AIDS. Adding to this, access to adequate health care is limited. The HIV/AIDS pandemic has had a significant impact on Malawi, where the prevalence rate among adults is 14.2 percent. Approximately 900,000 people in Malawi are living with the disease, and nearly 84,000 infected die each year. In addition, life expectancy has dropped, infant mortality has risen, and more than 400,000 children have lost one or both parents to the disease.