EveryChild
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Rivington Street
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EC2A 3DR
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Malawi
Country Overview
Malawi is a country plagued by poor access to health services, chronic food insecurity and high levels of malnutrition. As one of the world's 15 poorest nations, it is also one of the most densely populated in Africa and among the ten countries most affected by HIV/AIDS.
Family life is very important and it is not uncommon to find several generations living in one village, sometimes under one roof. For those living below the poverty line, the reality is a lack of food for almost six months of every year. Low productivity in small-scale subsistence farming increases poverty levels amongst the rural population. Many children are discouraged from attending school, due to cultural and economic constraints, as well as a need to supplement the family income.
Access to healthcare is limited and many people do not have clean water. HIV/AIDS has had a devastating impact: life expectancy has decreased to just 38 years of age, 70,000 children die of AIDS-related illnesses every year and an estimated one million children have been orphaned. The Government's already limited resources are overstretched and many children have no choice but to live on the streets, exposing themselves to abuse and exploitation.
What are the key issues?
- Poverty
- Poor access to education
- HIV/AIDS
- Food shortages
What is EveryChild's main focus?
- Education
- Preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS and fighting discrimination
- Child labour
- Kinship care
Watch a short video from our Mndolera project in Malawi
How is EveryChild helping?
To build the long-term solutions that are so desperately needed, EveryChild Malawi works in partnership with local authorities, communities and individuals to protect the rights of children to grow up in a safe, secure environment, free from poverty and exploitation.
As the HIV/AIDS pandemic is leading to an increase in orphaned children, we work with schools and communities to prevent the spread and to fight stigma and discrimination of children that are affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. We support and develop kinship care, which enables children who have been orphaned to live with their extended family, allowing them to remain in their community and hold on to a sense of family-belonging.
Education is one of the most effective weapons against poverty. Where orphaned and other vulnerable children lack opportunities to go to school, we encourage communities to value education and support schools with teaching materials and training.
In communities where poverty forces children to move away from their families to work as domestic labourers on tobacco plantations and in sweatshops, we work to change current child labour legislation and enforce new laws to prevent child labour. In villages where there is a large orphan population, we train farmers in winter cropping, animal production and crop diversification to help prevent food shortages in the villages.
News from the field: Empowering young girls to stay in education in Malawi