Malawi

Malawi is one of Africa’s smaller countries, a little over 117 000 sq km, of which about 20 per cent is occupied by Lake Malawi – Africa’s third largest lake. Much of the country lies within the Great Rift Valley of Eastern Africa, with Tanzania to the north, Zambia to the west and Mozambique to the east and south.

With a population of approximately 14 million, it is one of the more densely peopled countries of this part of Africa. 85% of the population is rural, living largely in traditional villages. Most rely on subsistence farming but the food supply situation is precarious and the country is prone to natural disasters of both extremes - from drought to heavy rainfalls - putting it in constant need of thousands of tonnes of food aid every year.

For three decades Malawi's destiny was in the hands of its totalitarian president-for-life, Kamuzu Banda. In the mid-1990s he buckled under popular pressure to hold elections, and lost - finally giving Malawians a taste for multi-party democracy. His successor, Bakili Muluzi, removed many of the previous administration’s repressions, but the leadership was still accused of corruption. Social problems persist, including poverty and tens of thousands die of Aids every year. After years of silence, the authorities spoke out about the crisis. A programme to tackle HIV-Aids was launched in 2004, with President Muluzi revealing that his brother had died from the disease.

The UN Human Development index ranks Malawi 166 out of 177 countries and the tenth poorest country in the world. It’s the most densely populated country in Africa with few natural resources: HIV/AIDS, low educational attainment and deforestation are some of its more serious challenges and poverty is showing no signs of improvement.

MicroLoan Foundation Malawi

Kasungu

The microfinance charity provides small loans, business training, and continuing guidance to groups of women in sub-Saharan Africa.

SolarAid Malawi

Mzuzu, Malawi

Giving support to the rural poor living in areas of Malawi with no access to electricity, enabling the world's poorest people to have clean, renewable power