Geography and people
Malawi is a small landlocked country bordering Zambia, Mozambique and Tanzania in southeast Africa. Its land area is less than half that of the UK. Malawi has a sub-tropical climate, with cooler temperatures in the mountains and the immense Lake Malawi to the east covering about 20% of the country. There are two seasons - a wet season from November to April and dry from May to October.
About 90% of Malawians work in agriculture, producing staple crops like maize (corn), cassava and beans for their families together with sugarcane, cotton, and tea. The country’s natural resources include limestone, hydropower, uranium, coal and bauxite.
Malawi’s three most prominent ethnic groups are the Chewa, the Lomwe and the Yao. English is the country’s official language, though Chichewa and others are spoken regionally.
The people of Malawi pride themselves on their friendliness—so much so that Malawi is called the “warm heart of Africa.”
Population
Life expectancy
Literacy rate
Access to safe water
Average annual income
Our Achievements in Malawi
World Vision’s work in Malawi dates back to 1975 with support for the Lulwe School for the Blind. The national office was opened in 1982. Since then, some of World Vision’s major accomplishments include:
Education
Improving school facilities in rural areas, building bridges to improve access to schools and hospitals and assisting Mozambican refugees fleeing from civil war during the 1980s.
Food security
Working to reduce high child mortality rates and distributing food to those affected by a severe drought in the 1990s.
Health
Focusing efforts on nutrition, HIV and AIDS interventions, education and training from 2000.
