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The situation in Malawi

Malawi, famously known as “the Warm Heart of Africa”, is a sub-Saharan landlocked country located in southeastern Africa.

Bordered by Tanzania to the northeast, Mozambique on the east, south and west, and Zambia to the northwest, Malawi obtained independence from the British in 1964. Despite a peaceful history and a democratic political structure, Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Its estimated population of 18 million is one of the fastest growing worldwide. 45.1% of the total population is under 15 years old while life expectancy at birth stands at 56.7 years for men and 59.9 for women (UN, 2016).

More than half of Malawians live on less than $1 per day and the vast majority rely on subsistence farming. Industry is limited and major exports include tea, coffee, sugar and tobacco.

Refugees and asylum seekers in Malawi originate primarily from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Somalia, and more recently, Mozambique. Some of these people are the children and grandchildren of people who fled conflicts as far back as the 1970s, living in refugee camps in other countries before moving to Malawi in search of better opportunities.

It is in this difficult environment that There Is Hope works with refugees and their host community to provide access to business development, education and spiritual development programs.