Most people in Malawi are living below the poverty line and face many problems, such as lack of food, shelter, health care, limited education and unemployment. In Malawi, and Ekwendeni in particular, people depend on subsistence farming for food and income. However many vulnerable families fail to produce their own crops for food and income because they cannot afford to buy seed and fertilizer. Most vulnerable families fail to support their children’s education. In addition, the impact of COVID-19 and tropical cyclones have contributed largely to food insecurity and extreme poverty. Approximately 4.2 million people (20 percent of the analysed population) are expected to experience high levels of acute food insecurity in the year 2024- 2025.
For the past three years, Malawi’s economy has continued to be impacted by external shocks such as global supply chain disruptions due to COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine. As a result of these shocks, combined with weak export proceeds and reduced direct foreign investment inflows, the country has witnessed continuous depreciation of its currency against most of its major trading currencies, including devaluation. In May 2023, Malawi devalued its currency by 26% and in November, the Kwacha was further devalued again by 44%. The devaluation has in one way or the other greatly affected already vulnerable people. For instance, this devaluation has led to inflation resulting in a sharp rise in cost of living and high prices for food such as maize, and non-food commodities. The national average price of maize has seen a 10 percent increase over the last month, a 30 percent increase over the previous year, and a 130 percent increase over the five-year average. Additionally, according to the Malawi National Statistical Office report in June 2024, food inflation was at 41.5 percent. This rising inflation will continue to erode households’ purchasing power for food commodities, especially maize grain, thereby reducing food access. This is having a great impact on already poor and vulnerable households.
The devaluation has further affected the operations of hospitals, including Ekwendeni, as it fails to manage to meet its operation costs and lacks adequate funds for purchasing adequate essential drugs and supplies for treating patients. These challenges call for Ekwendeni Hospital to scale up its vulnerable household empowerment programmes, such as women’s empowerment through Self-Help Group microfinance; education support, and vocational skills for youth to create self-employment; seed and fertilizer distribution; and direct food distribution to those facing acute food shortages.
Click below to find out more about our project partner Ekwendeni Hospital.
If you would like to bring hope to those in need in Malawi, please consider sponsoring a child or supporting one of the projects below.
In response to these challenges we are currently funding these projects in Malawi
Tailoring Business Loans
To enable a young adult the opportunity to start their own business in tailoring, they require the support of entrepreneurs,
First Steps
First Steps project supporting children and young adults to have an education. Many of the children who are placed on
Women’s Self Help Groups
We are working to empower women through a self-help group approach where women are trained in business skills and microfinance
Seeds for Sustainability
In Malawi, we are funding a new project, providing maize and soya seed, and fertilizer for 10 families so they
Tailoring Skills
This project was launched in December 2020 during Covid to train orphaned young adults, who have progressed through our child
