About Malawi

Malawi — the “warm heart of Africa” — is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley. Around a fifth of it is taken up by the vast, beautiful Lake Malawi. It is also one of the world’s poorest countries, where access to quality secondary education and community facilities is scarce.

The need, the capacity and our response

We plan every project around a simple situation analysis — the needs of a community, the capacity that already exists locally, and how we can best respond.

• The need. Primary education is funded by the government, but secondary schooling is badly under-provided — leaving many bright students with nowhere to progress. Libraries and safe places to play are rarer still.
• The capacity. Malawi has strong national institutions — like the National Library Service of Malawi — and committed local partners who can run facilities brilliantly. What they often lack is the building itself.
• Our response. We fund and build the infrastructure, then hand it to those local partners to own and operate sustainably.

Aligned with national strategy

Our work is designed to support Malawi’s own development priorities, including the National Education Sector Plan (NESP) and the Malawi Growth and Development Strategy (MGDS) — national frameworks that prioritise expanding access to quality education, skills and community infrastructure. We work with the grain of these plans rather than around them.

The country itself

Lilongwe, the capital and home to our projects, is a small city spread over a large area, with a calm “new town” of offices and gardens and a bustling “old town” market. Beyond the city, Malawi is spectacular:

• Lake Malawi — sandy beaches and clear water at Senga Bay, Nkhata Bay and Monkey Bay, where the historic Ilala ferry still calls at lakeside villages.
• Nyika National Park — rolling highland plateau, roan antelope and zebra, and endless views.
• Liwonde National Park — elephants, hippos and birdlife along the River Shire.
• Mount Mulanje — Central Africa’s highest peak, towering above the southern plains.

Many of our volunteers build a trip to Malawi around their time with us. Find out about volunteering.