Malawi

Malawi is a small, densely populated country in southeastern Africa, bordered by Tanzania to the north, Zambia to the west, and Mozambique to the east and south. Of the country’s 14 million residents, 85% live in rural areas; the majority of the urban population is concentrated in Lilongwe and Blantyre, the two largest cities in the country.

More than 52% of Malawians live below the poverty line; according to the most recent Joint Monitoring Program (JMP) Report by UNICEF and WHO, 95% of people in urban areas and 80% in rural areas have access to safe water. Access to sanitation is much lower, however, with 51 percent of urban and 57% of rural dwellers using improved sanitation facilities. These statistics are considerably inflated, however. Read below to learn more.

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Malawi News

  • Water For People Named in 2012 Top 100 Best NGOs by The Global Journal [read more]
  • Approaching Sanitation Solutions Through the Marketplace in Malawi [read more]
  • Guidestar's Philanthropedia Names Water For People Top Non-Profit of 2011 [read more]

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

Population:
13,571,000
Languages:
English, Chichewa
Per capita income:
$690
Life expectancy:
49/51
Under-five mortality rate:
120/1,000 live births
Sources:
UNESCO and UNICEF

The above statistics are considerably inflated: in 2009, Water For People–Malawi completed a comprehensive water and sanitation mapping study of the 21 low-income areas in Blantyre, finding that though 87.8 percent of residents reported access to improved water sources, only 59.1% reported that these sources provided enough drinking water. More striking is that only 23% of the people in these 21 areas reported access to improved sanitation facilities.

Water For People in Malawi

Water For People has been working in Malawi since 2000. In 2006, it changed its strategy from small projects in widespread areas to concentrated efforts in three regions: peri-urban Blantyre and the rural districts of Chikhwawa and Rumphi. Since its start, Water For People–Malawi has become a leader in the water and sanitation sector in the country, promoting innovative and sustainable approaches to water and sanitation services.

Regions

Blantyre is Malawi’s fastest-growing city and mercantile capital. A growing population and drought in the countryside drive a steady stream of people there and to other cities in search of better opportunities. Typical of high-growth urban areas in the developing world, many of the city’s residents live in informal, peri-urban areas lacking basic water and sanitation services. Blantyre’s peri-urban areas contain roughly 70% of the city’s population.

Chikhwawa District is 30 miles south of Blantyre. It is a rural area consisting mostly of subsistence farmers, and like the rest of Malawi, is extremely poor. Most people live on roughly 50 cents a day and have a life expectancy of 45 years. Less than half the population has access to safe water and improved sanitation.
The district of Rumphi is located in the northern region of Malawi. It has a population of 169,000, making it the country’s least populated district. It is rural and most of its inhabitants are farmers.

Partners

Lasting water and sanitation solutions can only be achieved when local role-players—the private sector, civil society, and local government—are supported. As such, Water For People is deeply involved with key local stakeholders, including the Blantyre Water Board and City Assembly; the Chikhwawa and Rumphi district assemblies; local NGOs the Hygiene Village Project, Centre for Community Organisation and Development, Freshwater Project, and Synod of Livingstonia of the CCAP; and the University of Malawi–Polytechnic and Mzuzu University.

Water For People–Malawi Initiatives

Work in 2011

Water For People–Malawi continues to promote Sanitation as a Business to provide households with sustainable sanitation services. In peri-urban Blantyre, Water For People–Malawi is exploring pit-emptying services to extend the lives of families’ toilets. The “Gulper”—a manual pit-emptying machine suitable for narrow, peri-urban alleyways—is a practical way for Blantyre entrepreneurs to offer a solution to the current sanitation problem, while building a business. In addition, over 30 communities in Chikhwawa and Rumphi will gain access to safe drinking water this year, as well as the opportunity to access improved sanitation facilities through local sanitation entrepreneurs. School programming will also take place in 12 schools.

 


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