Capital: Lilongwe
Area: 118,500 km²
Population: 12.2 million (July 2005)
Ethnic groups: Bantu, Nyanja, Tumbuka, Yao, Lomwe, Sena, Tomga, Ngoni, Asians, Europeans
Official language(s): English, Chichewa
Religion(s): Christians, Muslims
Currency: 1 Malawian kwacha = 100 tambala
SOS Children's Villages' activities in the country
Statistically Malawi is one of the poorest countries of the world and there is a great need for social facilities. This fact induced SOS-Kinderdorf International to become active in Malawi in 1986. In April 1991 a government agreement between SOS-Kinderdorf International and the Republic of Malawi was signed and two years later the local SOS Children's Villages association was officially registered.
The first SOS Children's Village was established in the capital Lilongwe, where the first children and their SOS mothers moved in in 1994. In the course of the years additional SOS Children's Village facilities were built in Lilongwe and also in the north of the country, in Mzuzu.
In September 2005 construction of a third SOS Children’s Village started in Blantyre and in 2007 the first children and their SOS mothers moved in.
At the beginning of 2002, SOS Malawi reacted to the growing Aids epidemic by means of a family strengthening programme, which is coordinated by the SOS Social Centre in Lilongwe. The programme enables children who are at risk of losing the care of their family to grow within a caring family environment. To achieve this, SOS Children’s Villages works directly with families and communities to empower them to effectively protect and care for their children, in cooperation with local authorities and other service providers.
In October 2002 as well as at the end of 2004 and 2005 when food shortages and famine were threatening the country, SOS Malawi carried out emergency relief programmes, which provided needy families during a period of several months with food and in 2002 also with maize seed and fertilizer.
At present there are three SOS Children's Villages, one SOS Youth Facility, three SOS Kindergartens, four SOS Hermann Gmeiner Schools, one SOS Vocational Training Centre, two SOS Medical Centres and three SOS Social Centres in Malawi.
Contact:
SOS Children's Village of Malawi Trust
Plot 159
P.O. Box 2359
Lilongwe
Malawi
tel. +265-75 66 67
fax: +265-75 12 98