Malawi

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Malawi (Southeast Africa), a country squeezed between Tanzania, Zambia and Mozambique is a blind spot on the map for many.

The Chabwino project is located in the Sitima Plain, near the city of Zomba, in southern Malawi. The villages belonging to the project are Sumaili, Majanga, Padoko, Nachuma, Chabwera, Nyeliwa, Sitima, Mwala andKatchinwe[JV1]  . They are all under the authority of T.A. Mwambo, one of the 6 traditional authorities of Zomba district. The villages are about 20 km southeast of the center of Zomba and about 20 km from Lake Chilwa.

 

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Demographics and population

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With an area of 118,484 km² - about 4 times larger than Belgium - Malawi is among the smaller African countries. The population is growing rapidly (+2.75% per year) and already the peak of 19 million inhabitants has been crossed. When you know that 20% of the country is made up of lakes, population growth possess an increasing challenge.

 

Until 1964, Malawi was a British colony. Now it is a democratic republic where elections are held every five years. Religion plays an important role in the life of the Malawian people. Catholics and Protestants are the largest groups, but Islam is gaining ground in recent years. 

 

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Economics

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Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. The absence of minerals (although there are now a number of mining companies producing rare earths have discovered and are in the process of acquiring mining rights for them), the lack of a seaport, the traditional focus on growing tea and tobacco on plantations, along with the low level of education of the population make the economic situation challenging. 

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The kwacha is the currency of Malawi. Currently, you get about 1800 kwacha for one euro, but inflation and devaluation has been very high in recent years .In early 2023, you would still get about 1000 kwacha for one euro.

 

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Development

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Malawi is known for its large tea plantations in the south that are mostly owned by Scottish owners. Another colonial legacy is maize cultivation, which is not a great choice because of the need for irrigation and periods of drought. Currently, efforts are being made to convert to crops that yield better results.

 

More and more, charity organizations are not only providing food aid, but are also focusing on food education and disease prevention. The distribution of AIDS medication and AIDS inhibitors is also improving.

 

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Tourism

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Efforts are also being made - with relative success - to put Malawi on the map as a tourist destination. The exceptional bird population, Lake Malawi and the unspoiled safari areas are important assets in this respect. The spectacular "relocation" of 500 elephants illustrates the efforts being made in the area of tourism.