With an estimated population of 13.9 million people, Malawi is a land-locked country in southern Africa. Malawi faces several social problems including poverty, where 63 percent of the population lives under US$2 a day, and a high HIV/AIDS infection rate. The Hunger Project has been working in Malawi since 1999 and is currently empowering over 99,000 partners in Malawi in seven epicenter communities that include 165 villages.
Update to the Global Board (October 2008). In the reporting period, over 300 metric tons of food was stored in epicenter food banks, ensuring food security. A total of 27,711 female condoms have been distributed, along with voluntary counseling and testing services, contributing to HIV/AIDS awareness.
Update to the Global Board (October 2008). Due to unfavorable farming conditions, microfinance partners have faced challenges repaying their loans on time. However, with the help of the epicenter and loan committees, partners have increased their repayment rates by 13 percent.
Among its major accomplishments, the Jali epicenter community food bank sold a total of 26.6 metric tons of maize grain, and it earned a total of K622,750 from the sales, bringing the food bank savings to a total of K1,482,077.11.
