COUNTRY:  MALAWI

STATISTICS:

Population:                        11.6 million

Infant mortality rate:          105.15/1,000 births

Life expectancy:                 38.5 years

Literacy (15 years

and above):                        61%

GDP per capita:                  Aprox. $180

     Malawi is ranked third among the world’s poorest nations. Because of its land locked situation, economic and political advancement for the country is hindered.  Ninety percent of Malawi’s income is produced by farming. The country has other resources such as limestone, usable land for farming, hydropower, uranium, coal, and bauxite, but many remain unexploited.

     AIDS is one of Malawi’s most devastating problems. Over 16% of the adult population has AIDS. This epidemic is the cause of over 2,000,000 orphaned children in the region. The life expectancy in Malawi will be an estimated 37 years of age by the year 2010 if we do not help.

      To compound Malawi’s problems, the last several years have resulted in the most severe famine in over 50 years of the country’s history. Consecutive crop failures due to excessive rains, poor distribution of rains, and soil degradation account for some of the problem. Low crop diversification is another issue.. Many people are dying of starvation. (Click here to read about WER and the Malawi Project..)