Country Profile: Malawi
Total Population: 19 million
Total Children under the age of 18: 11.8 million
The situation of children in Malawi
The Challenges:
- The findings have revealed that orphan children in their communities are subjected to different kinds of abuse, which affects them negatively and hinders their right to life and development. The following are kinds of abuses facing orphan children today:
- No access to and quality education. Only 41% of Malawian children attend school, and only 20% of children aged 14-17 years old were attending secondary education.
- Often forced into early marriages, almost half of all Malawian girls are married before turning 18.
- Child traffickers exploit teenage boys in forced labor on farms and young girls in sexual exploitation in clubs or bars.
- 38% of children aged 5-17 were involved in child labor, almost 70% of those children worked in agriculture.
- Poor parental care due to poverty.
Malawi Without Orphans works to:
- Contribute towards increasing Child rights and livelihoods opportunities, fostering care and protection of Orphan Children at risk through increasing awareness and Capacity Building of Local Church leaders, Traditional leaders, Government stakeholders, and community members.
- Increase spiritual growth among Orphan Vulnerable Children through Christian Churches.
- Advocate for better health and protection of OVC through Capacity building training and Awareness of Local Church Leaders, Traditional leaders, Government Stakeholders, and community members.
Other Information about Orphaned and Vulnerable Children and Family Care in Malawi
Better Care Network Information on Family-Based Care in Malawi
More information for prayer at Operation World
"Source: UNICEF, Humanium, SOS Children's Villages International".