The Republic of Malawi was formed in 1964. It was previously a British colony in south east Africa. It is land locked and bordered by Mozambique to the east, south and west, Tanzania to the north-east and Zambia to the north-west. The capital, Lilongwe is in the central region, and the most densely populated areas are here and Blantyre in the south, but most people live in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming. The population was measured at 13.1 million in the 2008 census. The country covers an area of 118 000 km2, which is half the size of the UK. The people have a very affectionate disposition, welcoming you to the warm heart of Africa, yet rural areas are riddled with poverty and the economy at large rates as joint 204th in the World Bank ranking from a list of 210 World Bank Atlas economies. This measures the gross national income in dollars, the UK is rated at 18th.
There is widespread poverty throughout the entire country due to many factors. In the extreme low income category of the Zomba district it is common for families not to have access to education, health, housing and food. Children in the Kuntamanji area of the Zomba district can suffer all these forms of neglect. The National Statistics Office release a Statistical Yearbook each year. It confirmed in 2005 that 70% of those living in the Zomba rural area were living below the poverty line. The poverty line is a calculation made by the Malawian Government based on food and non-food components (see the 1998, The Determinants Poverty in Malawi, Malawi Govt.). Shine Trust Relief UK commissioned a study in June 2009 to determine the most affected area in Zomba district. The rural ward (TA) of Kuntamanji was highlighted as lacking in help, where no NGO’s are based. We desire to reverse poverty here, giving care, support and skills to local people through local people.