The Republic of Malawi is a small, landlocked country in the southeast of the African continent. The country extends 896 km from North to South and varies from 80 to 160 km from West to East. Around 20% of the 118,480 sq km of land is covered by water, mainly by the beautiful Lake Malawi.

Malawi is among the world's least developed countries and is most densely populated, except for the mountain-area. The economy mostly depends on agriculture, with an ongoing food crisis every year in the dry summer season. Two-thirds of Malawians live below the poverty line, living on less than US$ 1 / day. The majority of households is unable to meet their food requirements with the result that hunger is a daily accompanist.

The situation in Malawi's health care system is desolate. At the same time when
people are facing a high prevalence of HIV/AIDS, high infant mortality, malaria,
hepatitis A, typhoid fever, diarrhea, plague, schistosomiasis and rabies, and therefore a low life expectancy. The country is lacking health staff. Well-trained doctors and staff are leaving the country, as a result, health services cannot be provided without foreign help.

Education is another area, where the country needs urgently more help and support from outside. Developing the agriculture for small communities so that hunger is no longer a part of daily life, enhancing the health and education system, and developing self-sustaining help are the country's biggest challenges for the future.