Malawi is one of the world's poorest countries, with more than half of its citizens living below poverty level.
The country is close to the size of the state of Pennsylvania and has an estimated population of 18.6 million (2019), which is expected to double by 2038. HIV has infected 10% of the population.
Malawi's sole power supplier is state owned which generates almost all its power from hydroelectric plants along the Shire River. Only about 12% of the country's population has access to electricity! The country has been suffering from intermittent power outages as a result of an ongoing drought which has cut power output by half as water levels of the Shire River have dropped significantly.
In 2021 Henry brought this beautiful gift he had made for the Heliseks----a map of Malawi made from the sand at Lake Malawi. This plaque will forever hang in the Helisek home and be a cherished memory of their partnership with the Malawian people!
Child marriage remains high with 46.7% of girls married before the age of 18 and Malawi's pre-term birth rate is the highest in the world, at 13 per cent.
Approximately 46% of Malawi's population is under 15 years old. Many of the young women are single moms since they marry men a decade older than themselves and the men then abandon their families because they cannot find employment in their area. Consequently, many of the young moms resort to prostitution as the only means of supporting themselves and their children.
There is a high rate of abandoned, homeless children who are forced to steal food as a means of survival. It is our passion to feed the hungry poor children as well as adults and to give them clean water.
