Malawi

Overview

Malawi is a peaceful, stable, multi-party democracy in Southern Africa. But it is also one of the world's poorest countries, with three out of four Malawians living on less than US$1.25/day. Almost half of the population―46 percent―is under 15 years old.

Malawi ranks 171 out of 187 countries on the United Nations Development Programme's 2011 human development index. Most Malawians are subsistence farmers, with women producing 75 percent of the nation's food supply. Agricultural productivity in Malawi is low. In 2005, half of all child deaths were related to malnutrition.

Although the country has experienced several years of high economic growth, it is vulnerable to external economic shocks such as reduced global demand for its primary exports - tobacco, tea and sugar.

Progress toward the Millennium Development Goals in Malawi is uneven. The country has exceeded its water and sanitation targets and has made significant strides in strengthening food security nationally. It is on track to achieving the targets for reducing infant and child mortality and combatting HIV/AIDS.

Challenges remain, however, in achieving the goals for poverty reduction, maternal health, universal primary education and gender equality. Only 55 percent of children who enter Grade 1 actually complete the full eight years of primary school. Some 22 percent of primary school-aged girls do not attend school, while 60 percent of those enrolled do not attend regularly.

Thematic Focus

CIDA's programming in Malawi is closely aligned with the Government of Malawi's growth and development strategy for 2006-2011 (PDF, 3 KB, 291 pages) and its six priorities: economic growth through agriculture, infrastructure development, social protection, social development, improved governance, and prevention and management of nutrition-related disorders and HIV/AIDS.

The goal of CIDA's program in Malawi is to help the country secure a future for children and youth by reducing the primary school dropout rate and improving the nutritional status of young children and pregnant/nursing women.

Children and youth

CIDA focuses on improving the quality of basic education to reduce dropout rates. Through support to Malawi's Ministry of Education, CIDA is strengthening primary school teacher training and ensuring that new teachers have the skills to help girls stay in school. CIDA is also increasing the Ministry of Education's capacity to manage and monitor the national education sector plan, including strengthening government systems that handle the procurement of education materials such as textbooks.

CIDA also focuses on reducing malnutrition in young children and pregnant/nursing women. CIDA continues to help Malawi train health workers and educate parents and community leaders about appropriate feeding practices. CIDA supports the Government of Malawi's community-based therapeutic care program, which treats acute malnutrition of children and mothers at the community level. This includes providing locally produced ready-to-use therapeutic foods to those suffering from malnutrition.

Progress on Aid Effectiveness

Malawi adheres to the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness (PDF, 317 KB, 23 pages). Donor harmonization and alignment is steadily improving. The Government of Malawi encourages all donors to work with its priorities and monitors aid flows. Program-based approaches are used in the health, HIV/AIDS, education, and water sectors.

Canada, through CIDA, participates in the annual joint education sector review and has chaired the donor partners for education group.

Accomplishments 2009-2010

Children and youth

• Trained 11,000 teachers (6,000 women and 5,000 men) on the new education curriculum, resulting in an increased supply of qualified primary teachers with the capacity to apply learner-centered teaching methods that benefit both girls and boys equally
• Distributed malnutrition screening tools and more than 130 metric tonnes of ready-to-use therapeutic foods to community care sites, improving the nutritional status of children under the age of five
• Contributed to building the Government of Malawi's capacity to plan, manage, procure and distribute educational materials in all primary schools
• Helped the Government of Malawi procure and distribute 19 million textbooks, pencils, teaching manuals and slates

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