According to a UNICEF report, the nation of Malawi has an estimated figure between 800, 000 to 1.2 million orphans. Most of these children lost their parents due to the HIV virus. Normally these children will be cared for by relatives who are already under economic hardships. Most people are not in the position to take care of additional children and hence the reason why a large percentage of these children are forced to take care of themselves and their siblings.

A usual family dwelling in Malawi

Apart from the dreaded HIV virus, which is the most prevalent in the nation, Malawians are very vulnerable to a wide range of other diseases because of their overall poor living conditions including chronic malnutrition. They continue to battle with a food crisis mainly because of their reliance on a single produce (maize) and adverse weather conditions.

Typical meal preparation

Food shortage continues to be a growing concern for the nation’s leaders and its people. The combination of the HIV virus and chronic malnutrition has created a dent in the workforce available for agricultural and other work. This is critical for Malawi because their economy relies mainly on agriculture as it contributes more than 50 percent of the nation’s GDP. In “The Weekly News” published in Malawi dated May 26 th 2005, the Ministry of Agriculture issued a press release calling for an increase of wheat production. The article further stated that “currently Malawi is importing its entire wheat requirement thereby losing a lot of foreign exchange.”

The article ended with an appeal to all farmers to grow more wheat using both residual moisture and irrigation.

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It is said, “Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today.

Teach a man to fish;

and you have fed him for a lifetime.”

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