Malawi remains one of the poorest countries in the world and faces huge challenges in education; access to healthcare; widespread child malnutrition and endemic poverty.

Vision

Hope Africa is a UK registered international Christian Charity, which was established in 2004. Hope Africa has a clear vision to bring hope and empower people in Africa – by putting an end to poverty.

Our vision is a world where everyone has access safe drinking water; has food to eat every day and has a good quality education – so they can dream and hope for a better future.  Our aim is to impact one life at a time. Whilst changing one life will not change the world, it will change the life for one person. Our long-term vision is to diversify Hope Africa across Africa.

Background

Hope Africa was established by four people in the UK who had visited Malawi and were completely ‘shocked’ by the level of poverty in Malawi and determined to do something to help. 

In 2004, famine was once again stalking Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world. Over 5m people were facing starvation, thousands of hungry Malawians have been trying to get rations on the monthly distribution days. Many people were only eating one meal a day or less. Weak from hunger and from standing beneath the blistering sun, Egna Chizimu a 79-year-old grandma, from Jameson village told us of her problems. "My daughter died from tuberculosis leaving me with three grandchildren to look after, Felicity, Junior and Alice. We have nothing, no food, no crops and no money. We eat once every other day so that our monthly ration lasts a bit longer, I don’t know what to do, the situation is hopeless."

Nearly 15% of Malawi's adults had HIV/AIDS in 2002. It was estimated that around 80,000 people would die from AIDS in 2004 alone and another 110,000 would be infected with the HIV virus. Many of those being infected were young men and women who, when healthy, would be able to tend to small plots of land and grow Malawi's staple foods. However, because of the widespread sickness and disease, many people were not even attempting to grow food. People were dying daily and there were coffin shops in every township – so great was the need for coffins.

Hope Africa started helping by providing monthly food and drilling boreholes to provide safe drinking water. Whilst this was a short-term measure it was vital and saved lives.