The Problem
Why Malawi?
More than two-thirds of Malawi’s population lives in extreme poverty. This means that around 66% of people are living on less than a staggering $1.70 a day.
Unstable Economic Conditions
With an average daily income of just $1.70/day (or $630/year), Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world.
More than 15 million people live in extreme poverty.
70% of families and communities are fighting to care for basic needs.
87% of the earned income is spent on food for survival.
Less than 30% is left to spend on pressing needs.
Food Insecurity & Hunger
Malawi's economy strongly relies on agriculture, making the livelihoods of Malawians extremely vulnerable. Climate change, droughts, and floods are happening more frequently, causing lost crops and mass food shortages. These weather-related events wreak havoc on communities and drive them deeper into poverty.
Present Health Threats
More than 1 million people, or nearly 10% of the population, are living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi. It is one of the leading causes of death alongside other health threats like malaria and water-borne illnesses. Since Covid, around 770,000 children are orphaned by the pandemic, not only wiping out families but communities. When a family member becomes sick, other family members have to sacrifice their nutrition, belongings, food-consumption, and education.
Cultural Pressure
When education is not an option, the pressure to marry young is extremely high. By the time a young girl turns 18, 46% are already married and have started families. Abandonment and divorce are often the result of these young marriages. The pressures of poverty leave one in four women as single mothers.
Education Crisis
Access to education is the #1 problem in Malawi. Some of the real life issues in school that create barriers to quality education include:
Severe overcrowding in public schools
Lack of school supplies and technology
High-cost of secondary and university
Inadequate resources
Our Impact
For many young men and women, education is not an option because of how many barriers they face. Below is one of our education scholarship students, Emma, whose story resembles many of Malawi’s youth. But because of Good Soil Partners, Emma was given more than an education opportunity, but was given a chance to thrive.
It’s easy for us to reimagine what Malawi could look like when everyone has access to education. See how we are working to get there.
Help Youth like Emma Find a Better Path
“I am very thankful Good Soil Partners is now supporting my education, without it I wouldn’t have made it here, no one would have been able to pay for my school fees. I know that my friends are home and they’re not learning, but here I am learning without any problems.”
- Emma Shilin, GSP Scholarship recipient
Emma’s Story
When we met Emma in 2010, she was just three years old. Her mother sold bread in the village because her dad was unemployed. Feeding their family of five was extremely difficult as you can imagine. My heart was drawn to this beautiful girl and I wondered what her fate would be as she grew older. I know girls in the village, who don’t have the means for high school, are most likely to be married off after 8th grade because their families can’t afford to feed them anymore. Emma stood no chance at higher education, just like 30% of Malawi’s youth, without intervention.
Two years ago we began supporting Emma with a Good Soil scholarship allowing her the opportunity to apply for high school. She was accepted into a very difficult school and has since flourished in her studies. Emma just finished 10th grade and is number two in her class. She strives to be the best at everything she does, especially her education, so next year she is determined to be number one! Emma’s passion is studying medicine with the ultimate goal of becoming a doctor. With her grades, her drive and the support and opportunities Good Soil Partners can provide her, I have no doubt she will succeed! She is one of the many students we will see flourish, break the cycles of poverty and transform their communities.
Cindy Chartier, CoFounder