African Fish Eagle
This powerful bird hunts by swooping down and snatching fish right out of Lake Malawi with its curved talons, and its echoing cry is one of the most recognizable sounds in all of Africa.
Flag of Malawi
Field Report
Malawi is a small landlocked country in southeastern Africa, tucked between Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique, with a freshwater lake so wide it fills almost the entire eastern edge of the country. About 20 million people call Malawi home, and most of them live in villages near the lake or along rivers, farming the land and fishing the waters their families have depended on for generations. Many Malawians have heard the name of Jesus, but there are still communities where people have never had the chance to truly understand who He is and what He has done for them.
From the Field Notebook
African Fish Eagle
This powerful bird hunts by swooping down and snatching fish right out of Lake Malawi with its curved talons, and its echoing cry is one of the most recognizable sounds in all of Africa.
Cichlid Fish
Lake Malawi is home to more species of cichlid fish than almost any other lake on earth, with hundreds of varieties displaying colors as vivid as any tropical reef fish.
African Elephant
Malawi's Liwonde National Park shelters herds of African elephants that wade through the Shire River at dusk, using their trunks to drink and spray water over their backs to cool down.
Nsima
Nsima is a thick, smooth porridge made from ground maize that is shaped into soft mounds and eaten by hand, scooped alongside vegetables or fish at nearly every meal in Malawi.
Chambo
Chambo is a prized freshwater fish pulled from Lake Malawi, often grilled whole over charcoal and served with nsima, and Malawians consider it a national treasure on the table.
Kondowole
Kondowole is a dense, chewy bread made from cassava flour that has a slightly earthy, satisfying flavor and is a common everyday food in many Malawian villages.
Lake Malawi is so large that early European explorers thought it might be an ocean — it stretches nearly 360 miles long and holds about 10 percent of all the freshwater fish species in the entire world.
Malawi is one of the smallest countries in Africa but is sometimes called the 'Warm Heart of Africa' because travelers consistently describe Malawians as some of the most welcoming and hospitable people they have ever met.
The Shire River, which flows south out of Lake Malawi, was the route Scottish explorer and missionary David Livingstone used in the 1850s and 1860s as he traveled inland, and his work there eventually led to Christian mission stations being established across the country.
Malawi grows some of the finest tea in the world in the cool highlands of the Thyolo and Mulanje districts, where the terraced green fields look almost like a patchwork quilt draped over the hillsides.
Mount Mulanje, Malawi's highest peak at nearly 10,000 feet, is so massive that it creates its own weather system and is often wrapped in clouds even on clear days in the surrounding plains below.
Daily Life
67
Years life expectancy
70%
Can read and write
100%
Kids go to school
Missions Field Report
Malawi is home to 24 distinct people groups — 5 of them haven’t yet heard about Jesus.
A majority of Malawi's people follow Christianity (73.7%). Evangelical Christians make up about 17.1% of the population.
What People Believe
Unreached People Groups
These are communities of people who haven’t had the chance to hear about Jesus yet. They need missionaries — and they need kids like you to pray for them.
Yao
2,693,000 people
Deaf
93,000 people
Gujarati
62,000 people
Kacchi
16,000 people
Swahili
4,300 people
Prayer Journal
Tick each one as you pray. God hears every word.