Homeless International

Malawi, a landlocked country in southern Africa, is the most rapidly urbanising country in sub-Saharan Africa (UN-HABITAT 2010). This has resulted in rapid growth of informal settlements or slums, characterised by overcrowding, inadequate shelter and a lack of adequate water and sanitation facilities.  Whilst people are encouraged to relocate to cities because of job opportunities, Malawi’s urban areas cannot accommodate their needs. 

Homeless International has been working in Malawi since 2003.  We support our partner organisation, Centre for Community Organisation and Development (CCODE), to work in alliance with the Malawi Homeless People’s Federation (MHPF).  The alliance supports slum and informal communities across Malawi to address their housing and infrastructure needs and rights, and improve their access to affordable basic infrastructure. The alliance engages with local and central governments in order to build sustainable solutions for housing, water and sanitation challenges for poor communities.

Through different initiatives, Homeless International has supported the creation of additional savings schemes throughout Malawi’s slum communities, settlement mapping and enumerations, national and international exchanges, and expanding partnerships between the alliance and government at local and national levels.  Our work has also promoted and enabled households and communities to access secure tenure, housing, safe drinking water and sanitation facilities which are the main challenges facing Malawi’s urban and peri-urban poor.

More from Malawi 

• Financial innovation
• Kasungu housing project 
• Water, toilets and hygiene training
• Water, sanitation and hygiene in Kasungu
• Sanitation and hygiene in peri-urban communities