Where We Work
Passion Center for Children is located in Malawi, a landlocked country in southeast Africa (bordered by Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique). Through our various ministries, we serve over 150 villages, care for over 400 orphans, Child-Headed Households (CHH), infants, and special needs children, and provide biblical training to more than 700 pastors in over a thousand rural villages. The first Passion Center site, launched in 2004, is based at Mulunguzi Community Church in Zomba and coordinates all ministries in-country. The second Passion Center site was launched in 2017 at Jali Community Church in Jali.
Population and Demographics
Malawi has approximately 18 million people (2019) of many ethnic groups, including the Chewa, Nyanja, Yao, Tumbuka, Lomwe, Sena, Tonga, Ngoni, and Ngonde.
The official language of Malawi is Chichewa, spoken by over 50% of the population, although English, Chinyanja, Chiyao, and Chitumbuka are also spoken by a large percentage of people.
Despite being one of the poorest countries in the world today, Malawi is known as the ‘Warm Heart of Africa’ because of its kind people and friendly faces.
Economy and Religion
Malawi is one of the least developed countries in the world, with 70% of Malawians living in rural or village settings as subsistence farmers. In Zomba, Malawi, nearly 74% of people live below the poverty line of $1.90 per day.
The main religions in Malawi are Christianity and Islam. 20-25% of the population identifies as Muslim, primarily from the Yao tribe, 60-65% identify with Christianity (Protestant and Catholicism), while 10-20% adhere to elements of African Tradition Religion (ATR) spiritualism, and ancestral veneration.