The full survey is available but, in brief, it identified 10 key challenges facing the people of Malenga Mzoma:
1 – Over a quarter of the households have an income of less than £20 a month.
2 – One quarter of households rely on fishing and over a fifth of households rely on farm jobs.
3 – Although nearly 90% of people have a small piece of land, it is usually of poor quality and requires investment in fertiliser etc if it is to be productive.
4 – Nearly half of people have had no formal education.
5 – The staple diet is cassava which is pounded into flour and cooked as nsima, a kind of porridge.
6 – Most households have two meals a day, but one in eight people eat only once. Nearly two-thirds still consume untreated water.
7 – A quarter of people can’t read or write in English or in the national language, Chichewa.
8 – 11% of households are affected by HIV/Aids.
9 – For 94% of households, the main source of fuel energy is firewood and charcoal.
10 – Access to health facilities invariably involves a long walk and prescription drugs are scarce.