About Social field

SOCIAL FIELD

While in Balaka District, I had the opportunity to meet a social worker with over 25 years of experience serving both Balaka and Mangochi. He shared insights into the challenges faced in the social sector - many of which echoed what I had previously heard from a medical assistant in Kwitanda:

• HIV/AIDS
• Malnutrition
• Gender-based violence (GBV)
• Early marriages and pregnancies
• Low education levels and relatively high illiteracy due to school dropouts.

According to him and several evidence-based studies, while Malawi’s regions share common social challenges, some issues are more localized. For instance, Mangochi district faces additional challenges such as the “sex-for-fish” phenomenon, and it records even higher illiteracy rates compared to other regions.

These challenges are deeply interconnected and contribute to cycles of poverty and social vulnerability. For this reason, community awareness around Malawi’s national slogan, “🎓Education is the key,” is critical. Access to education can break the poverty cycle, empower the most vulnerable, raise awareness about human rights, and strengthen self-reliance.

ABOUT SOCIAL WORK IN MALAWI

In Malawi, social workers play a central role in identifying and addressing the needs of individuals and families. They conduct comprehensive service needs assessments and work closely with clients throughout the support process. Each client is typically supported by one social worker, who provides continuous care regardless of age or issue.

Malawian social workers are trained to manage a wide range of social challenges and operate in close collaboration with other authorities, NGOs, projects, and religious institutions. Their work is cross-cutting, often involving cooperation across sectors to deliver holistic support.

FURTHER READING

Here are some useful links for those interested in Malawi’s social policy landscape, national strategies, and future visions for the field. These include key policy documents, statistics, and practical insights:

• Ministry of Gender, Community Development & Social Welfare – Social Welfare: Social Welfare
• New National Social Protection Policy (2024–2029): Malawi launches NationalSocial Protection Policy
• National Social Welfare Policy - Promoting Social Inclusion and Human Dignity (2018-): mlw190459.pdf
• Malawi’s National Social Support Programme II (2018-): MNSSP II
• Policy & Leadership in Malawi - PHCPI: Policy & Leadership
• NGO Funding Challenges in Rural Malawi (research article): Exploring the Funding Challenges Faced by Small NGOs 
• UNICEF Social Policy Brief: UNICEF_Social_Policy_Brief_A4_v4.indd
• UNICEF Social Protection Budget Brief 2023/24: Key messages and recommendations
• UNICEF Child Protection Investing in and Promoting Child Welfare Amidst Climate Shocks: UNICEF_ChildProtection_Budget_Brief_2024-25_A4_v3.indd
• UNITED NATIONS Economic and Social Council: 2023-PL22-Malawi-CPD-EN-ODS.pdf
• Recent Article from MANA (Malawi News Agency, 21.6.2025): MAGGA issues a stop order to GBV in Balaka

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Abbreviations:

MAGGA = Malawi Girl Guides Association
GBV = Gender-Based Violence

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Zikomo kwambiri,

Tanja

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#karelia_sote_johtajaksi
#mangolo2022
#Malawi #SocialWelfare #SocialPolicy #InBalaka #SocialCare #SocialWork