Africa
Dzaleka Refugee Camp
Located in the highlands an hour away from the capital city of Lilongwe, Dzaleka refugee camp offers shelter to more than 48,000 forcibly displaced women, children and men. Dzaleka had been a political prison before it was transformed into a refugee camp in response to a massive influx of refugees from Africa's Great Lakes region in 1994. Primary countries of origin represented in the camp include D.R. Congo, Burundi, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia. The camp is situated within the hills of the Dowa District of Malawi, and a host community of about 50,000 people who survive largely based-on subsistence farming. This host community has been historically underdeveloped and often faces intense challenges due to lack of farming inputs, volatile crop markets, and poor rains. Including the host community in all projects is a key consideration in our work.
Our Mission
We are helping people survive and recover from forced displacement in Malawi. We do this in partnership with refugee churches in Dzaleka refugee camp and with There Is Hope, a Malawian NGO working in the refugee and host community. The refugee churches in Dzaleka offer supportive, live-giving community to the refugee population in the camp. They invest in the emotional well-being of all refugees and provide opportunities for all refugees to learn new capacities, thereby fostering hope and dignity for those who have been forcibly displaced. We break the isolation of our displaced brothers and sisters through regular visits to the camp, and we work to connect them with the church-at-large in ways that help them accomplish their mission. Refugee church activities in Dzaleka include counseling and trauma care, reconciliation and peace-building initiatives, pre-school and primary school initiatives, income generation projects, language and other skill-building courses, as well as caring for orphans, widows, single mothers, and the disabled in the camp and surrounding host community.
Long-Term Needs
No Current Needs
Short-Term Needs
Joining IAFR missionaries on Dzaleka visits is possible
