Malawi is ranked as the 8th poorest country in the world with 73% of the population living on less than £1 per day.

This figure will be significantly higher in Nkhata Bay North because it is a rural area where the majority of people are subsistence farmers with little income generating potential. Most households harvest small amounts and only manage to store food for about six months of the year (March to September). For the remaining months – the hunger season – there is not a steady food supply.