From Vulnerability to Opportunity
Malawi has made remarkable progress over the past two decades, particularly in the fight against HIV/AIDS. But for many children, the effects of HIV, poverty and family vulnerability continue to shape their lives and their chances of building a better future. Today, economic hardship is putting increasing pressure on families: UNICEF estimates that 75.4% of Malawi's population lived below the international poverty line of US$3 a day in 2025, while families are increasingly forced to make difficult choices between food, healthcare and education.
For vulnerable children, these pressures can mean falling behind or leaving school altogether. In 2025, UNICEF reported that families were withdrawing children from school and reducing spending on education, while child labour and child marriage remained important coping mechanisms. Although secondary enrolment and completion are improving, only 37% of learners reached Standard 8 in 2023/24, and only 49.7% of primary school leavers transitioned to secondary education. At the same time, Malawi faces a profound learning crisis: only 19% of children aged 7–14 have foundational reading skills and 13% have foundational numeracy skills.
Children affected by HIV remain particularly vulnerable. An estimated 57,000 children aged 0–14 are living with HIV in Malawi, with 29% not knowing their HIV status. But vulnerability extends far beyond HIV or orphanhood. It includes children growing up in poverty, unstable families, food insecurity, communities affected by economic and climate shocks, and girls at risk of early marriage and pregnancy. The question today is therefore not simply how do we care for children who have lost their parents. It is how do we ensure that children affected by HIV, poverty and family vulnerability do not lose their education, their confidence and their opportunity for a better future. At Jacaranda School, we believe the answer is to invest in the whole child — providing quality education alongside care, protection, creativity, skills, mentorship and opportunities that enable vulnerable children to thrive.