Chapter 10: Promoting Reading Achievement In Malawian Primary Schools: An International Collaboration

Malawi is a narrow, land-locked country and has more than 14 million people according to the 2008, population census. The vast majority of Malawians are subsistence farmers who live on less than two dollars (U.S.) a day and only 70% of the adult population (ages 15 and older) are literate as compared to 99% of adults in the United States. Statistics demonstrate the need for a better life in Malawi: 44.4% of Malawians are not expected to live past the age of 40; 24% live without access to an improved water source; and 49% of children under the age of five are underweight. Over 85% of the population lives in the rural communities and these living conditions influence them the most. The overall Human Development Index (combined healthy lifestyle, education, and decent standard of living) is .0457, which gives the country a rank of 162 out of 179 countries that provide data.