1 in 12. The Refugees' HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Malawi

You'd never know, but about 70 km north of Lilongwe, over 12,000* refugees living in Malawi. The place is known as the Dzaleka Refugee Camp and was established largely in response to civil unrest in Mozambique causing 1.2 million refugees to settle in Malawi. With the Rwandan genocide in 1994, the camp opened to other nationalities. Today there are refugees from over 10 nations, including Burundi, Somalia, DR Congo, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Sudan, and Zimbabwe.

Below: Outskirts of the camp. Photo by: Katy Lackey

We ventured to the camp for a meeting with a church group last week. Having never been to one before, I had no idea what to expect. About 10km before we reached the camp, our car was stopped and questioned. Apparently monthly rations hadn't been delivered yet, and many people had illegally left the camp seeking food in nearby trading centers or to hop a bus to the city. The authorities were trying to locate and bring everyone back. For one of the few times I can remember, I suddenly felt really angry at Malawi as a country, as I was reminded of poor immigration policies and border checks in the U.S., restricting people to a certain location and kind of life. 

Once inside the camp, it was shocking how permanent the area felt. I mean, being a refugee is supposed to be a temporary situation right? Despite not knowing what to expect, I guess I pictured tents and people new to the country. Many of the refugees have been there for 10 years or longer. And most of the houses seemed more permanent than some of the villages we work in. The World Food Program and Red Cross deliver monthly rations to refugees and there are a few stores that try to stock and sell things in between those gaps. Still digesting all that.

Anyways, one of our Malawi Development Project goals is to localize action by extending our outreach. So when this church group from the refugee camp requested an HIV/AIDS program from World Camp, we thought it could be a great opportunity to extend our resources and encourage awareness we don't usually reach-religious institutions and non-Malawians.After all, people in throughout the many layers and sectors of a community impact social issues like HIV.

Above: Pastor Joshua and HIV Project Coordinator, Marcel outside shop that provides rice and soap when rations run out. Photo by: Lusungu Masamba

Above: The whole group! Church staff, WC Translator, Lusungu Masamba, WC Coordinator, Katy Lackey, WC Volunteer, John Haas.  Photo by: Cyrus Jenda   

While HIV testing is available inside Dzaleka Refugee Camp, the nearest place to receive ARV treatment is 

at a hospital more than 15km outside the camp. Prostitution is frequent among many age groups of refugees, and condoms are a rarity, both in the supply availability and the monetary sense. Unlike many other parts of Malawi, people report that much of the awareness education about HIV needed still centers on basic transmission and prevention information (elsewhere in Malawi these facts are becoming "common knowledge," and programs are moving more towards addressing testing, stigmas/discrimination, etc.). 

At least an estimated 1,000 refugees are living with HIV. 1,000 out of a population of 12,000. That's 1 in 12!! Which is actually less than the national average. So why does that statistic seem so incredibly daunting? Perhaps because of the overall small population size (I mean, compared to the 14 million in Malawi, 12,000  is not that many). Perhaps because it is within such a confined space: the physical constraint of a camp location could see a ridiculously quick spread in infection. Perhaps because of the lack of basic information and resources to address the epidemic. 

Most of the people we met with were from the DR Congo and have been in the camp for 9+ years. As part of our pilot Community Outreach Projects this summer, World Camp volunteers will be conducting workshops through this church's HIV Awareness Project. We'll provide an HIV awareness training with the church's staff members, a community condom demonstration, work alongside a group of refugees living with HIV, and serve at an children's center for kids orphaned in the camp or the home countries by HIV. 

Be sure to check back to read about volunteer's experiences with our outreach initiative in the Dzaleka Refugee Camp. 

*Please note the statistical information was provided to World Camp by someone in the Camp. Online sources vary in confirming these numbers.