Malawi has a population of over 19 million people and is ranked one of the poorest and, at the same time, one of the most friendly countries in the world. In the district of Dowa where our mission base is, there are about 300,000 people. It is an area that covers 20 x 30 miles.
Right before we started working in Dowa in 2010, there were 3,459 documented cases of sexual abuse there. Out of those cases only 39 men were prosecuted for an average of 2-3 years. The average age of the girls was 12-13 years old.
To date, When the Saints has built the only long term housing facility in the country aimed at holistically rehabilitating those who have been sexually abused.