Location of Chitipa

Chitipa is the furthest town north in Malawi. It is close to the borders with Zambia and Tanzania. It is the largest town in Chitipa District. There are 26 districts in Malawi. Chitipa District is a predominantly rural area covering 4,288 square kilometres and has a population of approximately. 127,000. Chitipa town is the home to approximately. 10,000 people. The town is surrounded on three sides by the Misuku Hills and the Mafinga Mountains. It is 99 kilometres to the nearest main town of Karonga. 

Chitipa District has 14 educational zones each with about 15 primary schools and one government secondary school. The current project operates in Kawale Zone which includes the town of Chitipa and nearby areas. There is a lack of qualified teachers and the government doesn't have the budget to pay enough teachers. 69% of children in Malawi do not complete primary school. The people have poor access to all government services. Chitipa being the furthest district away from the centre of government in the south suffers more than most.  The northern region accounts for over a third of the land area in Malawi but only a fraction of the total population. In 2018 out of a total population of 18,600,000 only 2,300,000 live in the north. So it is politically under-represented.