The Lake of Stars is David Livingstone's nickname for Lake Malawi, one of the most famous lakes in Africa. So-called, because the still waters of the tide-less lake reflect the twinkling lanterns of the night fisherman in their dugout canoes.

Unfortunately, fishing no longer provides the income it once did: the lake has silted up with soil washed down from the tree-less hills surrounding it and the remaining fish, less productive in shallower waters, have been over-fished. As a result, the villagers of Mangochi are some of the poorest in Malawi.

MCV tailor training school

Malawi Children's Village has teamed up with Nettie to train young men and women as tailors. They provide their apprentices with training, a sewing machine and bicycles for travelling. As part of their training, they make a wide range of goods from shirts and trousers to cloth bags and quilts. These are available to buy and the money goes to funding the sewing school.

Lurking beneath still waters

Looks can be deceptive: Potential dangers at Lake Malawi include encountering the odd hippopotamus or crocodile when they come up onto beaches after dusk. And swimming is strictly off limits for our group as water in populated areas is rife with schistosomiasis. However it can be treated if you catch it early enough, as Mr T can tell you!

Malawi's fishing industry

Most of Malawi's population depends on fish for protein. Lake Malawi itself has over 500 fish species including catfish; a lake salmon fish known as the Sanjika; the Perch fish known as the Sungwa, the lake Tiger known as the Ncheni and the Kampango.

Most fishing is small-scale although a few companies such as Maldeco Fisheries have fishing boats for commercial fishing in Lake Malawi’s southern area.

Unfortunately, Malawi's lakes are over-fished by a growing population suffering from increasing poverty. Additionally, soil erosion caused by extreme deforestation has reduced the depth of the lakes which in turn affects the water quality degrading fish production.