Born in Malawi. Built for Malawi.
Malawi Children's Village is not an outside organization arriving with answers. MCV was founded in 1997 by people with deep roots in this country, and for more than 27 years, it has been led, staffed, and driven by Malawians, for Malawians. Our U.S.-based foundation provides financial support and oversight; the real work belongs to the communities of the Mangochi District.
Our Mission
To enhance the lives of orphaned and vulnerable children by providing health, social, and educational resources across 39 villages along the southwest shore of Lake Malawi. We support orphans from birth to adulthood, providing shelter, food, safety, health care, and education until they can live independent, healthy lives. With assistance from their extended families, villages, and communities, we currently serve over 3,000 orphans.
Our Vision
A Malawi where no child's potential is determined by the circumstances of their birth. Where villages are strong enough to care for their most vulnerable members and where every orphaned child grows up to become a teacher, a builder, a healer, or a community leader.
Why Village-Based Care?
The evidence is clear: children thrive when they stay connected to family and community. Institutional orphanages, however well-intentioned, sever children from the cultural roots, relationships, and sense of belonging that shape who they become.
MCV's approach is different. Orphaned children remain with extended family - grandparents, aunts, uncles - while MCV wraps those caregiving households with the resources they need: health clinic coverage, school uniforms and fees, nutritional support, housing repair, and a village advocate who checks in regularly. We give families the tools to say yes to one more child. The result: a village where no orphan is invisible.
Where We Work
Malawi is known as the 'Warm Heart of Africa', primarily due to the incredibly gracious and kind people, vibrant culture and stunning south central African landscape. But warmth and kindness alone cannot overcome poverty, and life can be a daily struggle for Malawians. Malawi consistently ranks among the world's poorest nations, with more than half the population living on less than $1.25 per day.
MCV operates in the Mangochi District, at the southern end of Lake Malawi, a breathtaking landscape that has been decimated by the HIV/AIDS epidemic and its effects. This situation, coupled with persistent poverty, environmental concerns, and a lack of infrastructure, creates a desperate socio-economic scenario. This is where our 39 villages are. This is where our 78 volunteers live and work. This is where the orphaned children we serve call home.
Your Donation Works Hard Here
92%
Of every donation funds programs directly in Malawi
$0
Paid to U.S. board members
27+
Consecutive years of published annual reports
MCV is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (Tax ID: 16-1526805). We receive no government funding and no large institutional grants. Every dollar comes from people who believe in what we're doing, and we make every one count.
- No U.S. staff
- No board member has ever received any form of compensation
- Annual newsletters and financial documents have been published every year since 1997
- IRS 990s and financial statements available upon request
Our Malawi Team
MCV employs more than 50 staff members in Malawi, supported by 78 village volunteers - local men and women who serve their own communities every day. Our senior Malawian staff bring decades of experience in health education, community fieldwork, finance, and child welfare. Our senior staff are:
Felix Chirombo
Project Director
As director, Felix oversees all activities of the project and hires and supervises all local staff. Felix provides the board of directors with quarterly financial reports as well as presentations on project developments. Felix has a diploma in business administration from Blantyre Business College, Professional Computer Certificate and Certificate in Rural Development Management from Staff Development Institute.
Vincent Sisya
Deputy Director
As Deputy Director Vincent oversees a wide range of projects for MCV, including the Village Fieldwork program. Vincent holds a Bachelors of Science degree in Environmental Health from University of Malawi –Polytechnic.
Harry Saezi
Project Accountant
As Project Accountant, Harry is in charge of all project financial matters. His responsibilities include receiving project funds from all departments and banking, maintaining the Fixed Asset Register, maintaining payroll, and producing final accounts and documentation for external audits. Harry is a holder of ACCA Professional Part A, obtained at the Malawi College of Accountancy, where he also earned his diploma in Accountancy (ACCA).
Florence Kondwani
Health (AIDS) Educator
Florence provides training to youths, caregivers, and village volunteers in AIDS education and HIV prevention. Florence also organizes youth groups for in-school and out-of-school children. Florence also coordinates outreach assistance to households caring for orphans and works with other MCV staff to conduct the annual orphan survey in MCV’s cachement area. Florence holds a Certificate in Community Development and Care Counseling on HIV/AIDS.
Catherine Shaba
Health Surveillance Assistant
Catherine Shaban works as a Health Surveillance Assistant. She works with MCV volunteers and staff to coordinate outreach assistance to households caring for orphans and the identification of new needs. She also works with the Special Needs Program to help identify needs and communicate with families.
Our Board Structure
MCV operates with two governing boards, by design.
The purpose of the MCV Foundation Board, based in the United States, is to provide financial support to enhance the lives of orphans by providing health, social, and educational resources in 39 villages along the southwest shore of Lake Malawi. Every member serves as a volunteer. Many have personal connections to Malawi going back decades - as Peace Corps volunteers, missionaries' children, medical professionals, and educators who have visited the communities MCV serves.
The mission of the MCV Board of Trustees, based in Malawi, is to provide local governance of the programs supporting the orphans and community accountability. They ensure MCV's programs remain grounded in the real needs of Mangochi's villages, not assumptions made from afar.
This dual structure is not bureaucracy; it is integrity. It ensures that both financial stewardship and on-the-ground accountability are taken seriously at both ends of the world.
MCV Foundation Board (US)
James Miller
President
James spent the formative years of his life in Malawi, as the son of missionaries, from 1978 to 1988. James now works as a CFO at a private school in Ohio. He has returned to Africa on numerous trips with students.
Elizabeth Usovicz
Vice President
Elizabeth has written several grants for MCV through her activity in Rotary International. She is a past Director on the Rotary International Global Board. Elizabeth is the principal of WhiteSpace Consulting, a business development consulting practice based in Kansas City.
Mary Pomeroy
Secretary
Mary lived in Africa from 1974-1977, traveling and working as a physical therapist. She returns to Malawi every summer, where she is helping to ensure that MCV is accessible to students with diverse needs. Mary has retired from her physical therapy business in Anchorage, Alaska.
Ruth Nigswander
Treasurer
Ruth was formerly a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi and also spent a year as a lecturer at the Kamuzu College of Nursing in Lilongwe. After teaching for several years, she became a nurse and is presently a contract nurse mentor with the Anchorage School District.
Madeline Turner
Vice President of Communications
Madeline first visited MCV with her grandparents, Doris and Jerry Turner, who were involved with MCV for over 20 years. She has since been back several times. Madeline is a family medicine physician in Montana, where she lives with her husband and two children.
Tom Nighswander
Tom and his wife Ruth were Peace Corps volunteers in Malawi in 1964. They returned in 1984 for a year, and Tom worked with the Ministry of Health in Lilongwe. They have returned annually for the last ten years. Tom is a physician and public health officer in Anchorage, Alaska. He also teaches at the Family Practice Residency Program in Anchorage.
Wezzie Munthali
Wezzie was born in Malawi and attended Kamuzu College of Nursing, Southwestern Michigan College, and Goshen College. Recently graduated with a master's in nursing from Walden University and is practicing as a family nurse practitioner in Anchorage, Alaska.
Caroline Matkom
Caroline joined the board after writing numerous MCV grants for the Women Empowerment Program. She has worked and consulted for several national and international nonprofits. Currently, Caroline is a Tulane law student in New Orleans.
Kim Gannon
Kim became familiar with Malawi Children’s Village through her Aunt and Uncle who served in the Peace Corps in Africa during the 1960’s and 70’s. She is currently an attorney and principal with Edward Jones and resides in St. Louis, Missouri.
Michael Russell
Mike was a Peace Corps volunteer in Malawi from 1992 to 1994. After becoming a large animal veterinarian, he became involved again with international volunteer work. Mike and his wife, Beth, live in California, where he is a college professor.
Mike Nowobliski
Mike has visited Malawi several times following his first visit in 2011 with fellow Rotarians. His focus is on providing villages and schools with clean water, food, and scholarships. A semi-retired mining industry consultant, Mike and his wife, Mary Jo, live in southern Illinois.
Eugene Mulinde
Eugene is a graduate biomedical researcher at the University of Alaska Anchorage. His family is from Malawi, and he is based in Anchorage, Alaska, where he supports MCV through communications and outreach efforts.
MCV Board of Trustees (Malawi)
Karan Savjani
Chair
A native of Malawi, Karan went to England for school, where he also practiced as a criminal barrister for eight years before returning to Malawi. He now works in the insurance business. He is actively involved in Rotary and other nonprofit work.
Nelson Banda
Nelson is a former manager of Nkopola Lodge and is now running his own Nyanja Eco Lodge near Koche, both down the road from MCV’s central campus.
Mohamed Tayub
Mo is a pharmacist in Blantyre and an active member of Rotary.
Newsletters and Financials
A newsletter highlighting MCV's prior achievements and needs is created annually. Please
subscribe to get future newsletters. A current "History of MCV" is also included in the list. Enjoy!
Malawi Children’s Village is a designated 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. It receives no government money nor large grants of any kind. Our tax ID number is 16-1526805. MCV has no US staff, and no board members have ever been compensated in any way for their services. Approximately 92% of all donations are spent directly on programs and support in Malawi.
Financial documents and 990s are available upon request.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who runs Malawi Children's Village?
Malawi Children's Village is a Malawian-led organization. Day-to-day operations are managed by a Malawian staff of more than 50 people, led by Project Director Felix Chirombo. Financial support and U.S.-based oversight are provided by the MCV Foundation, a volunteer board of directors based in the United States. No U.S. board member or staff member receives any compensation.
When was Malawi Children's Village founded?
Malawi Children's Village was founded in 1997. It has operated continuously for more than 27 years, making it one of the longest-running orphan care organizations in the Mangochi District of Malawi.
How does Malawi Children's Village use donations?
Approximately 92% of all donations to Malawi Children's Village are spent directly on programs and services in Malawi. MCV has no U.S., and no board member has ever received compensation. MCV receives no government funding or large institutional grants, it is supported entirely by individual donors, Rotary clubs, and partner organizations.
Is Malawi Children's Village a legitimate charity?
Yes. Malawi Children's Village Foundation Inc. is a designated 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization (Tax ID: 16-1526805). It has published annual newsletters and financial reports every year since its founding in 1997.
What makes Malawi Children's Village different from other orphan charities?
MCV uses a village-based care model, rather than placing orphaned children in institutional orphanages. MCV keeps children with their extended families (grandparents, uncles, aunts) and supports those families with the resources they need to thrive. This approach is supported by research showing that children develop better when they remain connected to family, community, and cultural identity. MCV is also Malawian-led: the organization is run by Malawians, for Malawians, with international support playing a funding and advisory role only.
Where exactly does Malawi Children's Village operate?
MCV operates in the Mangochi District, at the southern end of Lake Malawi, in south-central Africa. It serves 39 villages along the southwest shore of Lake Malawi. MCV's main campus is located near Koche, Mangochi District, Malawi.