Rafiki's History in Malawi

Yeen-Lan Lam, the Village Administrator at the Rafiki Village Malawi, calls the Village’s founding a “unique, God-given miracle” because the Lord placed Malawi’s need directly before the Rafiki Foundation.

God led Professor Egbert Chibambo, the mayor of Mzuzu, Malawi at the time, to seek Rosemary’s help for the near 9,000 orphaned children in the city. Yeen-Lan records, “The single mother and the young, pregnant street-women population was high. The HIV/AIDs rates were estimated at twenty-three percent of Mzuzu’s population.” The Rafiki Foundation was asked to help Malawi—one of Africa’s poorest nations—in its time of great need.

By God’s grace, He offered Rafiki “175 acres of land, a rolling knoll with magnificent 360-degree views of the mountains, and pine forests that hug Mzuzu” to start the Village (Yeen-Lan Lam). The Lord has continued to provide for the Village since its dedication on April 15th, 2005.

The Village now consists of beautiful grounds with twenty-eight buildings, including cottages, residence halls, missionary housing, a teachers college, school buildings, and more. One hundred resident orphans, seventy-six staff, and around three hundred day students walk the grounds and study God’s Word together each day. 

Since 2005, the Rafiki Village Malawi has given hundreds of students access to quality education and God’s Word. From the oldest to the youngest student, the Rafiki Village Malawi seeks to train and love students well. 

In order of appearance left to right: Gabriel Ngulube (far left), the oldest male resident; Mwawi Mzale, the youngest male resident; Laurine Ngulube, the youngest female resident; Janet Mhango (far right), the oldest female resident.