Mary Theu Foundation exists to improve the support for Survivors of Domestic Abuse and their Children in Malawi by providing Safe-Accommodation, empowerment and life skills to rebuild their wellbeing.
Our refuges offer an immediate safe place for women and children who have suffered from different levels of domestic abuse. A refuge is a safe space for people who are experiencing domestic abuse — a place to stay, to think, and to plan what comes next.
The refuge offers support to recover, to work through distress and trauma, and to develop strategies for personal safety and a path forward. Our key workers are trained in trauma-informed care and understand the specific cultural context of Malawi.
Our housing support pathway consists of temporary accommodation — both short and long-term supported living — with a clear progression towards permanent independent housing.
We ensure accommodation meets the needs and circumstances — and wherever possible the preferences — of the survivor and their household. Appropriate safeguarding measures are in place following an assessment of each survivor's individual needs.
We provide vocational training, financial literacy, business skills and mentorship programmes to equip survivors with the tools they need to become economically independent. No woman should be trapped by poverty.
Our empowerment programmes have helped dozens of women in Lilongwe start small businesses, find employment, and provide for their families without dependency on an abuser.
Trauma-informed counselling, children's therapy and parenting support programmes to help families heal holistically. We address the emotional and psychological wounds of abuse alongside the practical needs of housing.
Our family support workers offer consistent, compassionate presence throughout the recovery process — from crisis to stability and beyond.
Mary Theu Foundation exists to improve the support for Survivors of Domestic Abuse and their Children in Malawi by providing Safe-Accommodation and skills to improve their wellbeing.
A Malawi where every woman and child lives free from domestic abuse — where survivors are empowered, housed, and thriving in communities that protect and support them.
To provide Safe-Accommodation, life skills, counselling and advocacy for Survivors of Domestic Abuse and their Children in Malawi — from the first night of safety to long-term independent living.
We promote an approach that concentrates on improving the lives of those affected by raising public awareness so that communities play their part in preventing, identifying and responding to abuse and neglect. This increases public knowledge so they are better able to help survivors.
We carry out lobbying and advocacy activities and disseminate information between communities and government bodies to help people understand different types of abuse and know what to do to raise a concern or seek help.
By training our staff and volunteers, they gain a deeper understanding of the needs of Survivors of Domestic Abuse and their Children. This empowers them to provide guidance to our service users and in their own communities — from emotional support to practical assistance such as legal referrals and benefit claims.
Most of our service users need to put a safe distance between themselves and their abuser. Mary Theu Foundation works across districts in Malawi — taking into account the needs and preferences of survivors and their families — to ensure that no survivor fleeing abuse is turned away due to a lack of local refuge provision.
We advocate for consistent, compassionate housing policies across local authorities, ensuring that survivors' cases are considered favourably. This gives survivors the confidence to leave dangerous situations, knowing that safe accommodation awaits them.
By resolving housing quickly and sustainably, we also free up valuable refuge spaces for others in acute crisis — extending the reach of safe accommodation across Malawi.
As a result of our services, survivors gain the confidence they need to leave abusive situations and reduce the potential for further anxiety and distress. Our trauma-informed approach addresses not just physical safety but emotional, psychological and economic wellbeing.
Ensuring that survivors can access stable accommodation when they are ready to do so empowers them to build a future for themselves and their children — a future free from fear, full of possibility.
On the journey towards building a violence-free future for our community, we work with incredible organisations across Malawi and internationally. These partners of Mary Theu Foundation have helped make every stride towards safety for abused women and their children possible.
We would like to extend a special thank you to every organisation and individual dedicated to the safety, dignity and empowerment of survivors of domestic abuse.
Whether you need help, want to volunteer, donate, or form a partnership — we would love to hear from you.
Lilongwe, Malawi
+265 99 123 4567
info@themarytheufoundation.org
