Guide
Dzaleka Wellbeing
Whether you need someone to talk to, want to understand how you're feeling, or are supporting someone else, this page points you to practical next steps.
Page last reviewed: 20 April 2026
If you or someone else is in immediate danger
Do not wait. Use the fastest safe option available — a hotline, the nearest clinic, or the nearest protection point.
Where to start
I need support for myself
- I need urgent help — crisis contacts and what to do in immediate danger.
- Talk to someone — JRS counseling, IAFR, the health centre, or a trusted community provider.
- Learn about mental health — depression, trauma, anxiety, and grief in the Dzaleka context.
- Look after your wellbeing — practical things you can do today.
I'm supporting someone else
- Practical guide — what to say, what not to say, and concrete steps you can take.
- Supporting a young person — guidance for parents, caregivers, teachers, and mentors.
- If someone is in danger — go to the urgent help page. Do not leave them alone if possible.
I want to understand the context
- The situation in numbers — key data and what the numbers actually mean.
- Why it's happening — encampment, overcrowding, funding cuts, and blocked livelihoods.
- The research — a plain-language summary of the evidence behind this page.
Find support in Dzaleka
We all have hard days. Sometimes things feel impossible. Having someone to talk to — someone who listens without judgment — can make a real difference. These services are available inside Dzaleka Camp.
Start here
Community & Humanitarian
JRS Malawi
Emergency assistance, education, and psychosocial support for refugees in Dzaleka Camp.
- Phone:
- +265 1 471 102
- Hours:
- Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Location:
- Dzaleka Refugee Camp
Health
Dzaleka Health Centre
A 24/7 primary healthcare facility serving both Dzaleka Refugee Camp residents and surrounding Malawian communities
- Hours:
- Monday-Friday, 7:30 AM - 4:30 PM and Saturday, 7:30 AM - 12:00 PM
- Location:
- Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Dowa District
Health · Verified
Dzaleka Home Based Care
Providing holistic care, psychosocial support, and nursing services to people living with HIV/AIDS and other chronic diseases in Dzaleka Refugee Camp.
- Phone:
- +265 994 270 397
- Hours:
- Friday
- Location:
- Dzaleka Refugee Camp
Community and wellbeing support
Religious Organizations
International Association for Refugees (IAFR)
An international Christian nonprofit agency devoted to the mission of helping people survive and recover from forced displacement.
info@iafr.orgWebsite
Health
Fountain of Hope Africa
Health and wellbeing services for refugees and local communities.
+265 993 756753info@fountainofhopeafrica.orgWebsite
Education
There is Hope Malawi
Education and vocational training for refugees and host communities.
+265 212 273 688comms@thereishopemalawi.orgWebsite
Education
Dzaleka Dojo
Promotes arts, education, and health through martial arts training and community engagement.
+265 991 359 118dzalekadojo@gmail.comWebsite
Non-profit Organizations
Psychological and Reflexology Reception Center
Psychological and Reflexology Reception Center is a non-profit organization working for the massage and psychological reception of the well-being of the public.
+265 992 521 781psychological.reflexocenter@gmail.com
Contact details can change. Treat these as a starting point and confirm before traveling if you can.Browse all services
Learn about mental health
Understanding common signs can make it easier to ask for help. Mental health concerns are common in displacement settings, and Dzaleka has documented pressures that can affect daily life.
Depression
78% probable rate in the 2022 study
More than just feeling sad. Depression in Dzaleka often looks like exhaustion, losing interest in things, feeling nothing, sleeping too much or too little, or not caring about the future. It is not a weakness, and it can be a response to long stress, uncertainty, and loss.Read the research
Trauma and PTSD
Many residents carry pre-migration trauma
Flashbacks, nightmares, being easily startled, avoiding places or people — these can be signs of unprocessed trauma from violence, displacement, or loss. The body remembers what the mind tries to forget.
Anxiety and constant worry
"Msongo wa mawazo" — too many thoughts
A racing mind that won't stop. Worrying about food, safety, family, resettlement, documents. In Swahili it's often called msongo wa mawazo — when thoughts pile up and the body starts showing it through headaches, chest pain, or stomach problems.
Grief and loss
"Huzuni" — deep, abiding sadness
Losing a home, a country, a parent, a child, a language, a sense of who you are. Grief in Dzaleka is rarely about one event — it is ongoing, because the loss doesn't end. Many people carry it silently for years.
Suicidal thoughts
25.5% reported formulating a plan
If you are having thoughts of ending your life, please know: you are not alone, this is not your fault, and help exists. Go to Get help now or talk to someone you trust today.
The "waiting room" feeling
Learned helplessness from indefinite encampment
Waking up with little control over work, movement, or timelines can wear people down. This is not laziness; it can happen when purpose and progress are blocked for a long time.Read about structural causes
Look after your wellbeing
You don't have to wait until things are bad to start looking after yourself. Even small things — done regularly — can make a difference.
- Break the stigma. Mental health is health. Naming trauma, exhaustion, fear, and hopelessness without shame is often the first step toward care.
- Seek counseling. Use JRS, IAFR, the health centre, or a trusted referral partner. You do not need to be "crazy" to ask for help. Most people who seek support look and function like everyone else.
- Build skills and purpose. Futurelessness deepens distress. Even small projects — learning, teaching someone else, creating — can help restore momentum.
- Stay connected. Faith groups, sports, art, peer support, and events like the Tumaini Festival reduce isolation and strengthen everyday resilience.
Supporting young people
Youth disenfranchisement is one of the sharpest wellbeing challenges in Dzaleka. When education no longer opens a believable future, emotional strain deepens. If you're a parent, caregiver, teacher, sibling, or mentor — there are things you can do.
- Listen without judgment. Ask open questions. Don't tell them to "be strong" or "think positive" — just be present.
- Watch for changes. Withdrawal, anger, substance use, loss of interest, giving away possessions, or talking about being a burden can be signs of serious distress.
- Help them take the next step. Walk with them to JRS, the health centre, or a trusted adult. Don't leave a young person in crisis alone.
- Take care of yourself too. Supporting someone in pain is exhausting. You need your own support network.
Practical next steps
Whether you need support for yourself or you're helping someone else — these are concrete things you can do today.
- If you feel unsafe or have thoughts of self-harm, start with Get help now and seek in-person support as quickly as possible.
- Do not wait for the problem to become unbearable. Many people describe distress as tiredness, pain, fear, "too many thoughts", or a feeling of having no future.
- If language is a barrier, tell the person helping you which language you need. Ask them to help you find someone who speaks it.
- If formal counseling feels too big a step, start with a church leader, home-based care team, sport group, or health worker you trust.
- If you are helping someone else: stay calm, listen, avoid judgment, and help them move toward in-person care. Do not leave someone in crisis alone.
This page is a guide, not a diagnosis.It helps people find support pathways and understand the context. It does not replace medical care, crisis intervention, or professional assessment.
Need it in simpler language?The Easy Read: Getting Help page covers the most important steps in clear, short sentences.
The situation in numbers
These figures are serious and should be read with care. The research shows high levels of depression, suicidal thinking, and trauma symptoms in the assessed sample.
- 78%
- Probable depression in the study sample. The global average is about 3.8%.
- 53%
- Thoughts of death — more than half of assessed individuals.
- 25.5%
- Suicidal planning — 1 in 4 formulated a plan.
- 15%
- Suicide attempts in the 12 months before the study.
Source: Psychiatry Research, 2022 (study sample, not full census).Read our research summary
Why it's happening
The mental health crisis in Dzaleka is structural, not just clinical. Understanding the root causes matters — especially if you are an advocate, researcher, or policy maker.
Encampment policy
The strict encampment policy restricts refugees from seeking employment outside the camp and increases reliance on shrinking food assistance. Loss of agency can contribute to learned helplessness.
Overcrowding
Originally built for 12,000 people, the camp now hosts over 57,000. Crowded rooms, shared latrines, and limited privacy make the physical environment a daily stressor.
Funding collapse
UNHCR has secured only 12-18% of required funding. WFP rations have been cut to 75%, Plan International withdrew, and health staff have faced unpaid months. The safety net has weakened.
The treatment gap
Severe distress remains untreated because people present with headaches, fatigue, or "too many thoughts" — not "depression." 78% prevalence, 2–3% service utilization.
Language barriers
Patients speak Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Swahili, Somali, or Oromo. Clinicians often speak only English or Chichewa. Nuanced descriptions of emotional pain are lost in translation.
Blocked futures
Repatriation is not viable for many people, local integration remains restricted, and resettlement reaches very few residents each year. Young adults can finish education and still face no clear next step.
News and updates
Community news, programmatic updates, and new resources related to mental health and wellbeing in Dzaleka.
Apr 20, 2026
Announcing the launch of the new Dzaleka Wellbeing Hub
Dzaleka Online Services has launched a completely redesigned mental health platform, moving away from academic reporting to prioritize immediate crisis support and practical caregiver resources.
Aug 17, 2025
Over 100 Organizations Serving Dzaleka: Your Complete Guide to Community Services
Explore our extensive directory of services featuring healthcare, education, technology, arts, sports, and community support organizations - all working together to serve the Dzaleka community.
Jun 6, 2025
How to Access Essential Services in Dzaleka Camp
A comprehensive guide to finding and using health, emergency, legal, and support services in Dzaleka Refugee Camp, including contact information for clinics, police, UNHCR, and key NGOs.
Sources and evidence
This page draws on peer-reviewed research, UNHCR operational data, and reporting from the humanitarian sector. We distinguish between evidence that makes clinical claims and contextual sources that provide background.
Core evidence
- PubMed: Refugees' mental health — DzalekaPrimary abstract for the 2022 Psychiatry Research paper.
- UNHCR Malawi Fact Sheet (August 2024)Official population data for Dzaleka.
- UNHCR Annual Results Report 2024Operational context for the Malawi refugee response.
Operational and advocacy
- Funding cuts push Dzaleka to the brinkFairPlanet reporting on shrinking humanitarian support.
- World Report 2024: Malawi — HRWRights environment including refugee policy context.
- Community-based mental health support (IATI)Programme-level activity data for MHPSS.
Community resilience
- JRS: MHPSS ProgrammeThe psychosocial accompaniment model used by JRS.
- Tumaini FestivalRefugee-led cultural work that supports dignity and wellbeing.
- Mental Health Through SportsSports-based wellbeing support for youth.
- Art for HopeArts-based community wellbeing work.
Help us keep this page accurate.If you notice any incorrect details, outdated services, or missing context, please contact us to suggest an update.