The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) is a global humanitarian organization of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, which spans 134 countries including Malawi. ADRA Malawi commenced operations in 1982. It was registered as a non-governmental organization (NGO) in 1989.
Since 1982, ADRA Malawi has contributed to the development of local communities and individuals, understanding and addressing the root causes of poverty, and promoting participatory development to ensure equal opportunities for all.
There is currently a fifteen-member Board of Directors at the helm of its governance structure.
The Board is comprised of six members from Church institutions and eight members from independent professionals reflecting a fair balance. The independent professional members include lawyers, accountants, and senior managers and professional experts from selected fields. This composition provides the knowledge, skills, experience and competence mix that ADRA needs to be a cutting-edge humanitarian organization. Furthermore, the board is characterized by a formidable gender balance with three men and five women among independent professional members.Supporting the Board of Directors is a Secretariat that is headed by a Country Director. The Country Director is, in turn supported by two Directors, one responsible for Finance and Administration and the other for Programs.
ADRA works in partnership with like-minded organizations at three levels: implementation, advocacy, and coordination. International agencies find the ADRA to be a credible partner. They draw capacity and technical expertise from the ADRA Network globally, demanding humanitarian operating standards and donor/partner requirements.
ADRA works with internal and external partners. Internal partners include the Seventh-day Adventist Church members who are called upon from time to time to work as volunteers, Malawi Adventist University with Malamulo College for Health Sciences, Adventist Health Services with 19 Clinics throughout the Country, primary and secondary schools, tertiary hospitals like Lilongwe Adventist Hospital, Blantyre Adventist Hospital, Malamulo Hospital and Soche Adventist Clinic, Malawi Adventist Media (TV and Radio)
External partners include other NGOs, national and international, supporting partners like EU, USAID, and UN Agencies and private sector partners, Government Departments, Ministries and Agencies (MDAs). Currently ADRA is seeking a strategic partnership with UNAIDS in order to address the intervention gaps in the prevention of HIV infections.
