Who we are
About HFM
A community-based organization serving refugees and host communities at Dzaleka Refugee Camp since 2014.
Our story
Founded in 2014, in response to a need that kept growing.
Holistic Focus for the Marginalized (HFM) was established in 2014 in response to the growing needs of refugees and host community members at Dzaleka Refugee Camp, Dowa District, Malawi. Originally designed for 10,000 people, Dzaleka now shelters over 56,000 individuals, one of the most overcrowded camps in sub-Saharan Africa.
HFM was founded on the conviction that every marginalized person, regardless of nationality, status, or background, deserves dignity, opportunity, and hope. From its earliest days, HFM has taken a holistic approach to development, addressing the spiritual, intellectual, economic, physical, and social needs of the communities it serves.
Today HFM operates two schools, Integrity and Farini Academy, serving over 2,000 students, alongside vocational training, health outreach, leadership mentorship, and faith-based community programmes.
Our vision
A transformed, self-sustaining community where every marginalized person, wherever they are in the world, lives in dignity, fulfills their potential, and contributes meaningfully to society.
Our mission
To holistically empower refugees and marginalized community members through spiritual nurture, quality education, entrepreneurship, healthcare, and leadership development , building resilient communities from within, across borders.
What guides us
Core values
Dignity
Every person we serve is treated with respect and worth.
Integrity
We operate with transparency and accountability in all we do.
Compassion
We respond to vulnerability with genuine care and empathy.
Empowerment
We equip communities to become agents of their own transformation.
Faith
Our work is grounded in a deep commitment to spiritual and moral values.
Excellence
We are committed to delivering quality outcomes in all our programmes.
Collaboration
We build meaningful partnerships locally and globally.
A decade of work
Key achievements, 2014-2024
3,000+
students educated annually through Integrity and Farini Academy schools
Hundreds
of families empowered through vocational training and startup capital
Monthly
cash support delivered to single mothers, widowers and the most vulnerable
Free
medical outreach clinics and HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns delivered
Ongoing
church planting, discipleship and faith-based community transformation
A generation
of community changemakers nurtured through leadership mentorship
HFM is coordinated by Desire Farini, is registered in Malawi, and is pursuing formal NGO registration in the United States and Canada.
Read the 2025-2030 plan