Lungwena is a 20 km long and roughly 5 km wide rural area in the Rift Valley between the escarpment and the south-eastern shore of lake Malawi. The distance to the nearest town, Mangochi, is 20 - 40 km. Approximately 17 000 people occupy a total of 4200 households in the 23 villages of this area. Most of them are Islamic and belong to the Yao-tribe. Chi-Yao is the main language in the area, although Chi-Chewa, an official national language, is also spoken and understood by many. 

Farming and fishing form the main occupations. Family organization is matrilineal and land is also inherited by the women. However, men are normally considered heads of households because they have a stronger influence on important family decisions.

Lungwena Training Health Centre provides normal preventive and curative modern health services like family planning, ante natal and delivery care, growth monitoring, vaccinations, and treatment of common illnesses. Ante natal care and under-five clinic services are now available at three regular outreach clinics, and traditional birth attendants have been obtaining additional training in pregnancy monitoring and delivery care.

Besides the local health centre, the people of Lungwena can obtain modern health care from a missionary Namalaka Health Centre situated 23 km north of Lungwena, a missionary Malindi Hospital 14 km to the south or the Mangochi District Hospital (32 km from Lungwena Training Health Centre). In addition, there are numerous traditional and religious healers in the area.