The area in which the Eva Demaya Centre is situated is in the Nkamanga Valley, situated between the Nyika Plateau in the north, Vwaza Marsh in the south-west, and the Njakwa Hills with district capital Rumphi in the east. About 50,000 people, predominantly Tumbuka, inhabit the valley within the Rumphi district. They live mainly from agriculture, with maize and tobacco the chief crops.
Western-style healthcare in the district is mainly provided by the State. Shortages of both personnel and medicine are major handicaps in the provision of care. Traditional healing is the predominant form of healthcare; its practitioners are organised in the Herbal Association of Malawi.
The Centre lies about 26 kilometres west of Rumphi, in a locality called Luviri (named after the small river that runs through it). This choice has been made in consultation with the traditional authorities, who have themselves selected the land for the Eva Demaya Centre.