Yes and no. I think that section just lists everyone on Italki, even if they have not signed in for years. A better approach seems to be to post a request in the Answers or Discussions sections.

Yeah that's exactly what it's for. It's fairly easy to search through people looking to learn your language who speak your target language. You'll probably have to message a few people before you find someone that fits so definitely look though the section for a while. You can find people to video chat with or someone who just wants to email or message, lots of options.