“I quickly put on a pair of rubber gloves and ran to the gate,” reports Samantha Ludick of the Clinic at the Gate, and the Cool Runnings Resort in Senga Bay. “The very sound of his voice indicated it was serious.”

“When I reached the gate I met a young woman named Hawa Admini. She showed me her arm, and started to explain what had happened. It seems that three weeks earlier she was sleeping fine, except for her dream. When she awoke she felt like she had a mountain on her arm. She discovered a lump on her arm. She did nothing for a time thinking it was just the dream, but the lump kept getting bigger and bigger. She had no money to go to the hospital. Finally a neighbor told her to come to the Clinic at the Gate.”

“When I saw the wound I knew I needed to take her to the Salima District Hosptial. I clearned the wound, and gave her a strong painkiller. At the hospital we were faced with the question, ‘Would they have the supplies to care for her?’ I quickly learned they did not. Only if I could source the needed supplies could they help her. I made a list from the doctor of the things he would need.”

“Back at the Clinic at the Gate I gathered up supplies given to me by the Malawi Project, and made some calls to find other needed supplies I did not have. Before long I was able to go back to the hospital with the supplies, much to the delight of the doctor. He noted how hard it is to help people when you do not have the medical supplies to do the job.”

Ludick concludes, “We are so very appreciative of all who help get the supplies to us that are helping people like Hawa.”

To assist us in providing medical supplies to the Clinic at the Gate and others like it, please click here to   contact us.

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Wheelchair Arrives for Bicycle Repairman

    Mukuti Village, Malawi… Ndiche Kosa is from the village of Mukuti 1 in Senga Bay, Malawi. He is a bicycle repairman, and he has been paralyzed from the waist down for as long as he can remember. One can hardly imagine the feeling each time he repairs a bicycle for someone, then watches them ride away free to ride and explore the world while he remains confined by his disability.

    When Samantha Ludick and her staff at the Clinic at the Gate and Cool Runnings Resort on Lake Malawi presented Ndiche with a brand new wheelchair he was all smiles. It was a gift from the Malawi Project and the Free Wheelchair Mission.

    One of the staff members questioned the big smile that seemed to spread across his entire face.

    “Why do you smile so big, it is only a wheelchair,” he asked? It was easy for them to say; they have legs and can get around.

    Ndiche responded, " Today is my happiest day. I have been fixing bicycles for people in my village for many, many years, yet I have never been able to ride a bicycle. If I were to want to go some place I would have to have to wait for my son, brother or neighbor to assist me. Now today THANK YOU to Free Wheelchair Mission, Malawi project and ‘miss Cool’ I will be able to get myself to where ever I wish to go. This makes me very happy, this is why I smile so big. ZIKOMO.”

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So Many Cases of HIV among Malawian Prostitutes

So Many Cases Like 21-Year-Old Dyna

Senga Bay, Malawi… “The gardener came running, explaining that a young woman was at the gate looking for help. He had advised her today was not the day for Clinic at the Gate, unless this was an emergency. He told me she just fell to the ground. ‘Madam, I’m sure it is an emergency.’ I ran to the gate where the young woman lay silent on the ground.”

Reporting is Samantha Ludick, the owner of Cool Running resort on Lake Malawi, and the operator of the Clinic at the Gate, one of the programs being supported by medical supplies from the Malawi Project and its contributors.

“I bent down as the young woman turned her face toward me, eyes filled with pain. Her face held a blank expression. I asked how I could help her. She tried to sit but could not get up because of the pain. ‘What is causing such pain,’ I wondered? She indicated a tennis ball size swelling of the groin area. I knew she needed serious medical attention quickly. I was able to give her pain medicine, thanks to supplies given to us by the Malawi Project. Then with the help of my staff we were able to get her in the back of the pick up truck, then we raced to the Salima District Hospital 29 kilometers to the west.”

Ludick continues the report, “A quick look and the doctor on duty agreed she needed to be admitted and the swelling needed to be opened and drained. We had failed to seek a guardian to come with her so I agreed to find the guardian and bring them back to the hospital. After the surgery I left her in the hospital for what was expected to be a week long stay with a regimentation of antibiotics.”

“When I returned to the house my staff informed me this girl, Dyna (last name withheld), is a single girl with no family. I would have to serve as her guardian. They were sure she had run away from Mangochi.”

“The next day I went to the hospital and found a smiling face as she greeted me with both hands and a really big smile. It was wonderful to see her smile. I sat beside her bed and listened to her tragic story. She told me she was in fact from Mangochi. Both of her parents were dead and a friend of her sister had told her she could get her work in Salima. But when she arrived she learned the friend was a lad of the night. She met a nice man who promised to take care of her. He was a pimp. When she got sick he threw her out. She had a sexually transmitted disease that remained untreated for months. She showed me the sores under her arms and told me how they would not go away. I saw the swollen glands that were as large as marbles. As she talked I saw her face slowly change, her smile fade, and sadness seem to overwhelm her. How would I be able to help this 21-year-old rural girl,” Ludick questioned?

“First things first,” Ludick describes the next steps. “I arranged for a counselor with whom she could confide. Then a HIV test, even though I knew what the result would be. It came back positive, a CD4 count at 118. Now I knew what I was up against. I had to get her on vitamins and that was possible because of a supply sent by the Malawi Project. Next we found her a little room nearby. We gave her food, bedding and other supplies thanks to Malawi Project. We’ll just have to take it a day at a time and see what happens next. There are so many situations like this one. So much sadness. So much need. Dyna is only one case of so many.”

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Part 1

Villagers Gather Sticks for Splints
    We quickly greet those on shore and Magic explains that we don’t have much time. Putting on gloves I examine the driver of the motorbike. He does not appear in such dire straits. I inspect a cut on his head and a fat lip, and clean away the blood. Then I stitch up the wound, give him some painkillers, and get him ready to go in the boat. Then while trying to get him comfortable I learn his neck is very sore, he has blood from his nose and a huge contusion on his stomach. For a moment I consider that I may be in over my head. I try to keep it all together while explaining our next move. The villagers gather some long sticks, some ridiculously large, but we form the plan and make a neck brace. Cuts have been cleaned and we have put two stitches in to close the cuts in his head. Blood pressure is a little high but there is not much that can be done about that here on a dark beach at night.

    We carefully carry him to the boat, lay him gently on the floor, and place life jackets around his head and neck in order to keep him as still as possible. It will not be easy with the weather growing worse by the minute. The waves seem to grow larger with each new swell. Moving carefully into the wind I add another prayer for safety.

The Battle Against the Waves
    Now it is a battle against the waves. The moon however is brighter than before and by the time we are halfway across the open water the waves have grown much smaller in height. From there we continue to the western shore without incident. The ambulance is waiting and we get him inside for the quick trip to Salima District Hospital.

    Thanks so much to the Malawi Project for supplying the medical supplies we needed, and thanks to Magic for getting us there and back safely. Thanks to the ambulance staff for waiting, and thanks to the Lord for giving us a safe trip.

    As the sun rises the next morning I phone the hospital to find out about the patient. All is well, that was nothing broken, and the patient is going to recover.

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Can We Cross in the Dark of Night?

It was 7 in the evening when the call came in.

"Is your boat working," came the question from the other end of the line?  "Yes",  I replied.

 "Can you go across the lake to Mkanjila and pick up a patient? There has been an accident, a motor bike hit a cyclist and I am told the situation is critical."

    What could I say but "yes". I talked with Magic, my boatman, as to whether he thought we could make it across in the rough waters. "I will get you there," he said. "For a casualty we can do it."

A Prayer for Safe Crossing
    I gathered up my mobile clinic baskets, not knowing for sure what I might need. How critical? I called for an ambulance from Salima to be standing by when we return, having no idea what we were going to find. I next said a prayer for guidance and save crossings.

    The night sky to the right of us is filled with bright shinning stars while to the right where we are heading the clouds are shutting out any assistance from the moon or starlight. The waves rock the boat from side to side as we work to break away from the shore. The wind whips through our hair. Though danger threatens us in the darkness, it is actually quite beautiful on Lake Malawi at night. My mind rushes as I try to contemplate what we will find on the other side. Magic steers us safely into the deeper water and soon enough we are approaching the shore on the other side. Again he does a masterful job of getting us safely inside the breakers.

    Reaching the shore he shines the spotlight and in front us becomes visible a crowd of villagers around the injured man.

    Jumping out of the boat I am amazed just how dark it is where there is no electricity. Too, the wind is blowing on shore and getting stronger as we talk. We don’t have long for it will soon be too dangerous to attempt the 30-mile trip back across the lake in the rough waters.  (To be continued….)

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Edson is Going to School

    Most readers will not remember Edson. He was simply one small boy in over 1,000 people who received a wheelchair from the Malawi Project during the past four years. In fact, he was the first person who received a wheelchair through Samantha Ludick and the Clinic at the Gate in Senga Bay, Malawi.

    In a recent report from Ludick she observes, "The fact about Edson is that he wasn’t going to school when I first met him. He was too heavy for his siblings to carry from school. Then Edson received his wheelchair, and now we have fabulous news. Edson started back to school, and has continued his studies and attendance. Now he is going to Para Secondary School after passing standard 8. It’s great news for his father because he was told his son would not amount to anything, and would not survive to his senior years."

Ludick concludes, "His proud father came to tell me his son had passed his school marks, but had a problem with his wheelchair as it was not doing so good. Now he needed to go a bit further to get to secondary school. Could I help? Naturally I helped. I put new tires and a new seat on the wheelchair and he is now going to Secondary school. It is a great achievement and a real success story."

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"Every second day I drive to Mukuti Village in order to pick up Ndhala and a guardian and bring him to one of my establishments where I can clean and redress his wounds. I carefully check each time to insure that he is taking the multi vitamins, his doctor prescribed antibiotics, etc. The second week was a real hard one when I discovered two new wounds at the base of the hamstring. This greatly concerned me for I was unsure what this meant. Did he need to see the doctor again? Did the doctor need to prescribe another dose of antibiotic? Or was there another under lying problem? Please God, no! He has been through so much. I cleaned and dressed the wounds, put him on a stronger course of antibiotic and prayed.

In a few days Ndhala was improving rapidly. No more morphine, no more antibiotics, no more crutches, and most of all no more pain.

I looked back. It was the beginning of a new year and I had first been introduced to Ndhala on September the 21st 2008. When I saw the situation that very first time I found myself immediately asking for divine guidance in order to find the way to help this young man, and for strength to carry it out. He was in so much pain, indescribable pain.

Now when I look at him I know he still has a long way to go but the worst is behind us. His wounds will still need to be cleaned but his body is strong again and he can fight off the infection. Fighting infections from even minor heath problems is so often a critical element in the survival of so many people.

Today I know so many people played a critical part in his recovery, and that is not to leave out our Creator who played the most critical role of all. Thanks to all, and to the Malawi Project, for the medical supplies that were on hand to help with this young man’s recovery." 

Part 1 of this story

Part 2 of this story

Part 3 of this story

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Read part II

When Bad Things Lead To Helping Others

In August of 2008 we posted the painful story of the death of the mother of one of the employees of Cool Runnings, a small resort on Lake Malawi owned by Samantha Ludick who also conducts the Clinic at the Gate. The story appeared under the heading of "Am I Going to Die Here?". It relates the story of an elderly woman from a village in Senga Bay who had broken her hip. Like many Africans she was afraid to be taken to the hospital for fear that she would die there. This is often the plight of those who go into third world hospitals and she was afraid it was her plight as well. The broken hip could have been easily pinned in the west and she would have been out and home in a matter of days. But this was not the case in Africa and she eventually did die in the hospital at Salima. While the story of 80-year-old Hawa Dhaibu was a sad story to report it is important to see the rest of the story for in the follow up there is seen the opportunity and success that followed the pain that came with the passing of Hawa. Now for the rest of the story as it is related by Samantha Ludick from Cool Runnings.

A New Opportunity Arises

Magic’s mother lay seriously ill at Salima District Hospital six and a half weeks after she broke her hip. Her grand daughter who has been appointed her guardian, leaves her ago go (grand mother) to get help from the family. While traveling home on the local transport she meets a young man who has come from Makanjila, 25 miles across the lake from Senga Bay. The man’s right leg has bandages soaked in blood and puss.

  She asks why he has left the hospital in that condition and he explains he has been there two months but the medicine is not working. He decides it will be better if he goes to an Africa doctor. She says, "No, I know an azungu, ( a white person) my uncle’s madam. She can fix your leg. She has good medicine." She struggles to carry the young man from the main road, up and down the sand dunes in the heat of the day, and finally reaches her uncle’s house. She explains that she couldn’t simply leave him on the side of the road, or allow him to go to an African doctor. Please get your madam to help him. "I know she can," she concludes. Magic phones Samantha explaining he doesn’t want to trouble her but would she please come to his house and see this young man. He notes the young man is in a lot of pain. Samantha puts a few painkillers, disinfectant and bandages in a small back pack, and rushes off to see what she can do to assist this young man. On her arrival Samantha is shocked at what she sees. She is introduced to the young man Ndhala and he tells her his story. He is a fisherman across the bay in Makhanjila and he cut his foot some month’s back. It continued to get worse so he came across the lake by ferry with his wife and young son to get his foot cared for at Salima District hospital since there is no Clinic or Hospital in Makhanjila. He was at the hospital for two months but there was no improvement. It just got worse so he decided to check himself out since there was no Manqwala (medicine) at the hospital. Samantha takes a closer look at his leg. The thoughts raced through her head, "Am I the right person? Where do I start? The pain he must be feeling…. There can be no words that can express it. You can’t leave him like this Sam… First things first, administer pain killers, clean the wound, change the dressing, take him for an x-ray to see if the infection is in the bone, then an HIV test so you know what you are up against, the dead flesh needs to be removed, mmmmm can I do it? You don’t have a lot of choices Sam!" In Part Two of this series we will see if the measures that are taken will save the life of young Ndhala or if his foot and leg will have to be amputated in order for him to survive.

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Salima, Malawi … During the past year the Malawi Project has sent a sizeable amount of medical supplies to assist Samatha Ludick, owner of the Cool Runnings resort. Near the entrance to this resort in Senga Bay Ludick runs the Clinic at the Gate medical first aid treatment center. The name aptly fits the facility since at the present time the Clinic at the Gate is exactly what the name implies; the village people in the surrounding area know they can come to the gate at Cool Runnings and receive first aid treatment for a large number of ills and accidents.

    The Malawi Project is pleased to be able to give supplies for mission teams like the one from Great Britian who worked at the mobil clinic in Senga Bay.

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    Next for me is to make sure the body stays out of the mortuary, then to go and purchase white cotton fabric and get the brothers and sister to come with me to collect the body.

    The emotions at Magic’s house is something of silence, family speechless, Magic’s young children looking at me with big brown eyes filled with tears, long lashes with tiny drops of water resting on them, then slowly sliding down tender cheeks, no words, no expressions, just tears… no sound, no words.

    His eldest brother is beside me in the car as I drive through the village. Then as soon as I am in the dry riverbed away from the rest of the family both men burst into uncontrollable emotion, tears streaming down their masculine faces. Then as I reach the road they immediately stop and wipe their faces dry and talk of being stronger.

    Collecting the body from the hospital bed is again another kind of emotion. Magic can’t get out the car. He looks across at me, eyes filling with water like a dam wall waiting to burst, yet trying hard not to break. He takes control and leads his older siblings inside. All the women from the female ward come out to witness the departure of the body. Then he asks, "Why is the body still so warm, why is she (his mother) so soft?" I have to explain while trying to hold in my own emotions.

    The drive back seems to take twice as long as normal. Arriving   back in the village we find close to a hundred villagers lining the sandy road, waiting to view Hawa ("See: Am I Going to Die Here?"), women pouring out their emotions, men standing silent… At a moment such as this one can only choke back one’s emotions… Hawa laid out in her house for all to tell her their story, say good bye, and to ask her for forgiveness, or whatever else they need to say. By noon tomorrow she will be laid to rest.

    And I shall have to learn to deal with my emotions.

    For those who may not know, Magic’s mum fell and fractured her hip six and half weeks ago. It was a trying time but just this last Friday she was declared fit and well. She was to be discharged on Monday, but fell ill over the weekend.

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