May 07

A 17 Year Old Riding On His Mother’s Back

People of Malawi, Malawi Healthcare, Wheelchairs, Medical, Be The Change, About Malawi

One Can Little Imagine the Scene

    One can little imagine what it must be like for a mother to spend 17 years of her life carrying her child on her back everywhere she goes. Yet this is what happened to Afilo Mkwapatira’s mother. Afilo is 17 years old and comes from the Kuiza Village in the Dedza District * of central Malawi. He and his mother live within the jurisdiction of tribal chief Tambalo. Afilo has never been able to move about by himself, nor has he ever been able to speak.

    Then through the assistance of the Free Wheelchair Mission in Irvine, California and the Malawi Project in Indianapolis, Indiana; Afilo was able to receive a wheelchair.

    Even today Afilo cannot speak but his mother is able to speak for him. "Today is a day of deliverance. For the past 17 years I have carried Afilo on my back. I have been looking for this day to come to my life. God indeed has heard my crying and prayers. I will now be able to do work at home, and support my son and my other children."

* The Dedza District of Malawi is the district or state just south of the capital of Lilongwe. It straddles the main highway through the nation, highway M-1 and is the home of the famous cave drawings that date back into the 1500’s. Its population in 2001 was 526,874. In 2008 the population is estimated to be 669,511. Like most of the countryside of Malawi there are almost no paved roads, no electricity, no telephones, scarce healthcare, and a struggling educational system. With an income of little more than $100.00 a year the population of the countryside can offer little help to the federal government in the way of tax revenue, and thus the federal government is helpless to be able to assist the village people in their basic needs. Although a federal governmental system is in place much of the governance of the village areas is still in the hands of the ancient tribal system of government.

May 03

Seeing What I Have Never Seen

Malawi Healthcare, Medical Shipments & Distribution

A Great Day For Everyone

            They came that day from all corners of Salima District in eastern Malawi. It was not only a big day for those with mobility problems, but it was a big day for the blind, albinos, the deaf, the dumb and any other disability known to man kind, including even the elderly and the orphans who were present to receive from Kuthandiza Osayenda Disability Outreach (KODO) the various items the Malawi Project and its supporters had recently sent to Malawi. After the shipment arrived KODO organized the ceremony, which was presided over by the District Commissioner, in order to give the much-needed humanitarian aid to these most needy citizens in the district. The items, which ranged from beddings, clothes, shoes, wheelchairs, crutches, walking sticks, frames, shower seats, toilet-seats, vegetable soup, and kitchen items, were freely donated to these people. It was a joyful day to see happy people receiving things some of them have never used before in their lives.

Now I Can See Salima

Malawi Man in a Wheelchair "To day I can now move around Salima Town to all of the places I have never seen, since the day of my birth, because of mobility problems. Now that I have this wheelchair, I need to see this town," says Mr. Husen Selemani as he pulls away in his wheelchair carrying his bag packed with other items heading for Salima Town.

    Four hundred (400) people benefited from the shipment of supplies on this day alone, with so many of them having multiple disabilities, i.e. no legs, no arms, blind, dumb and deaf in one person.

 

Apr 17

Wheelchairs Stand at Attention

Malawi Healthcare, Wheelchairs, Medical, Medical Shipments & Distribution

     Indianapolis, Indiana … As the Director for the Malawi Project prepares to take the picture Richard Stephens sights into the camera lens and notes how it appeares "the wheelchairs look like they are standing at attention." He and the Medical Director for the Malawi Project, Suzi Stephens are making an appraisal of supplies that will soon be making their way to the Kachere Orthopedic Rehabilitation Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. Among the supplies that will fill a 40-foot semi trailer are a large number of wheelchairs that are sorely needed in Malawi, the third poorest nation on earth.

    Stephens notes, "This shipment will be the second shipment to Kachere in the past three months. The orthopedic hospital is in turn are making some of the supplies available to Queen Elizabeth Hospital, the largest in the southern region of Malawi, the Bangwe Weaving Factory, a companion facility that is assisting the handicapped and also in Blantyre, and the Naminkango Maternity Hospital in Thondwe, a small trading center just east of the commercial center of Blantyre." Stephens concludes, "We are pleased with the new relationship that is developing between the Malawi Project and the medical facilities in the area around Blantyre. It is fitting very well into our plans that are designed to expand aid throughout the nation of Malawi. We owe a note of appreciation to Mama Cecelia Kadzamira who has helped to bring these contacts into a working relationship to the benefit of the people of Malawi."
Apr 04

Orthopedic Hospital Praises Supply Shipment

Malawi Healthcare, Medical, Medical Shipments & Distribution

Forty Foot Container Arrives at Kachere
    "It is really a help," notes Mrs. Nthewere one of the nurses at the Kachere Rehabilitation Centre near the south side of Blantyre, Malawi.  "So many of the patients are very needy and the soap, toothpastes and clothes will see them through. In addition the beds we had were in bad need of repair. Some of the patients, especially the quadriplegics (patients who have lost control of both arms and legs) found it hard to change positions.  The coming of the new adjustable beds in this shipment brings a big change to these patients."  Mrs. Nthewere was referring to a recent shipment of medical supplies that reached the handicap facility from the Malawi Project.

    One beneficiary Edwin Matenda, a 23-year-old patient whose arms, trunk, and legs were paralyzed following a fall from height over 2 months ago, also echoed the advantages of the adjustable beds. "I can now ask somebody to adjust it for me so I can be brought to a sitting position.  I can breathe better and eat well when I am sitting.  Life was difficult on the previous bed.  Thanks for the change", Edwin says.

    "I often fed him in lying position because I couldn’t support his weight in sitting while feeding," said her widowed mother who is his guardian at the institution.  ‘This often led to serious choking.  But this bed has changed everything.  He is fed nicely and it’s lively talking to him in a sitting position." said the smiling mother. "For the clothes, at first it was difficult when he soiled a pair of clothes he had before.  He would have only a bed sheet while the only set of clothes were being dried.  Now I can change his clothes comfortably", said the mother. "Being a widow and caring for him full time at the rehabilitation centre life is difficult.  It is not easy to even get the basic needs. ‘Thank God’, soap, toothpaste and the rest of the things that we have received will help us," said the mother.

    According to G. Chimatiro, the Administrator of the center, "Treating patients with so many needs that we cannot meet is always tough. The trailer of supplies that have been donated came at the right time."
   
    Contributors who assisted the Malawi Project in getting the supplies to Malawi made the 40-foot trailer of orthopedic and medical supplies possible. The shipment left the United States in October and arrived in Malawi in late January.

 

Mar 28

The Pot of Boiling Water Tips Over On Him

Malawi Healthcare, Medical, Medical Shipments & Distribution, About Malawi

The Cooking Fires Burn Close to the Houses

    Those early morning hours will remain unforgettable in Mackson’s life. As always he went to play in the neighborhood with the other children. But this day would not be like other days and unfortunately he was caught up in an accident when a pot of boiling water tipped over his back and splashed onto his left upper back. The burns were severe. Burns such as this take the lives of many children in Malawi as they fall around the cooking pots that stand unguarded around most of the houses. At four years of age little Mackson Kapeni would not have known the full extent of the danger until it was too late.

    Immediately someone called for the mother and she rushed the boy to a nearby health center where he was evaluated, but they did not have any supplies with which to assist him. He was then transferred to Bwaila Hospital - (Formerly called Bottom Hospital). This is a major medical center in the capital, but as with most hospitals in Malawi they are often short of supplies. On this day it was as it is so often and there was very little that could be done at this center due to lack of medicines.

    The mother was directed to the Sacred Promise Clinic where we had medicines because of supplies given to us by the Malawi Project. We quickly attended to the burns and were able to send him home. He continues to return on an out patient basis.

     The prognosis is good and we anticipate a speedy recovery. Our thanks go to all of those who help to support the Malawi Project and its work in our country.        

Dr. Smith Chibaka                                                                                                                                                                                                                

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