The Malawi Project, Inc.

    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."

    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.

    On the morning of 5th February 2008, I got to my clinic only to find a Mr. and Mrs. Milanzi, waiting for me next to the entrance to the clinic. The woman looked dehydrated and in great pain. As I helped the poor woman into the clinic, I felt the heat emanating from her   body and the pathetic look of her face. I could tell without getting into all the routines that this was another malaria case. The disease has killed more people than those who have succumbed to HIV.

Temperature Reaches 104

 Mrs. Milanzi had lost a lot of fluids through vomiting. She had been vomiting since midnight, the husband told me. I placed a thermometer, which registered a temperature of 104 degrees F.

 I admitted the patient to our observation room. We opened an intravenous line and started administering fluids while waiting for a laboratory confirmation of malaria. The results indicated she should be classified as a P. Falciparum 3+, the most serious form of malaria.  We continued with intravenous quinine administration.

    The patient required more observation time than we could afford. We wish she had remained within our premises for an additional observation time.  Unfortunately our facilities are limited and could only keep her until knock off time.

    At  1700, we had to send Mrs. Milanzi home, though not fully recovered.  However, we had done the best we could in getting her out of the danger zone and kept our fingers crossed that her condition should not suddenly change for the worse.

    Malaria can be worse especially when all the necessary undertakings have not been adequately done. The vomiting and episodes of diarrhea often leave a patient very dehydrated. Temperature spikes leading to convulsions sometimes complicate the situation.

    A medical attendant is usually caught up in a dilemma of whether to send a patient home or observe him or her until one has fully recovered and walk home without any support. That is an ideal set up. Nevertheless, we are working towards there and one day we will be comfortable to keep patients, like Mrs. Milanzi, at our premises until they are fully recovered.

    Above everything, we need to point out that we had the confidence of handling this case because of the availability of some medical consumables we benefited from Malawi Project. 

    There are many people who share the same joy today because of a helping hand from the Malawi Project. We wish the Lord’s blessings over the Malawi Project Team.

    Early on Sunday morning we learned some of the staff had made a rushed trip to the lakeside side, historic community of Nkhotokoto north and east of us. The trading center is located over a hundred miles away from Lumbadzi. It seemed there was a family of twelve children who were in a severe situation after the death of both of their parents. Someone had called Mtendere to come quickly. All day we waited for the return to learn the status of the children.

    That night the car arrived at Blessing, and inside were three children, three of the twelve. Three who were in the worst condition. It was believed the others would be able to survive for the time being on their own. But it was the youngest that was nearest death. Little Jannet. Only a little over a year old Jannet was down to a weight of only 7 kilograms (Could that actually mean she weighted less than 2 lbs?). The medical people decided it was too late for Jannet. She would not survive the night. The other two children were taken to one of the houses at Mtendere and Jannet over was given to the care of the medical staff. We went to bed that night convinced that with the morning sun we would be making preparations for a funeral. It seems so unfair. A tiny baby. There was nothing she had done to cause this. Her mother had died when we she just a few months old and her father had died just one week later. No matter how hard they tried the older children could not find enough food for the family.

    The sun arose around 5:40 AM and we were up and on the way down to the hospital to find out the status of the baby’s condition. To our complete surprise Jannet was still alive. She had survived the night. What a fighter. During that day and the days to come the staff from Mtendere and the hospital gave Jannet special attention. She not only survived but started to improve. In a single week she reached a weight of 8.5 kilograms. In three weeks she was up to 10.5. Although it was some time before Jannet would respond to anyone within a few months she would smile and seek the attention of some of the staff members at the compound. Soon Jannet became the center of attention and the other children often competed with who was going to care for Jannet.

    Today Jannet continues to make progress at her home at Mtendere. Two of her siblings are still residents of the village and all three are proving to be a great asset to the community. The little girl who was expected to be dead by morning is alive and well and is now nearing 5 years of age.

 Pictures

The first picture is of Jannet in tne early weeks after her arrival at Mtendere. The second picture is of her nearly two years after her arrival.