The Malawi Project, Inc http://www.malawiproject.org We're Changing a Nation Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:50 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Namikango Faces the Shortages http://www.malawiproject.org/namikango-faces-the-shortages/ http://www.malawiproject.org/namikango-faces-the-shortages/#comments Mon, 14 May 2012 12:00:50 +0000 Richard Stephens http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1198 Thondwe, Malawi …Located in southeastern Malawi, the Namikango Maternity Clinic opened in 1975 in response to the need for maternal health care for a coverage area of over 51,721 people.

Maternity WardToday, the center helps deliver as many as 95 babies a month, and in 2011 provided maternal health care for 1,626 pregnant women. Symon J. Katete, the administrator for the clinic, reports concerning a recent shipment of drugs from the Malawi Project and World Emergency Relief, “The drugs greatly help us give health care to women and children, because we provide free services to the community in which we operate. These supplies help people who would not be able to get help anywhere else. The drugs would be very expensive and the poor would never be able to afford them. We were able to give them free because of this donation,” Katete explained.

The clinic is the only facility in the area specifically providing maternal and antenatal services. In view of the increased maternal death rates due to birth complications from women delivering in their villages, the government introduced the Service level agreements (SLA) with church facilities, so women could get free maternal care. This has proven successful and the death rate, due to complications, has been reduced.

However, Symon notes, “With the current crisis in health care supplies there is increased pressure on the clinic to provide necessary drugs and supplies.” He singled out the shortage of drugs and supplies nationwide as a major setback to these healthcare programs. “Even with us,” he notes, “the need for oxygen concentrators, and autoclaves are a must. Like so many others we are unable to access them due to the unavailability of spare parts anywhere in the country. It is this way with supplies everywhere. The shortage is causing people to die from lack of care.”   By Wilson Isaac Tembo

]]> http://www.malawiproject.org/namikango-faces-the-shortages/feed/ 0 Self Reliance Through a Wheelchair http://www.malawiproject.org/offering-self-reliance-through-a-wheelchair/ http://www.malawiproject.org/offering-self-reliance-through-a-wheelchair/#comments Tue, 01 May 2012 04:34:41 +0000 Richard Stephens http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1188 Another Self Sustaining Program
Salima, Malawi …The success of the Malawi Project to procure needed supplies, and to distribute them throughout Malawi has been a great success story. Governments, corporations, small businesses, not for profit organizations, churches and innumerable individuals have come together to make it happen. When these shipments reach Malawi, with hardships unrecognizable by the rest of the world, the people move to unload, store and distribute these goods where needed. People come from distant parts of the country, realizing great difficulty to reach the distribution points, to obtain goods that are often not for themselves, but for others they are trying to help.

Growing Numb with Numbers
As these shipments come and go, they often seem to be simply massive numbers; numbers of medical supplies, numbers of books, numbers of pencils and paper, numbers of pieces of literature. A shipment arrives, and distributed. Another comes, then another, and another. Sometimes, however, it is good to look back for a moment, and see the value of the supplies, through the eyes and life of a single individual.

George Banda, organizer and administrator of Kuchandiza Osayenda Disability Outreach (KODO), a program to help those with physical disabilities, takes a look back to one person who received assistance several years ago. Her name is Tomaida Chande, and in 2006 she was in grade 7 at the Yambe Primary School. When she came to K.O.D.O she was struggling to get by. Her and her grandmother received supplies, including a wheelchair, schoolbooks, blankets, and other items from one of the shipments. (

George reports today, “These items assisted the girl’s life at secondary school. She finished, passing her final exams with very good grades. This has enabled her to secure a course in accounting at one of the colleges in Lilongwe. Who would know she is still using the wheelchairs so many years later.”

Rather than give a man a fish, it is better to teach him to fish. In this case it might sound like this, “Rather than feed and care for this girl for life, it is better to give her a wheelchair.” Some call them, “self sustaining programs.” Whatever you call them they are spell S U C C E S S.

 

]]> http://www.malawiproject.org/offering-self-reliance-through-a-wheelchair/feed/ 0 Shipment of Bibles and Commentaries http://www.malawiproject.org/shipment-of-bibles-and-commentaries/ http://www.malawiproject.org/shipment-of-bibles-and-commentaries/#comments Sat, 21 Apr 2012 23:14:00 +0000 Richard Stephens http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1181 Bibles and Commentaries Prepared for Shipment Working with the Malawi Project in the U.S. and the Namikango Mission and Maternity Clinic in Malawi, two Canadian groups have supplied Bibles, Commentaries and other religious material to Malawi. Universal Aide and Compassionate Warehouse in British Columbia, Canada recently sent a 20-foot trailer filled with thousands of books for Bible students, church leaders, and church groups in Malawi. In the pictures of the truck being loaded in Victoria, British Columbia it appears to be a trailer filled with fruit from Dole. The boxes have proven to be a successful way of packing books and literature.

]]> http://www.malawiproject.org/shipment-of-bibles-and-commentaries/feed/ 0 Funding Targets Maize Mill http://www.malawiproject.org/funding-targets-maize-mill/ http://www.malawiproject.org/funding-targets-maize-mill/#comments Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:42:10 +0000 Richard Stephens http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1115 Maize Mill in Malawi-MIBI OutreachDedza, Malawi … Funding made available through a major contributor has resulted in the construction of a new maize mill for the people in the Lintipi area of Malawi. The mill is located north of the Dedza Trading Center, and west of Highway M-1, in a remote mountainous area of Malawi. It is part of an ongoing project by MIBI, an outreach program of the Green Valley Church of Christ in Noblesville, Indiana, congregations in Malawi, and the Sunset International School in Lubbock, Texas.

MIBI stands for Malawi International Biblical Institute, and was created when Tribal Authority donated over 200 acres of land for the school project. When it is completed the site will house a major international preaching and leadership training facility to help develop the Christian community, along with other programs to assist the people to be self-sufficient.

Near the MIBI construction site, the Malawi Project is also assisting a grass roots Malawi organization, the Dzidalire Community Development Group, in the construction of a new medical facility. The Dedza District, and this area of Malawi in particular is one of the poorest regions of the country. Construction on this facility is expected to begin later this year.

]]> http://www.malawiproject.org/funding-targets-maize-mill/feed/ 0 Malawi President Suddenly Falls Ill and Dies http://www.malawiproject.org/malawi-president-suddenly-falls-ill-and-dies/ http://www.malawiproject.org/malawi-president-suddenly-falls-ill-and-dies/#comments Sat, 07 Apr 2012 01:41:34 +0000 Richard Stephens http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1168 Indianapolis, Indiana … News filtered out of Malawi mid-day Thursday indicating 78-year-old Bingu wa Mutharika had suffered a heart attack, and was rushed to Kamuzu Central Hospital for treatment. Reports and rumors became confusing as some sources indicated he was critically ill, but being flown to South Africa for treatment, while others reported he had not survived the initial heart attack. Contacts with the Malawi Project indicated the latter was true.

By Friday morning major media outlets were updating their stories to indicate the President had died, citing government officials and medical personnel as their sources. In respect for the Malawi people, and their government, it was only after word was released by government officials, that a statement was prepared by the Malawi Project.

“It is regrettable when any national leader suddenly and unexpectedly falls ill and dies while in public office,” states Scott Gordon, President of the Malawi Project, “I speak for all of the members of our Board of Directors when I extend our condolences to the family, and the people of Malawi. We grieve with them today over the loss of their President. We pray the government will make a peaceful transition of power under the terms of the Constitution.”

Mutharika was the third President to serve the Republic since it became an independent nation in 1964. He was elected in 2004, and re-elected to a second term in 2009. He would have completed his time in office with elections in 2014. Under Malawi law the first Vice-President, Joyce Banda, will move into the Presidency.

]]> http://www.malawiproject.org/malawi-president-suddenly-falls-ill-and-dies/feed/ 0 Help Ship Textbooks to Malawi http://www.malawiproject.org/help-ship-textbooks-to-malawi/ http://www.malawiproject.org/help-ship-textbooks-to-malawi/#comments Tue, 03 Apr 2012 00:22:33 +0000 admin http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1165  Most citizens of Malawi receive little more than three years of formal education. Students can only hope to remember the content; the only person with a textbook is a teacher, and classes can have anywhere from 75 to 200 students per teacher. But, it doesn’t have to be that way;

Recently, Brielle, a teenager working to achieve her Girl Scout Silver Award received a donation of more than 30,000 writing, reading, language arts, math and science textbooks for the Malawi Project! The donated storage space must be emptied by May 1, 2012 and the Malawi Project is still short of the approximately $33,000 it will take to ship these textbooks to the schoolchildren in Malawi. Your help is crucial in obtaining the funds to ship these much needed textbooks. Please consider making a contribution today.

You can make your donation  to the Western Hills Church of Christ, 6211 Parkwood Dr, Austin, TX 78735 – please clearly note “Malawi Textbooks.” Donations can also be made through the Donations button on the Malawi Project site.

]]> http://www.malawiproject.org/help-ship-textbooks-to-malawi/feed/ 0 KODO’s Facilities Ready to House Programs Teaching Self Reliance http://www.malawiproject.org/kodos-facilities-ready-to-house-programs-teaching-self-reliance/ http://www.malawiproject.org/kodos-facilities-ready-to-house-programs-teaching-self-reliance/#comments Tue, 27 Mar 2012 12:00:27 +0000 Richard Stephens http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1042 Salima, Malawi … Along the road to the lake, just east of Salima, a small group of buildings are being completed. A number of people with physical disabilities are tilling the land, and the resulting crops are assisting to make them self-reliant. The program is part of the effort by George Banda, and Kuthandiza Osayenda Disability Outreach (KODO), a program formed to assist those with walking disabilities. George, who grew up with a permanent disability himself, knows full well the problems faced by those who wish to support themselves, yet, have little chance for training, or obtaining the needed resources to establish self-sustaining enterprises.

The purpose of KODO is to teach the people to farm, and have a place where they can raise crops for themselves and their families. Additionally, the facilities give them access to classes where they can learn a trade.  Construction started three years ago, and the facilities are now sufficiently completed for the training programs to be shifted from an older, much smaller facility in Salima.

]]> http://www.malawiproject.org/kodos-facilities-ready-to-house-programs-teaching-self-reliance/feed/ 0 PMTCT – Hope for the Future http://www.malawiproject.org/pmtct-hope-for-the-future/ http://www.malawiproject.org/pmtct-hope-for-the-future/#comments Sun, 25 Mar 2012 12:00:49 +0000 admin http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1139 Infected or Affected by HIV/AIDS

(Photo found at www.acroan.com)

The United Nations estimates there are over 16 million children under 18 that have been orphaned by AIDS worldwide. Many live in Sub-Saharan Africa. In Malawi many of these children live in child headed households, or stay with (often elderly) relatives who can do little to care for them.

The crisis is critical, and yet its full scale is still masked because of the time between when the parents become infected, and when they die. As adults continue to die over the next decade, an increasing number of orphans will grow without parental care. Over the years, many initiatives have been put in place to reverse the suffering, and the spread of the disease worldwide. The introduction of “Prevention of Mother To Child Transmission (PMTCT)” in 2008 has seen great success for HIV free babies being born.

Click here to read an informative article on the PMTCT.

The sad part is that even with the success of this program, it has come too late for many children today, who are suffering the effects of HIV/AIDS in their family.  The Malawi Project and our partners  (including you!) will continue to serve those that are infected.  Nevertheless, ti is encouraging that their may be some relief for future generations.

]]> http://www.malawiproject.org/pmtct-hope-for-the-future/feed/ 0 AIDS Orphan – HIV Positive http://www.malawiproject.org/hivaids-effect-on-taids-orphan-hiv-positive/ http://www.malawiproject.org/hivaids-effect-on-taids-orphan-hiv-positive/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2012 12:00:21 +0000 Richard Stephens http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1102 The scale of the orphan crisis in Malawi and the rest of sub-Saharan Africa is somewhat masked by the time lag between when parents become infected and when they die. As adults continue to die from AIDS over the next decade, an increasing number of orphans have and will continue to grow up without parental care and love; some of these orphans get the virus from their parents unknowingly. Over the years, many initiatives have been put in place to reverse the suffering and spread of the disease worldwide. The introduction of prevention from mother to child program in 2008 has seen many HIV free children being born.

Recently I came upon an HIV positive AIDS orphan born before this program .  The boy takes life prolonging Antiretroviral (ARV) drugs, but often cannot find enough food to sustain his health. With his mother and father already dead  of AIDS, he searches for food and clothes to sustain himself often walking 20-kilometers to the nearest trading center in search of part time work.  Unable to attend school, this boy’s prospects for the future seem dim.

Since the majority of Malawians live on less than a dollar a day, and this lack of income puts extra pressure on AIDS orphans to contribute financially to the household. In some cases it drives them to the streets to work, beg or seek food and clothes.  Thanks to the Malawi Project and the Compassionate Warehouse we provided this boy with clothes, shoes, writing materials and bedding material to (hopefully) ease his suffering.  This task formidable, but we do what we can.

Reported by Wilson Tembo

]]> http://www.malawiproject.org/hivaids-effect-on-taids-orphan-hiv-positive/feed/ 0 Facing the Shadow http://www.malawiproject.org/facing-the-shadow/ http://www.malawiproject.org/facing-the-shadow/#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2012 12:00:38 +0000 Richard Stephens http://www.malawiproject.org/?p=1101 The long dark and deadly shadow of HIV/AIDS extends well beyond those who test positive for the virus. It encompasses a large number of people who never face the deadly outcome of the disease directly. David, an 18 year old firstborn son in a family of five, lives in the shadow of HIV and AIDS. Like many, he sleeps in a one room thatched house in a remote village in Malawi. Like many others, the HIV virus governs David’s daily routine and prospects for the future despite him not having the HIV virus.Determined Young Malawian Man
David’s mother and father died of AIDS in 2005 and 2006, leaving him, his brothers (one of them now HIV positive) and sisters, in the care of a grandmother who is now in her 90s. At this advanced age, particularly in a Malawian village, she is far too weak (and undernourished) to be much help, and no one has the resources to assist them.

In spite of the insurmountable odds, David is a determined young man, picking up part-time jobs to earn enough to pay school fees, purchase mandatory school uniforms, and provide food for the family. “I raise my school fees alone. When I do not manage getting the money, I do not attend classes,” David tells us.

There are far too many Davids -  fighting heroically under very difficult circumstances.   Behold -  the tough and determined face of Africa.



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