Greetings!
During the warmer months, we spend time in an area famous for its biting insects. They are enough to drive the moose out of the forests and onto the roads in the Spring, and drivers have to stay super-aware. It’s hard to believe such tiny creatures can create such concern. In Malawi, it is taken to another level. Rather than the major frustration of itchy red bumps, there is legitimate concern that those bites could be causing serious disease and even death.
Screens are called “gauze” in Malawi, and the common metal windows have to be retrofitted with a screen/gauze insert at a significant cost. When we were there recently, I discovered, when I forgot to close a small window one morning before heading out, that no gauze means LOTS of bugs and mosquitoes.
They are not exactly daunted by the mosquito nets, either, and seem to have perfected diving into your protected bed space with precision through any slight opening. So it is a little more understandable why windows have become a major challenge for the Health Facility. So, as we sort out this dilemma and the best way forward with other possible window solutions to save costs … when you slap a pesky mosquito this Summer, you can say a prayer for the Health Facility and the many technical yet practical and sometimes lifesaving decisions being made!
Can you help with Maternity Wing supplies?
Are you and perhaps a group of like-minded friends interested in maternity? Below is an example of how to outfit the Health Facility maternity wing which includes Pre- and Post-natal and Labour & Delivery Clinics. This is how individuals can come together to make a significant difference!
$12,000 CDN or $8,200 USD will purchase:
14 beds
13 bedside lockers
8 IVs
2 movable stretchers
4 bassinets
As well as dopplers, stethoscopes, baby scales and exam lamps.
FVM Volunteer Highlight – Elena
When we visited Nandolo, it was a joy to meet Elena. With her bright red head scarf and sharp black suit, she engaged with the children with seriousness within playful lessons. What a gift it is to have her invest in these young lives.
It was easy to see that they all respected her and felt so safe to learn and play, and cheer one another on. We went on a tour of each school volunteer’s home. Situated on the side of a mountain, we gradually lost some steam as we navigated from home to home.Arriving at Elena’s place, she lifted the lid of a freezer and produced, with such thoughtfulness, chilled Fanta bottles for each of us. A friend had sent a new light jacket in a beautiful ruby red, and Elena’s eyes and smile lit the room as she received this gift.
