E 3 clinic: Mkwanthama

Saturday we went to the village of Mkwanthama with an E3 mobile clinic. It is very rural. There were 6 clinical officers and myself, several nurses, two VCT (voluntary counseling and testing) nurses (for HIV), and a handful of other volunteers. We ended up seeing over 500 patients. ~46 were tested for HIV and only one was positive.  It was a long day, and we were glad to be home before sunset. Sam Kawale is one of the main people with E3, along with David Epperson. The mobile clinics are just one outreach of E3. If you are interested in supporting this group and their work in Malawi, please contact me! Below you will find some photos. Enjoy!

 Me trying examining a little girl, who is trying to point to where her stomach hurts. mom and sibling looking on.

 Me and my translator.

One of the VCT counselors (in the library of the school we used for the clinic.

 Luke, Kelley and me before the start of the clinic

People sitting, waiting for us to start

 Maxwell, clinical officer, doing malaria testing

 The road to the village

Villages along the road

People waiting for us as we drove up.

Patient with new onset vitiligo. Luke gave up a bottle of suncreen for her to use on her lips in the intense African sun. 

 Mom and child. This little guy would smile at me - many of the children just scream and cry at this age, but he was a real charmer!

 Luke with Kelley in the background, helping to set up the pharmacy

VCT room. Many of the women actively wanted to be tested for HIV. None were positive, but it is encouraging to see the women taking an active role in their health!

Sam Kawale, Member of Parliament and leader of this crew!

Seizure clinic, KCH, Steven

Thursday we did the seizure clinic (epilepsy clinic for Children of Blessing Trust). Didn't get any photos of the patients, as we were too busy! Great clinic, and now they have village outreaches so the numbers in the clinic are not quite so overwhelming. Any one with a special heart for special needs kids / adults, check out their website. They do amazing work.

Friday Luke and I went to hand over rounds (surgery department) and then rounds with one of the interns at Kamazu District Hospital. This is the main hospital in the capital. The intern must have had 15 patients to round on... then he had to 'rush off to theater' for an emergency and left ME making rounds, writing orders, etc. It has been a very long time since I made hospital rounds and wrote orders on surgery patients. I was very happy to see him back! If you are not familar with some of the conditions in hospitals in Malawi, it is dismal. Not enough of ANYTHING. Sometimes no power and no water. Not enough space in the ORs for all the patients, so people wait long times for urgent surgery. It is heart breaking. However, the interns, the med studens, the nurses all work very, very hard with very limited resources.  We saw some very sad cases today. Luke fortunately brought his BP cuff and stethoscope, along with an artery scanner thermometer. I had a pulse oximeter in my purse. We were the best equipped team on the floor (the intern had to borrow Luke's stethoscope). It was a good experience and introduction to some of the issues with medical care in this country. Dr. Carlos Verela is still in charge of the Surgical department and he is very passionate and charming.

We then had lunch with Steven, a young man who was raised in the refugee camps, now works with YWAM to minister to others in the refugee camps (currently working in the one in Malawi.).

After lunch - another run for malaria tests and large gloves, cases of water for our trip to Pothawira this coming week. Now plans for dinner with Roberta Nagel at Bombay Palace.  Tomorrow - E3 clinic!
Enjoy the photos!

 Selfie with Luke, me, Joey, Kelley and Steven

Joey counting meds at the seizure clinic

 Workers at the seizure clinic, in the pharmacy

 The A team - Diane Young, Kathy Bowler and Luke

Dedza

Wednesday started off with Luke making pancakes and home made syrup! They were amazing. What a treat!

We then traveled to Dedza to the pottery factory and restuarant. This is a drive of about 1.5 hours. We picked up Henry (Lidson) Masamba. I have sponsored him through Children of the Nations since he was about 4 years old. He has graduated from high school and passed his final exam to be eligible to enter a technical school or college in Malawi. He is currently waiting to see if he will be accepted. He wants to do civil engineering. He is currently spending time with his sister, Doris. On the dust road to the pottery factory, we passed a huge funeral. A local man, Isaac Banda, who ran a small orphanage, died. Seems everyone from Dedza town and many from further away attended.

Dedza district grows many root crops. There are roadside stands where you can buy potatoes, onions, etc. at a much better price than in the city. We stopped and did some grocery shopping.

After we checked out the pottery, had an awesome lunch, and did our grocery shopping, we took Lidson back home to his sister in Likuni. It was a good day, spent with great folks.

If anyone reading this is seriously interested in sponsoring a child, Children of the Nations (COTN) international has a website. You can view children who currently need sponsors. They try to get 3 sponsors for every child. Usually the little ones 'go fast' but many of the older kids need sponsors. If they live in an orphanage, the cost is slightly higher than if they are in a feeding village. Just a thought.

enjoy the photos! I think they are in reverse order!

Lidson and his sister, Doras

Luke checking out the vegetables

Lidson and Joey in the back of the car

Gathering for the funeral

We were checking out the onion bunches for sale

Another view of the road side market

Luke, the master chef, making pancakes

Lidson at the pottery factory

Lidson and I

Lunch at the Dedza pottery restaurant

Ntchisi Prison

Today (Tuesday) a group of us went to Ntchisi prison, in the mountains, to do a clinic. We were Charles, TK, Gospel, Jessie, Joseph (clinical officer) Joey, Luke and myself.  We stopped at When the Saint's - a project helping girls who were victims of sexual abuse and / or trafficing. We picked up Newman (director) and his main counselor, Rosalyn, there. They came with us to the prison as Newman wants to start working with the male side of the crime.  Charles and H2O managed to get a new little clinic built with 4 rooms. It is outside the prison. Prisoners can come one at a time for treatment, but we could not have so many as we saw (guesstimate -200) outside the prison walls.We were not allowed to take photos inside the prison. Charles co-ordinated the event, Luke did wound care, Joseph and I saw patients,  Joey did the pharmacy, TK, Gospel, Jessie and Rosemary translated and helped Newman as he presented the gospel to inmates. It is a long trip and we arrived home hungry, thirsty and tired, but happy that we were able to help so many of the men. When we finished with the men, I helped (a little) in the pharmacy to finish up and Joseph went up to the clinic to see many of the wives and children of the guards.

Enjoy the photos!

 The new clinic. Note the very steep 'wheelchair' access ramp.

View from the prison offices. It is a lovely area of the country!

Guys unloading the Pajero

More unloading

Group photo at When the Saints.

Gate of the prison leading into the  actual prison yard

Group photo at the new clinic

Weekend in Malawi

Saturday we had a day of counting pills and getting ready for next week. It takes a lot to organize for the prison and / or village clinics. Fortunately I have an organization guru, Joey, with me and a pair of very willing hands in Luke. Saturday evening we went to dinner with Jim and Dr. Diane Young. It was a great meal and even better fellowship.


Sunday off to church at Flood, where Edith Kansilanga preached on Jonah and Nineveh.... Luke and I found that very interesting since we were both recently in Iraq near Nineveh.

After lunch, we went to visit Garden's Gate, Michelle Clark's project. She is currently stateside so I had said I would check on the girls. Fineness was out to lunch with Roberta Nagel,  but we found Aweema, Joyce and Doris all home and well. We talked them out of some ripe grapefruit and lemons, and also one of the guards climbed up to get us a ripe papaya. We ate it at dinner and it was yummy!

We then drove to Charles's house to discuss some business and hold little Tadala. Joey learned how to make samoosas and Erlita gave us  a big dish ready to fry.  Be still my beating heart!

A wonderful and relaxing Sunday, spent with precious friends. Enjoy the photos.

 Happy, myself, Luke and Charles

 Tadala, wide awake and wondering about this stranger holding her!

 Joyce and Doris bringing in the fruits to give to us!

 Worker climbing up a very tall tree to get the papaya.

 He knocked the papaya out of the tree and broke it's fall to earth with his head. Note his ball cap on the ground. It was still yummy!

 Joey and Doris

 Me with little Tadala ('more blessings')

Dr. Diane Young, Joey, Jim Young and Luke.

Arrival in Malawi, 2017

Joey Swartz, Luke Livgren and I arrived in Malawi on April 19. It was a long but fairly uneventful flight, although Joey and I had some delays in Dallas due to weather.  Everything was 'ready' when we got here, thanks to Charles Msukwa

 Charles Msukwa and family in dining room

 Luke showing Praise how to do a zigsaw puzzle

 Charles' girls: Ruth, new baby Tadal, Emily and wife Erlita

 Tadala and Emily.

 Luke showing Praise a video game on his computer

Joey with Erlita and the girls.

for picking us up and for Nancy and Archie McGlawn for having the guest house ready and even stocked with some food!
The first few days are always controlled chaos. We have managed to make a couple trips to exchange money, more groceries, getting the internet set up, getting our phones all working, etc etc.  Joey is in her element in organizing the medical supplies and medications.
I am trying to coordinate clinics and clinic dates / locations
Today (Friday) Charles came by to take the Rav 4 for the Certificate of Fitness, and dropped off his sweet family to visit with us. Instead of showing you the chaos that currently is our living room, I am posting some photos of the Msukwa family hanging out with us! Enjoy!