Child Legacy and more

For those of you who do not follow me on Facebook, just a quick update. Thursday lunch with the Whiskas and then dinner with Dr. Young and other friends. Friday we did rounds at KCH again (taking Claire with this that time), then to ABC and home for a quiet evening. We found out at ABC that the E3 clinic had been canceled for Sat, but it was too late for us to organize another village clinic on Sat.  We decided instead to go tour Child Legacy, outside Msundwe trading center. They have made a lot of changes since our last visit 2 years ago. They are delivering babies and hope soon to be able to do C-sections (awaiting some additional equipment for the blood bank). They now have 2 US doctors - one in pediatrics and one in family medicine. They were gone for the week-end. They will be leaving for good in Dec. so if anyone is interested in coming to Malawi to take their place, let me know or contact Jeff Rogers at Child Legacy. He is very interested in OB especially, but will need a pediatrician also to take the place of the leaving doctors. The main clinical officer is Lucky, an old friend from Daeyang Luke, and he gave us an awesome tour.  Child Legacy is located in a very rural area, but the project has its own water source and is completely 'off the grid' as far as power is concerned and is powered by both wind and solar. They have a huge agricultural program and grow  / raise their own food. The lady in charge, Afsahan, is simply brilliant, with a very inquisitive mind and some great ideas. She is 'exporting' her ideas to surrounding farmers and villages, and helping a local school start their own gardens. They do not use the hybrid seeds, they use permaculture methodology, with everything having multipurposes. The large fish ponds provide not only food but also a nitrogen rich fertilizer for the gardens. When you enter Child Legacy, you turn off a dust road surrounded by very poor villages, into what appears to be a garden of Eden.  Jeff and his wife have done an amazing work there!    After Child Legacy, Joey and I stopped by to see the kids at COTN, Chitipi again, dropping off some photos, a couple of soccer balls and some suckers. Enjoy the photos!

Dinner at the Youngs - from the left, Bau, Clarie, Tanja, Diane, Jim (in back), me, Nancy and Archie.

Child Legacy, Jeff Rogers showing us the new learning center, under contruction.

Lucky showing us the outpatient waiting area. It is a Saturday so it is not as busy. They charge 500 kwacha (less than a dollar) for everything done IF you come business hours, Monday through Friday. At night and on the weekends, it is 1000 kwacha. Maybe we should start something like that in the US? During the regular hours, they see about 250 patients a day.

In the 'waiting area', the patients are registered and their vital signs and weight are recorded.

One of the new surgical suites, just awaiting the completion of the blood bank to start doing C-sections!

Lucky showing us one of the exam rooms for pregnant women, complete with the bedside sonogram!

Fully equipped ambulance. They use this to transport patients from Child Legacy to town (KCH). Trust me, a fully equipped ambulance is a rarity here!

Joey and I with Afsahan, getting tour of some of the grounds. Not only do they raise food, but also have planted useful flowers and herbs. They have succeeded in attracting butterflies and birds, along with bees (they have ~12 beehives) to this once dead area. Most of the 'flowers' serve more than one purpose - beauty plus attracting wildlife or, in the case of some of the plants, repelling mosquitoes or other bugs. All the pesticides they use are made on site and are organic.

Some of the wind turbines for wind power.

The main 'solar' area, although there are solar panels scattered over the entire complex. This house has the huge batteries to store the power.

Jeff Rogers and myself

Asfahan and myself. I don't know if we were talking or simply laughing!

COTN, Chitipi, little Mikey, asleep in his crib.

COTN, Chitipi. The kids after the sucker hand out. Steven is in the front in the red shirt, holding the picture I gave him of himself. You can also see the new soccer ball.

Thanks for all the prayers that are being offered for our safety. Thanks for the donations of medical supplies and medications (especially the vitamins we cannot get here!).