Thirty-one years ago, when members of today’s Malawi Project started working in central Malawi, the population of the nation hovered near 10,000,000 people. Today it is well over 21,500,000.
The central region, where the capital is located, reflects an even faster rate. An example is the Mponela Trading Center. It is situated beside Highway M-1 and located 60 kilometers or 38 miles north of the capital of Lilongwe. This farming community reflects an even faster growth than many other parts of the nation. In 1990 the population stood at 10,000 people, but by late September of this year, it had passed 25,000. Everything, from schools and government services, electric and phone service, and medical and hospital services, cannot keep pace with this fast-growing area. Although a new hospital is under construction, the current facility, built in 1980, cannot meet the increase in need.
During a recent distribution of maternity packs to expectant mothers, the hospital administrator set off alarm bells over the conditions at the hospital, “As you can see, we attend to many patients despite the condition of the hospital. We offer all services here and serve as a referral center for smaller health centers in the area. Many mothers give birth here after attending antenatal services at our facility. We deliver about 50 babies a week. However, many expectant mothers do not come with the necessities we ask them to buy as they prepare to give birth. This is because many come from rural areas where even buying a bar of soap for bathing is a major challenge.”
Lezina Danken, reporting for Action for Progress, was on hand for the distribution and was able to report on the value and importance of the maternity packs. Few people outside Malawi can understand the relief that was experienced by women who could never afford to purchase these lifesaving, necessary items for their deliveries.