Dedza, Malawi … For years the Malawi Project has worked to establish programs where the spirit of self-reliance takes root, develops and independence flowers into bloom. However, there is one area where the needs of the people must take the forefront and self-reliance put on hold. This is in the critical area of health care. It is impossible for a village person, in a remote region of Africa, to find independence in their healthcare needs. Examples of the seriousness of the need abound. One is found in the Machinga District Hospital in southern Malawi. Since the district hospitals are a major line of defense in the war for good healthcare it is critical for these facilities to be well staffed, well equipped and well prepared for the onslaught of need that constantly faces them.
One does not have to go into very much detail about the fact there are not enough beds, beds with no mattresses and no linen. Nor does one need to go to the empty pharmacy to see the problem of not enough drugs. Nor does one need to visit the surgery unit where supplies are wholly inadequate for the wellbeing of patients and staff.
No, one only need see the statistic that in this district medical facility there is one doctor for a catchment area population of 589,706 people!
The same problems are seen at district hospitals all over the nation, including the district hospital for Dedza. This is why the Malawi Project is focused on obtaining the financial resources to help the Malawians build and outfit a new surgery center a few miles south of this district capital. Much has already been done for this project.
1. A group of Malawi professionals have formed the Dzidalire Group, a community action group, chartered to bring aid, training, medical assistance, and self-sustaining programs to the Dedza district.
2. Land surveys for a medical facility have been completed.
3. Government approval has been granted for the facility, and the proper permits have been issued.
4. Tribal authority has donated land for the facility.
5. Villagers have banned together to make, by hand, over 100,000 bricks for construction of the buildings.
6. Villagers have banned together to construct a road that will connect the village areas with the medical facility.
7. The Malawi Project has shipped the equipment and supplies to prepare the facility to serve the public.
8. Dzidalire has made plans to avail itself with a nationwide program where the medical staff will be paid by the government.
9. Thousands of trees have been planted around the area to reforest it and beautify the facilities.
So what is needed to get this project under construction? Approximately $130,000.00 will do the job. That’s right, with over $30,000.00 already collected, an additional $100,000.00 will construct the major buildings for the birthing center, that will serve as a small hospital for the area.
“When our request to help with pill containers for Malawi reached you, the response was outstanding,” reports Bryon Bhagwandin, member of the Board for the Malawi Project. “If each person gathering and sending pill containers would write a check for $25.00, $50.00 or $100.00 we could easily get this medical-facility construction underway.”
Contributions can be made by check or money order made out to the Malawi Project, or through the web site: https://secure.acceptiva.com/?cst=a64e3e