Newsletter: February 2006
Looking ahead, we fear that prospects for a reasonable harvest this year are not good. The growing season began well in December last with adequate rain, but by the end of January there had been no rain for three weeks and crops were beginning to dry out. Without significant rainfall in early February there will be further food shortages later in the year.
Last year a group of students from Wrekin College, Shropshire, travelled out to Malawi to work on the new Orphan House for which they had already raised the building costs. As well as completing the interior decorating with bright, lively cartoon figures across the walls, many of them undertook a range of tasks within the hospital, such as in the laboratory and in the under-5 clinic. The orphan house now accommodates 21 residents and provides meals for many more who live with adoptive families in the village.
The new orphan house
For the last month Alice Dwyer, a medical student from University of Sydney, Australia, has been working as a volunteer at St. Andrew’s Hospital, as part of her Elective. We hope to have an account of her time in Mtunthama shortly, but have received glowing reports from hospital staff, including “Alice loves the little ones very much”. She has spent considerable time in the Under-5 unit.
Last year Kyle Danielson, from Canada, spent six weeks working as a volunteer at the hospital. He made an enormous contribution to the life and work of the hospital while he was there and this year he is planning to go again, this time accompanied by a group of nurses and possibly even a surgeon! Kyle has also, since his return to Canada, raised significant sums of money and sent valuable equipment out to St. Andrew’s. He is looking at the possibility of establishing Medic Malawi, Canada, as a charity in its own right.
Two experienced dentists from Plymouth, UK, plan to spend about three weeks at St Andrew’s Hospital during late June/early July. They will also spend some time in the Dental Unit at Kasungu General Hospital. This is the way they have chosen to celebrate their Silver Wedding!
Sally Symonds, an English lady resident in Australia, decided that she would celebrate her birthday lasat year by doing a sponsored sky-dive to raise funds for Medic Malawi. We are so grateful for the £1300 thus raised. And incidently, it was her 70th birthday she was celebrating!
In April this year a group of students, all girls, from St Peter’s School, Exeter, will be travelling to Malawi to work on a number of projects on the campus, including work in the Under-5 clinics and quite possibly with the orphans in the new Orphan House. We wish them a safe trip and hope they have an exciting time. We look forward to hearing their reports.