March 2010

HEALTHCARE AND OTHER NEWS

The New Community Health Clinic

The new community health clinic got off to a flying start in July 2009. Originally, the intention was to build the clinic at Matete, but plans were changed and a rather better site close to Mwaya Primary School was chosen by the chiefs. Fondation Eagle, who provided the funds for this project, have been very patient and have even added to their original donation due to the increased costs after the collapse in the value of the pound. We waited to start the project until Aldenham School arrived, and the teachers and students dug the foundations, much to the amazement of the local people who have never seen foundations dug so quickly! After the recession hit at the end of 2008, we had to make the majority of our builders redundant, but we have kept two small teams of builders employed for all the subsequent building jobs, so they have been moving from site to site depending on what stage the buildings have reached and on the weather conditions. The clinic is rather larger than we had originally planned for, but it will be a tremendous facility for the local communities.

Health News from Kachere Health Centre
The two main complaints at Kachere Health Centre have been the lack of water and the urgent need for a microscope, and we are pleased to say that both of these issues are being resolved.

The water issue has been an ongoing saga. Some years ago, a borehole was drilled close to the heath centre and an electric submersible pump was installed. This pump never really worked properly and could not keep pace with the demands for water, and then it was struck by lightning so there has been no water at the health centre for the last two years. There was only one active borehole in the whole of Kachere which has a population of probably over 1,000 people. Various volunteers have suggested very expensive solutions to the problem, and we had been told by everybody that it is a hit-or-miss affair as to whether boreholes at Kachere will work because of the geology of the area. Unfortunately, we have not been able to spend much time solving this problem but, on a visit to the health centre in December 2009, Geoff decided to have a good look at the borehole and discussed the issue with the Health Surveillance Assistants. Purely by chance, he visited the health centre with Amos, our teacher from Kapanda who is a trained electrical engineer. They checked the borehole at the health centre and found there was plenty of water in it. Then, to Geoff’s surprise, they were told that there are a number of manually pumped boreholes close to the health centre which were not working, and they were shown an old Climax pump. They felt sure there would be water and, the following day, Amos returned and took the pump to pieces. He was able to reconnect the system, and the pump is now producing lots of water. Another Afridev pump even closer to the health centre has since been renovated and paid for by Bev, a previous volunteer. So, for a cost of £500, there are now three boreholes working at Kachere rather than only one.

The other major complaint at the health centre has been that they do not have a microscope. Although Fletcher, one of the Health Surveillance Assistants, had been trained to use a microscope, the District Health Department had not supplied one as promised. This means that blood tests cannot be done for malaria, and most patients suspected of having malaria will be given the new malaria treatment Coarthem regardless with the result that the malaria parasite will build up resistance to it. We have been wanting a microscope for some time and, after a chance meeting between Megan, our UK Projects Manager, and Hugh Graham, director of Inverclyde Biologicals (www.inverclydebiologicals.co.uk), at a Rotary Club function, Hugh very generously agreed to donate a microscope to Kachere Health Centre. This will be shipped out to Malawi shortly, and we are very grateful to Hugh for his help.

About a year ago, we employed Joyce, who had been working at the health centre but was made redundant by the District Health Department. She lives at the health centre and has been a valuable asset. One of her important tasks has been delivering babies late at night when the other health centre staff are off duty. She also is responsible for collecting the water each day for the health centre and so has benefited from the renovated boreholes.

A number of our volunteer doctors and nurses have been spending one day a week at Chintheche Hospital, and they have proved to be of great use to the chief clinician there, Hastings Skotti.

Aldenham School Visit to RIPPLE Africa in July 2009

Like many people, Geoff had not returned to his old school for 30 years. However, in 2007, he had an opportunity to attend a reunion for Old Aldenhamians who were at the school at the same time as him. Little did he know that a strong association was about to begin. Soon after the reunion, Dan Bond, the chaplain, contacted Geoff and asked him to give a talk to the whole school. The school raised money for RIPPLE Africa in 2007/2008 and adopted us as their international charity.

As our association developed, the school decided that they would like to send some students out to Malawi to experience RIPPLE Africa’s projects firsthand. Four teachers and 11 students flew to Lilongwe in July 2009 and, after going on a safari to South Luangwa National Park in Zambia, they then travelled up to Mwaya. The group camped at Lowani Beach for the duration of their stay.

We wanted this trip to be a really amazing experience for both the students and teachers and also for the local people. There was a busy itinerary of visiting nursery and primary schools, and several visits to Kapanda secondary school where, on one occasion, there was a presentation of new secondary school text books.

The Aldenham group were involved in two building projects — the first was to renovate Mary’s house (Frank’s wife), one end of which had collapsed in the previous rainy season, and to build her a toilet, and the second was to prepare the foundations for the new Mwaya community health clinic. As soon as the Aldenham group arrived at Lowani Beach, word got round, and it was a pleasure to see students and local people sitting and talking on the beach, exchanging knowledge and ideas.

Progress at Lowani Beach
Since Geoff and Liz purchased Lowani Beach with their friends David and Gabrielle Newman, development here has progressed steadily but slowly. In the last year, we have completed the washroom block, constructed a temporary thatched dining shelter, renovated the kitchen, and the new thatched central building which will incorporate a kitchen and storeroom, and a dining and lounge area, is largely built. Chancey, the head gardener at Lowani Beach, has planted over 1,000 trees, and there are good fruit tree orchards which we are using as examples for local farmers.

Help at Last! and Megan will be Working Full Time from April 2010
After many years of Geoff and Liz running the charity by themselves on a voluntary basis, they are delighted to have help at last. Ali, who has been working part-time for the charity for the last year and manages the volunteer programme, came out to Mwaya in July 2009 to re-acquaint herself with all the people and projects. Megan, who has also been working part-time, will be working full-time for RIPPLE Africa from April 2010. This is a huge step for us, but it is vital that the charity has new blood and is able to fundraise more actively in the future. Megan also returned to Mwaya for two weeks in November 2009. We feel it is really important that key RIPPLE Africa staff are in close contact with what is happening on the ground in Malawi so that they can communicate effectively with donors, potential donors, volunteers, and any other interested parties.

David Newman is rapidly falling under the spell of RIPPLE Africa and is now visiting Mwaya twice a year. He works on a voluntary basis and pays for his own air fares to visit Malawi. His expertise in horticulture is a great asset to the charity, and we hope he will be able to spend more time at Mwaya in the future, together with his wife, Gabrielle.

Stephen and Anne, who visited Mwaya in December 2009, are also keen to help with fundraising, and Nicolas, a previous volunteer, will be organising a large fundraising event in London in the spring of 2011.

Michael Wenborn, who has been very supportive, maintains his contact with RIPPLE Africa although he is very busy with his environmental consultancy business.

We would also like to thank all of our donors and volunteers who have supported and continue to support the work we are doing ... we couldn’t do what we do without you.

RIPPLE Africa Staff News