Category: Malawi

Fundraising, Malawi

Raising funds for Ruarwe Ambulance Boat

Phunzira

The Ruarwe Ambulance Boat, built by Phunzira in 2013/14 and donated to the Ministry of Health in Malawi in 2015, has unfortunately been off the waters for the last 8 months. The boat was originally constructed in order to facilitate patient referrals from the clinics in Ruarwe and Khondowe to nearby Usisya, as well as to assist with patient emergencies.

Since the boat handover ceremony in May 2015, the Ministry of Health has supplied all necessary provisions for the boat to run at least once a week to Usisya and back; this has proved to be an invaluable asset for people living in such a remote part of the country.

However the boat has sadly stopped running in recent months: the hope is that the increased annual health budget proposed in Malawi this year will help to get the boat back on track again, but in the meantime ex-volunteer Leah Desmond is working hard to raise funds for this worthy cause.

Many thanks to Leah for her continued support for so many of our health projects – from coming to join us as a voluntary doctor, to raising money to build a shelter at the nearby clinic, to helping get the ambulance boat get back on the water… Tawonga! To make a donation to any health projects please click here: Donate Now

Malawi, Volunteers

Wild Earth helping to support local clinics

Phunzira

In November 2016 returning volunteer Hayley Crow kindly brought some haemoglobin meters to donate to Ruarwe and Khondowe government clinics. Community members walk up to 4 hours to attend the clinics for medical services, and Ruarwe clinic had been closed for over ten years when Hayley first volunteered with us.
The clinics were also lucky to receive a selection of Goal Zero solar products provided by Wild Earth. As well as the haemoglobin meters (which are essential for managing complications of anaemia in malaria, haemorrhage and various other scenarios), the solar equipment is also powering the sphygmomanometers (blood pressure monitors).

Wild Earth Product 1Wild Earth

The clinic staff would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone involved for helping to improve healthcare provisions in a big way!

Fundraising, Malawi, Volunteers

School uniforms for underprivileged children

Phunzira

A huge thank you to Mandy Fuchs, who has been raising funds to help provide school uniforms for needy children in Ruarwe. In April 2017, 27 lucky primary school students from Ruarwe FP were the first to receive their donated uniforms, made by local tailor Bea Beans.

Mandy first came to Ruarwe as a volunteer in April 2015 and has since set up a student sponsorship scheme in a nearby area. As well as securing long-term donors, she has also provided women’s sanitary products to female students in the catchment area and is continuing to raise funds for further donations of uniforms for underprivileged children at other nearby primary schools.

A huge thank you to Mandy for her continued efforts to support needy students in the area, and also to tailor Bea Beans for his welcome discounts with making the uniforms – yewo!! If you would like to donate to Mandy’s cause please go to: www.gofundme.com/montauktomalawi

Community, Malawi

NYM youth club hosts netball matches

Phunzira

NYM youth club members are extremely proud of the new netball bibs kindly donated by Netball UK. To celebrate these new bibs, NYM youth club hosted Banda Primary School for a small netball tournament. The celebration began with singing and dancing in the NYM youth centre. Youth club members had fundraised within the community to buy a goat for a wonderful lunch shared between community members, the youth club and their visitors. Everyone then climbed the hill to the community ’netball court’ under the giant Baobab tree. The Junior NYM team, wearing the new navy bibs, beat Banda Juniors 1-0. Meanwhile, Banda Seniors played an excellent game, beating the older NYM youth students, wearing the yellow bibs, 8-3. Thank you again to Netball UK for these wonderful gifts. Having these bibs has really boosted female engagement, both with sports and with youth club attendance in general, for which we are very grateful.

Malawi

2016 Accounts

Phunzira

The 2016 accounts for Phunzira and Nyumba ya Masambiro are now out! To take a look at our income and expenditure over last year go to ‘The Trust‘ page or go straight to the Phunzira or NYM accounts. 2016 was the year of the separation of Phunzira and NYM so remaining funds were transferred and no active fundraising took place. Phunzira prides itself on being fully transparent – we want our donors to know exactly where their money is going! – and we welcome any advice, comments or criticisms.

Fundraising, Healthcare, Malawi

Haemoglobin meter and mini solar panel donation to the clinic

Phunzira

We would like to extend a HUGE thank you to returning volunteer Hayley Crow who has arranged a large fundraiser in her native Australia to buy and bring out a battery and mains powered haemoglobin meter and solar panel with rechargeable batteries for the clinic. The device is the same as is currently used in other government clinics across Malawi and so the consumables will be supplied by the district health team meaning that this is a wonderful, sustainable gift! The haemoglobin meter has already been put to good use at the clinic for anaemia screening in severe malaria cases, aiding referrals for transfusion where necessary.

Hayley accompanied the equipment out to Ruarwe and assisted at the clinic for 5 weeks and offering any top-up training needed by the staff. Thank you to Hayley and her family for organising these wonderful gifts and to all the donors whose generosity has allowed this to happen. Yewo Chomene!!

Community, Malawi

New netball bibs arrive in Malawi!

Phunzira

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Netball UK for the donation of two sets of netball bibs to the Nyumba Ya Masambiro Youth Club. They arrived in Malawi at the end of August. The bibs, in navy blue and yellow, were worn with pride during the inaugural game on Friday September 16th 2016. The game was well attended by community members and the blue team won 7-4. The girls in the youth club are thrilled with the new bibs and plans are already afoot to set up matches against other local teams. Thanks you to Netball UK for making this possible and for supporting the promotion of sports for females in the community.

Healthcare, Malawi, Volunteers

Elective nurses at Ruarwe Health Centre

Phunzira

We are delighted to have been able to host two more student nurses from the UK on their elective placement in Ruarwe. Isabel Billowes and Sarah Ball spent a month at the Ruarwe Health Centre.

They gained experience in common conditions such as Malaria and Pneumonia, and led the recovery of a burns patient under supervision. They also had the opportunity to see the clinic at Khondowe, and undertook some public health education.

We would also like to thank Izzy and Sarah for their very generous donations of footballs, netballs and chalk as well as other items for the Youth Club at NYM. Yewo Chomene and we look forward to seeing you in Ruarwe again soon!

Healthcare, Malawi

Bittings Graduates

Phunzira

We are extremely proud of Bittings Nkhata for having successfully completed his M.A. training course at the Lilongwe College of Health Sciences. He will be starting his position as Medical Assistant of Ruarwe clinic in September. Now that we have a full time medical assistant from the local area, the clinic will at last be open permanently.

Congratulations Bittings!!! It has been a long road but your whole community is proud of you and we are thrilled that we were able to celebrate together with you at your graduation ceremony on 13th May 2016 in Lilongwe.

Community, Education, Malawi

NYM 2016 Handover Celebration

Phunzira

The NYM handover party in Ruarwe on 23rd April was a huge success, many thanks to all those who worked so hard over the last few months to make it happen!

The morning session was our Annual General Meeting so discussions were held with guests from the catchment area to discuss NYM’s achievements from last year as well as its goals for 2016. The afternoon saw the arrival of the visitors coming by boat from Nkhata Bay (a particularly long journey – many thanks for travelling so far to join us!) and included a number of speeches as well as songs by the nursery and youth club, dances from the Mbotosha women, and an excellent production by Difficult & Bikilone (Ekhesha & John) who entered the arena dressed as ladies and entertained the crowd for a hilarious 20 minute drama.

Many thanks to those that came from near and far to join us for this special occasion, and a special thanks to those that gave money to appreciate Maria’s English alphabet recital – you have collectively paid for her nursery tuition until the end of the year, yewo!

NYM has now been officially handed over to the staff and the wider community to manage independently. This was a very special day for NYM, Phunzira and Ruarwe Village, and we would like to thank everyone that has helped us along this epic journey – from Malawi to England to America to Australia! TAWONGA CHOMENI!