Category: Volunteers

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, Education, Healthcare, Volunteers

Volunteer nurses provide informal contraceptive health education

Phunzira

Teenage pregnancy is a very real problem across rural Malawi, resulting in girls dropping out from secondary education and, while re-admission policies do exist, it is unclear how well they are followed. In order to tackle this problem, two volunteer nurses conducted an informal contraceptive health education talk for both male and female school students in Khondowe. They provided extensive information about contraceptive services available at both the Khondowe and Ruarwe Health Centres and answered the students’ questions about contraception.

While sex education (including contraception) is on the school syllabus, this is sadly often overlooked due to both staffing and social pressures, amongst other issues.  Alice Worsley and Hannah Ward were able to start tackling this lack of education along with John Chilinde, project co-ordinator and youth leader at NYM. Thank you!

 

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!