In rural Malawi, pregnant women face many challenges including lack of access to prenatal care, poor nutrition, and lack of safe spaces to deliver their babies. Orant is working to change that with the renovation of our maternity ward. Read about it in this week’s blog.
Malaria Stories: Agness Mateyo

In the darkness of a Thursday night, a motorcycle enters the Orant Charities Kasese Health Center premises, carrying a woman with a child on her back. The woman is crying.
Her child is unconscious and is having convulsions. The doctor on duty rushes to put the child on a drip. In no time, the child gains consciousness. His eyes have turned yellow. He is throwing up. He is too weak to sit up on his own.
The doctor collects the child’s blood sample and conducts a malaria test. The child is diagnosed with severe malaria. His hemoglobin level is at 6.5 g/dl. The normal level is 10.5 g/dl.
“If he doesn’t get treatment in the next 24 hours, we will lose him,” says the doctor.
Agness Mateyo knew something was wrong with her 4 year old son, Promise Lucas, on Tuesday morning. He had become quiet and less playful. She noticed blood in his pee.
But she couldn’t take him to the hospital because she had no money for transportation.
“It never crossed my mind that it could be something as serious as malaria until Thursday night when he fainted,” says the mother of four.
Due to severe malaria, Promise became anemic and required blood transfusion. Malaria is the most common cause of anemia. The parasite feeds on blood cells.
Promise’s condition was critical. He was given an injection of Artesunate and referred to Madisi Hospital for further observation.
Malaria remains one of the most common diseases in Malawi. Cases are high during the rainy season. Sitting water is a breeding ground for mosquitoes. On average, Orant’s clinics see 2,800 malaria patients per month during malaria season.
One of the challenges in timely treatment of malaria is ignorance and negligence. People tend to visit the hospital when the situation is at its worst.
For the sake of prevention, Orant distributes mosquito nets to rural communities. We also conduct health talks. We cover malaria causes, signs and symptoms, complications, and prevention. We encourage communities to sleep under insecticide-treated mosquito nets, avoid keeping stagnant water around their homes, and clear the bushes around their homes.
“Orant’s Healthcare Program strives to make sure that communities are well informed and free from malaria,” says Herbert Chunga, Kasese Health Center Clinician.
“Thank you to the Kasese Health Center for their tireless efforts in making sure my community is safe from malaria,” says Agness.
The Orant Journal
Orant Improves Eye Health in Rural Malawi
On the last Wednesday of every month, our Kasese Health Centre conducts eye clinics for local residents in need of treatment. Read our latest blog to learn more about our eye clinics and how they help people in rural Malawi.
One of the greatest challenges that our Healthcare program faces is women starting antenatal care too late in their pregnancy. This puts the lives of pregnant mothers and their unborn babies at risk. Read our latest blog to learn about what our Healthcare program is doing to motivate pregnant mothers to start attending antenatal care as soon as they find out that they are pregnant.
Expanding Solar Power at Orant Charities
As Orant renovates our campus in Kasese, we find a need for more consistent power supply. Working with Green Impact Technologies, we will be installing solar power onto our campus. Read more about the project here!
Chidikiliro: Providing Care for Mothers in Rural Malawi
Lack of food is one of the factors that affects maternal health in rural Malawi. Read our latest blog to learn more about how our healthcare program is tackling this challenge and encouraging women to come to the hospital on time.
A Tale of Hope and Survival
We believe that everyone deserves access to quality healthcare, and we know that making timely and professional decisions can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. Read on to hear the story of Samuel, a boy afflicted by severe malaria.
A New Mother’s Experience at Kasese Health Center
Orant’s Kasese Health Center serves thousands of people each year. Many women prefer to come to our Maternity Ward to deliver their new babies. Read on to learn about Mwayiwawo’s experience in the Kasese Health Center.
Sickle Cell Anemia Affects a Family in Malawi
It is always heartbreaking whenever a mother sees her child sick. For Consolatta Kazinga, the situation was worse as she watched her two children on hospital beds, suffering from sickle cell anemia and waiting to receive blood.
Caring for Women and Children in Malawi
This week, we had an interview with Linda Phiri, our program manager for the Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health Services.
Malnutrition in Malawi: Tadala’s Story
Orant's Mobile Outreach Clinic diagnosed Tadala with severe malnutrition. Malnutrition in Malawi is at its worst January to March.