Introducing you to the culture of Malawi through a series of articles! The culture of Malawi is strong in spirituality and most people are active in religious groups. We’ll tell you about Malawi’s main religions and the people who practice them. Read on for more.
Malnutrition in Malawi
Tadala's Story
One morning, Dorothy noticed her granddaughter looking different. “One would think she had gained weight in one night,” says Dorothy. “I knew it was something unusual. Her whole body was swollen.”
Despite her alarm, Dorothy couldn’t afford to take her granddaughter, Tadala, to the nearest hospital. It was some ten kilometers away.
Burden of Travel Costs
“It costs 4000 MWK to get to the hospital,” says Dorothy. “January to March is always hard for us village people. By this time, most of us run out of food. Every small amount of money we get, we use to buy food.”
Mobile Outreach Brings Healthcare to Villages
Dorothy knew Orant’s Mobile Outreach Clinic (MOC) was scheduled to visit her village in three weeks. Patiently, she waited. When Orant arrived, she took Tadala immediately to the clinic.
Orant’s clinicians diagnosed Tadala with severe malnutrition.
Nutrition in Malawi
Good nutrition is one of the cornerstones of human growth and societal development. However, malnutrition remains a serious public health challenge in Malawi. According to a report by UNICEF, 37% of Malawian children are affected by stunting. Worse, malnutrition contributes to preventable child deaths.
As is with many cases, people from rural villages are most affected by malnutrition.
“Malnutrition cases are always at an alarming rate during January to March,” says George Matapandeu, MOC clinician. “At this time, people have usually invested their little income in farming. Simultaneously, the previous year’s harvest runs out.”
Tadala’s Treatment
When Tadala visited the MOC, clinicians took all efforts and steps to manage her condition. They followed the Malawi national nutrition guidelines. And they prescribed ready-to-use therapeutic food. Strong and resilient, Tadala bounced back.
Healthcare Heals
A month after being assisted, Tadala’s grandmother returned to the clinic. She showed the clinicians Tadala’s improved condition. Grateful, she shared her thanks with Orant’s clinic team and donors.
“I don’t know what would have happened to my grandchild if not for the Mobile Outreach Clinic,” says Dorothy.
Tadala is just one example of the thousands of children that have benefited from the Orant Charities Africa nutritional program. Bravo to our Outreach Clinic Team and the entire Orant Charities. Bravo to the parents and grandparents like Dorothy who courageously care for their children when conditions are dire.
Share on:
The Orant Journal
As we have discussed in some of our past blogs, Malawi Vision 2063 has three key pillars that guide the focus of the Vision. These three pillars are meant to build on each other to create the inclusively wealthy and self-reliant nation that they envision. In this blog, we will look at the second pillar of MW2063: Industrialization.
Introducing you to the culture of Malawi through a new series of articles! First in the series is the food of Malawi, an important part of culture and tradition. We’ll tell you about some traditional foods and even share some recipes! Read on for more.
In this blog, we will look at the first pillar of MW2063: Agricultural Productivity and Commercialization.
In the book Poor Economics, the authors explore the idea of the poverty trap and how it affects people across the world. In this blog, we review Poor Economics and its lessons on how to break the cycle of poverty.
2022 Highlights at Orant Charities Africa. See what we accomplished.
Clean water is a gendered issue in Malawi. Women and girls bear the brunt of the water burden. Malita Chimbalame tells her story.
Celebrate Orant's Sweet 16 with 16 reasons we love what we do.
Malawi is rich in democracy, peace, and spirit. But economically, Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world. Why?
Orant Charities has named its annual gala mudzi. Orant’s mudzi is the global village of people united for our common mission in Malawi.