“Orant respectfully serves and collaborates with our community in a sustainable way.”
New Wheels from Orant’s Healthcare Program
Andrea Mwale’s story of illness and recovery
![New Wheels from Orant’s Healthcare Program](https://orantcharitiesafrica.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/IMG_1162-768x512.jpeg)
Andrea Mwale’s story of illness
Andrea lived a normal, healthy life until 2017, when he was hit by hypertension, which completely changed his life. Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is when the pressure in your blood vessels is too high.
Andrea explains how one day, he woke up very energetic like any other normal day until in the afternoon when he had a terrible headache.
“The headache became so unbearable that I collapsed. I woke up on a hospital bed but I could not move the lower part of my body; from the waist downwards,” explains Andrea.
Andrea explains that he was told by the doctor that he had hypertension which resulted in a stroke.
Stroke is a brain attack, which occurs when something blocks blood supply to part of the brain or when a blood vessel in the brain bursts. In either case, parts of the brain become damaged or a person dies. A stroke can cause lasting brain damage, long-term disability, or even death.
“From this day, my life changed as I could not move on my own and I depended on my parents and my siblings to move me and do everything for me,” narrates Andrea.
Andrea’s recovery and outlook on life
His life became easier when a well-wisher gave him a wheelchair, which for years had been helping him to move around and do other things on his own, until a year ago when the wheelchairs tires and steels wore out.
It was hard for Andrea to get a new wheelchair as his life depends on his old parents whose source of income is making reed mats. With his worn out wheelchair, Andrea had no other means of moving around and for a year, he could not go anywhere but lay on the veranda of his house every evening and watch the sun set.
New Wheels from Orant’s Healthcare Program
Our healthcare team heard of Andrea’s story and wanted to help Andrea by getting him a new wheelchair.
“I could not believe it when I heard that Orant was planning on getting me a new wheelchair until today, when I saw people bringing it,” says Andrea whilst smiling ear to ear.
Andrea explains how this new wheelchair will help him to go out and associate with friends. He also explains how excited he is to go back to church after a year.
“I love going to church but for a year I haven’t been going to church. I am so grateful for this priceless gift that Orant has given to me, ” says Andrea.
The Orant Journal
Water Well Maintenance
At the heart of Orant’s programs and initiatives is sustainability, which is also one of our values. We believe in not only implementing programs or initiatives but also in creating long-lasting change that will continue to serve our community. In today's blog article, we talk about why we perform maintenance on water wells and how it contributes to the sustainability of our Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) program.
The Village Chief’s Vital Role
Ever wondered why we always mention village chiefs and their involvement in Orant’s work? If yes, then today’s blog article is for you! In this article, we talk to Village Head of Kasese Village in Dowa, who tells us about her duties and why her involvement with Orant is important. Read today's blog article to learn more.
Evolution of Orant’s FEM Program
At Orant, we are committed to supporting local entrepreneurs, especially women. This is what spurred us to start our Financial Empowering Microloans (FEM) program in 2017. However, we came to realize that our program participants needed more comprehensive support to achieve sustainable growth. This is why we are excited to announce the evolution of our FEM program into what we now call Business Development Program!. Read our latest blog to learn more about this evolution.
Unwrapping the Flavours Of Malawi: Champunga Mkati Recipe
It's been a while since we last shared our Malawian recipes and we know you have been missing them. This week, we are back with yet another delicious recipe called Champunga Mkati. We are not sure of its English name but let's call it Malawian rice dumplings. Read our latest blog to learn more about this tasty snack recipe.
Of 20 Orant sponsored students who sat for the Malawi School Certificate of Education Examination (MSCE) last year, 18 qualified for University, and we are thrilled to announce that 14 have secured places at public universities! Of the 14, two are boys and 12 are girls. Read our latest blog and learn more about what this means to Orant.
Orant Nyali Yanga Poetry Competition: Unlocking Creativity
Some weeks ago, we opened our Orant Nyali Yanga Poetry Competition as a way of encouraging creative expression in Dowa Secondary School Students. We are excited to announce that the competition is still open and the deadline has been extended to July 15th! Read our latest article to learn more about the competition, what it means to us and how important it is to the schools and communities we work with.
Our Healthcare team is dedicated to improving the overall well-being of people. As part of this effort, this week we are conducting a nutritional assessment to all children aged from 6 months to 59 months and pregnant and lactating mothers in our catchment area. In this week’s blog post, we will explore the importance of this initiative and how it will benefit our community.
The End of Plenty Book Review
Recently, we read The End of Plenty by Joel K. Bourne Jr. An honest and sometimes scathing review of the Green Revolution, this book covers how monoculture crops have led to worsening hunger across the world. As the planet warms, the need is ever more urgent for us to find a solution to humanity’s desperate need to feed 9 billion people.
Poetry Competition
Let your light shine with our new poetry competition for secondary school students in Dowa district!