Last week, we were visited by the quality of care assessment team from Dowa District hospital. Read today's blog post to learn about how this exercise is important to us and the community we serve.
What Would a Parent Do for their Child?
Healthcare for children in Malawi
Jack Kirby was inspired to write the Incredible Hulk by seeing a mother lift a car to save her baby. The writer said in an interview, “It suddenly came to me that in desperation we can all do that — we can knock down walls.”
While Jack made his powerful Hulk character predictably male, his inspiration was feminine. He was inspired by a mother. A mother who, through a combination of love and adrenaline, achieved superhuman strength.
In February, 2021, in Malawi, fate called upon Chrissy Banda’s superhuman strength. Chrissy noticed a small growth in her baby’s armpit. In just a week, that growth spread to the child’s waist, back, and neck. Chrissy and her husband, Emmanuel Chirwa, thought about taking their child to a government hospital. It was 13 kilometers away from their village. A 4 hour walk.
Chrissy and Emmanuel sold chickens and a pig, their most valued assets, to pay for transportation and hospital bills. Their 4 month old, Jacqueline, was prescribed medicine. She took it for 7 days, but her situation worsened. Her parents tried a private clinic instead. Still, it was futile.
“Rumors started circulating in my community that my daughter was bewitched,” Emmanuel says. And so they took Jacqueline to a traditional doctor. It did nothing to help.
Finally, Chrissy and Emmanuel caught word that Orant’s Mobile Outreach Clinic would come to their community. In a last-hope effort, they took Jacqueline to the clinic. Orant’s clinicians diagnosed Jacqueline with critical abscesses. The abscesses could damage her organs, including her brain and lungs. Orant’s clinicians gave Jacqueline injections. They referred her immediately to Kasungu District Hospital. They offered an ambulance ride. At the hospital, Jacqueline went through a major surgery.
“I was so close to losing my child,” Chrissy says. “For only 200 kwachas”, 25 cents in US dollars, “Orant gave us medication and transportation to a hospital. I am so thankful.”
There are many children like Jacqueline in off-the-grid communities who have critical illnesses and need prompt treatment. In Malawi, 41 children under 5 die per 1,000 births, according to UNICEF. Whereas in the US, only 6.5 die per 1,000 births.
Most parents would do almost anything to save their child. This is why Orant launched its Mobile Outreach Clinic: to reach families that can’t reach healthcare on their own.
The Orant Journal
New Wheels from Orant’s Healthcare Program
We are always happy when our support brings a smile on peoples faces and changes their lives. In this week’s blog article, we are talking to Andrea Mwale, a 41 year old man from Chapuwala village in Kasese. Andrea shares his gratitude towards the support that our Healthcare program has recently provided to him.
School Surveys Lead to Better Learning Outcomes
Data is one of the most important tools in all our programs as it helps us measure whether our programs are making an impact or when it’s time for change. For the past three weeks, our Education program has been surveying schools in our catchment area. Check out today’s blog to learn more about how this survey is going to contribute to our Education program.
Improving Healthcare Access in Rural Malawi
We are thrilled to announce the opening of our new Mobile Outreach Clinic this week, which is a great stride that our Healthcare program has achieved! We have started our operations with treating Chatalala Community in Kasungu district, Traditional Authority Njombwa. Read our blog post to learn more about how the new mobile outreach clinic will serve communities better.
Malaria Season in Malawi
Summer in the Southern Hemisphere brings malaria season in Malawi, a dangerous disease that can kill those who do not receive treatment in time. Orant works to ensure that those afflicted with the disease receive the proper treatment and recover.
The Challenge of Noncommunicable Diseases in Rural Malawi
Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) remain a huge burden to the healthcare sector in Malawi. Read our blog post to learn more about NCDs.
Conducting Mobile Outreach Clinics in Malawi
Your donations have purchased a new trailer for our Mobile Outreach Clinic! Read our latest blog as our Mobile Outreach Clinic (MOC) team shares how the new trailer will be of great help to the team’s daily operations.
A New Hope for Mothers in Malawi
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.
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.