In 2019, Angels continued to support 3 hospitals in rural Malawi. The focus of funding was broadly split across three impact areas:
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- Providing equipment to improve the capacity and quality of care offered at community hospitals
- Empowering communities by supporting them to develop new initiatives to generate income
- Construction of new facilities to safely house hospital staff and outpatient patients
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We are proud to have achieved the following:
- Funding provided to Mtendere Women’s Empowerment Centre
- Set up of a tree planting programme to support grassroots climate activism
- New X-ray machine in Bunkhamenya Community Hospital
- Refurbished two staff dormitories in St Joseph’s Community Hospital
- Donated new facilities to St Joseph’s Community Hospital outpatient facility
Mtendere Community Hospital
We remain focused on the annual funding of the hospital’s Outreach Clinics. Over the years we have worked with this hospital we have realised how vital engaging with the many villages within their catchment area is; in effect bringing the hospital’s services to the people. We liaise with the Spanish charity Africa Directo and between us, under the direction of the Hospital Management Team fund the programmes that have the biggest impact on the local community.
This year we have begun funding the MTEWEC, the Mtendere Women’s Empowerment Centre. This has been set up to support vulnerable women in particular, helping them to learn a trade and with the use of micro loans have the ability to produce an income for themselves and their children. We have provided sewing machines, computers and gardening tools. The ladies have already made reversible aprons which we intend to sell in the UK as well as Malawi.
We are also extremely excited to have set up a tree planting programme, following discussions with the Youth Groups who told us of their frustration at not being able to do more for their environment and to fight climate change.
The Land Cruiser ambulance provided by Angels continues to be maintained and serviced annually by the charity.
Nkhamenya Community Hospital
We are delighted to announce that the hospital now has installed a £65,000.00 X-Ray machine which has had a hugely positive impact on reducing the number of referrals sent to Kasungu District Hospital, a two-hour car journey away. In fact, the District Hospital has been sending their patients to Nkhamenya for X -rays to help with their backlog of cases.
Unfortunately, despite the hospital having taken delivery of the Bakery equipment mentioned in last year’s accounts they are struggling to find a suitable location for it. The building that they had wanted to use was deemed unsuitable for such a use. The Management Team has now located an alternative venue which has been approved of by the authorities and the bakery should be up and running within the next two months.
As at Mtendere, after discussions and workshops with the Youth Groups during our annual trustees visit Angels International is delighted to be funding a tree planting programme. The Youth Group is working with local primary schools who plant and tend for the trees and are rewarded with school equipment on a quarterly basis for keeping the trees alive. They also presented us with a proposal for a plastic collection and recycling programme, again working with local primary school children.
St Joseph’s Community Hospital
The sister-in-charge, Sister Chakalamba was delighted that we were able to assist her in refurbishing two large houses, built in the 1960s for both extra staff accommodation and outpatient clinics. A shortage of nurse accommodation had left the hospital short on nurses willing to work at the hospital as the only accommodation was over 5km away at the nearest trading station. This was proving a long unsafe walk for them after a nightshift. She is now overwhelmed with applicants.
Angels were also asked to provide mattresses and shelving in the new Guardian Shelter, also built by us. This means that the guardians of the pregnant women, who accompany them to the hospital and stay for the duration can now sleep comfortably at night and during the rainy season have room to prepare food indoors as the mattresses can now be stored during the day.
The Land Cruiser ambulance provided by Angels continues to be maintained and serviced by the charity on an annual basis.