The next three months will be a busy time for the Trust’s work in Malawi.

John will be out there from early July to supervise:-

• property maintenance at Mlowe Clinic and staff houses
• reroofing of a number of double orphan houses, replacing grass roofs with tin.
• building at least one house for an orphan family
• repairing a Mission Station house at Maponda
• providing local co-ordination for various families who are coming to see, hear, smell and experience Africa for the first time
• establishment of a hospital equipment repair centre at Ekwendeni and service of x-ray and oxygen concentrator equipment
• installation of power feed and x-ray equipment at Embangweni

There are many people coming out from the UK to undertake these tasks. We ask for your prayers that everything will go ahead smoothly, professionally and on time.

Following on from  x-ray maintenance developments with Keith Feay last year, other hospital equipment is being brought into a servicing programme. On a recent visit to Malawi a survey was carried out on the condition of equipment at various Synod hospitals.

A tester has been bought which gives information on oxygen levels delivered by oxygenators. Interesting results ! New filters are being purchased and servicing will be carried out by the hospital electricians on the next visit to Northern Malawi.

…..and it still works, but Health and Safety would not approve! This is the current, main hospital sterilising equipment. It is powered by parraffin and the pressure pumped up like a Tilley lamp or Primus stove.

A few days ago an e-mail arrived, informing us that a modern replacement has been sourced in Aberdeen. This will shortly be on its way to Malawi.

Some funding has been made available to supply another pair of bullocks and a plough which will enable a community to increase food production and create an income from hiring the equipment to other villages. During his last visit to Malawi, John held discussions with a community in the Henga Valley, just north of Rhumpi. The farmers are very keen to become involved, have formed a local committee and are building facilities to house the bullocks.

Ben is a Grade 3 motor mechanic in Mzuzu. He is a good mechanic and does his best with very limited tools. During John Challis’s last visit to Malawi, John was able to present Ben with a set of tools donated to the Raven Trust. These will greatly help him in his work.

The rainy season has lasted longer than usual in Malawi this year. During John’s visit in March/April there were several heavy rain storms and the Gorodi Road was very slippery and had suffered some damage.

Workers were soon out with supplies of stones etc. to repair the road and prevent more damage.

John continues to monitor the pilot project to repair and maintain wells aound Ekwendeni. For the first time, all wells and water supplies will be properly mapped and listed and plans will be made for their regular inspection, testing and maintenance. Since his last visit at the end of 2009, more wells have been repaired allowing another 4,000 people safe access to a clean water supply

A number of Tambuka Bibles were recently sourced and funded. These were given to various people in Northern Malawi. One was received by a Sunday School teacher who, the next day, was able to read a Bible story to the young people in the Sunday School for the first time in the local language. Tambuka is spoken only in the north of Malawi and parts of Zimbabwe.

A number of the Bibles will be going with the General Secretary of Livingstonia Synod (Rev Levi Nyondo) on a pastoral visit to Zimbabwe shortly.. The Harare congregation is linked with Malawi. We pray that God will use these Bibles among the people of Malawi and Zimbabwe.

John Challis returned to Strachur last week, just ahead of the cloud of volcanic ash which closed most European airports. He brought with him news and pictures from Malawi. On 7th April, he was in Ekwendeni to see the safe arrival and unloading of FCL68. The container, packed with all kinds of goods destined for Ekwendeni, Embangweni, Livingstonia, Bandawe, Mzuzu, Likoma Island and other places, was unloaded quickly and efficiently and the goods sorted out into piles for the various destinations and recipients. The local pastor then led prayers giving thanks for the donors and the safe arrival of the goods and for those who would distribute and use the goods sent.

Alan Laverock and teams of tradesmen will be going to Malawi in August. Part of the work they will be doing will provide houses for orphans who are heads of a household. In connection with this part of the project, sheets, blankets, curtains and basic household good are needed to provide these orphaned families with a safe and secure home.

More information on types of household goods is to be found on the “Elijah Packs” page.

John left on 15th March to spend a month in Malawi. While there he hopes to

• monitor the water and wells project around Ekwendeni
• carry out a physical assets survey for CHAM (identifying make amd model of x-ray machines, oxygenators etc.
• make arrangements for Alan Laverock’s teams of tradesmen who will be taking on various building projects in the summer
• monitor the renovation of Ekwendeni Maternity Unit

It will be a busy month

Two containers have been loaded and sent off on their journeys to Malawi in 2010 so far. The first left on 3rd February and is currently en route from Durban in South Africa to Beira in Mozambique. From there it will travel by road to the customs facility in Lilongwe, Malawi and then on to Ekwendeni. The second container left on 10th March and is on the high seas between Grangemouth and Antwerp. We hope to load another container in April or May. It is due to the generosity of all those who collect goods, equipment and funds and to those who give their time and effort that we are able to send these containers to Malawi. Their contents are greatly appreciated, a fact that was confirmed by Mrs Josephine Soko on her recent visit to Scotland. You will be able to read more about Mrs Soko’s visit soon on our Newslink page.

While it is quite hot in Malawi at present, the temperature drops later in the year and it can be below 10°C. Many people don’t have blankets.

We are, therefore, collecting blankets and cotton or cotton-mix single bed sheets for the hospitals, prisons and other institutions. To help with shipping, the blankets should be folded and packed in bales of four and tied together with string rather than put in cardboard boxes.

Plans are being made to re-roof a number of orphan’s houses, renovate Mlowe Clinic and rebuild an old mission station house at Livingstonia. A team of qualified trades people and labourers is currently being recruited by Alan Laverock who will oversee this project. The team will be able to transfer some of their skills to local people on this Summer 2010 project.

Open Meeting
11 am on Thursday, 18th February 2010
at Strachur Parish Church

OR

Open Meeting
2.30 pm on Friday, 19th February 2010
at Macduff Church Hall, Macduff

 An invitation to all to come and meet Mrs Soko and Sister Una Brownlie from Livingstonia, Malawi. Mrs Soko is the Maternal & Child Health Co-ordinator and is involved in many community projects.