Macduff Shipyards are nearing completion of the aluminium clinic boat/lake ambulance designed to serve remote communities on the north-western shore of Lake Malawi (see previous posts). The hull is nearly completed, and has a coat of primer paint for protection. A three-cylinder, air-cooled Lister engine has been installed and the next stage is fitting out of electrics, controls, sterngear and seating. Still needed to acquire are safety and deck equipment and a marine radio. The provisional plan is to have a ‘yard launch’ at Macduff at the end of April followed by sea-trials, then a commissioning ceremony in Macduff on 2nd May 2009. The following week, the boat will be shoe-horned into a 40-ft container at Macduff for its trip to the lakeshore in Malawi.

Press reports early in the New Year informed us that Ekwendenihad been hit by a cyclone and hail storm. Reports now received from the General Secretary of the CCAP (Church of Central Africa Presbyterian) in Mzuzu show that the damage is quite extensive. The maize store and Primary School lost their roofs, some Promary School staff house were demolished and there is damage to other buildings on the mission station. The Church of Scotland has provided some immediate funding and other funds have been made available to allow reconstruction to begin. Other houses, outwith the mission station, were extensively damaged and the recently sown maize crops have been devastated.

Ekwendeni Hospital, the Primary Health Care department and the General Secretary’s department have many items of clothing, soap, etc, sent out in various containers. These will, no doubt, be distributed where appropriate.

The new male ward toilet and shower block at the David Gordon Memorial Hospital in Livingstonia, funded by Rotary, is almost complete. John returned to the UK just before Christmas having supervised the building of the new block, with only the tiling of the floor, painting and some plumbing work still to finish. Hot water will be provided by a direct solar heatig system. A health and hygiene education programme in the local language will also be provided

One of the ways to increase food production in Malawi is to use a plough. While a few have been seen working the fields, they are still a very rare sight. We have funds for a bullock to pull a plough and a cart and are looking for a single ridger. but we have not seen any for sale. These are used before planting maize.

HIV/AIDs is a major issue in Malawi and Mrs Soko of the Primary Health Care (PHC) Department at Livingstonia Hospital is in the forefront of the battle. Every day she see the effects of HIV/AIDs as she provides practical care for families and, particularly, orphaned children. Here she is teaching a ‘Gogo’ (old person) how to make up baby milk for babies that have recently come into her care. PHC wil then give ongoing and appropriate support to this family using donated clothing, goods and financial support.

Dr Ross Muir, a gynaecologist usually known as Dr Ross, has just begun a placement with World Exchange at Ekwendeni Hospital. Here he joyfully receives some specialist sugical instruments. He thanks those who made ot possible for him to get the instruments so quickly, and John Challis, who took them out to Ekwendeni in his luggage on his recent trip to Malawi.

Sue Kevan and Jim Seymour have recently returned to the UK, having completed another ‘Focus on Malawi’ visit, doing eye clinic work at Ekwendeni, Livingstonia and, for the first time, at the remote lakeside clinic at Luwuchi. During the three-week trip, they saw around 550 people, dispensing hundreds of donated glasses and ready-readers. They were also able to train local medical assistants and, following discussions with senior hospital staff, plans are materialising to send one or two away for specialist courses. For more info on ‘Focus on Malawi’, see Sue Kevan’s blog.

John and Lizzie Kevan accompanied Sue (and Jim) on their eye clinic trip (see post above), but were not allowed to sit around. John Challis asked if they could do some filming to form a video guide to the main aspects of the Ekwendeni Mission Station, to help people in the UK understand the breadth of work going on there. John and Lizzie now have many, many hours of video and sound to edit. A little something to occupy those cold winter days!

Thanks to Carol Finlay and her mother, Irene (far left), who recently delivered some boxes of clothing to the Strachur store, to be sent to Esther Lupafya for use in the HIV/AIDs programme at Ekwendeni Hospital.

John Challis recently paid a return visit to Iona Primary School to recieve a cheque for £227.54 raised by a sponsored walk and other events around Iona. The money will be used to provide basic resources at a rural primary school in Northern Malawi.

News has been recieved from Macduff Shipyards that they have begun work on the construction of the new clinic boat for northern Lake Malawi. They have also relayed the news that a few local fishermen have generously agreed to fund the engine and machinery for the boat

Sister Esther Lupafya, Co-ordinator at the Ekwendeni Hospital HIV /AIDS Programme, recently visited the Raven Trust at Strachur and met Mrs Helen Scott of Lossiemouth, representing Moray West Presbyterial Guild, and Iain McPhilimmy, Trustee of the Raven Trust.
Esther expressed her gratitude for all the clothing and knitted goods sent to her. Her department is currently responsible for the care of some 7,900 orphans in the Ekwendeni area and the goods are very much appreciated.

Container FCL 58 was loaded at Stirling on 21st July. We were lucky that the day was bright and sunny as the days before and after were wet. The container was loaded with school equipment which was surplus to requirements due to rationalisation of schools in the area, collection of the goods being co-ordinated by Trish Cooke. Most of the goods are bound for Bandawe Girls’ School and Ekwendeni Girls’ School in Northern Malawi.

John Challis with the first x-rays from Livingstonia and Ekwendeni

Recently Keith Feay from Oldham came out to Malawi. He was able to work on the x-ray equipment at both Livingstonia and Ekwendeni. At Livingstonia he was amazed at the Gorodi which the equipment had been transported over! Yet after an hours work on various cables he was able to complete the installation and x-rays were being generated. It took a while longer to sort out the control side. Then a test negative was produced with a local bone from a goat. Fantastic to see this equipment working.

Likewise at Ekwendeni the equipment which had been idle for some-while, due to building work, was soon producing x-rays. It took a day to re-wire the various control cables. In both instances Keith was assisted by John Guyaner of CHAM, their field engineer and the local hospital electrician. After the rewiring the equipment worked and an x-ray of keys was taken.

This was the first visit of Keith to Malawi and he is already thinking about returning to undertake training in repair and maintenance of CHAMS x-ray equipment across the nation. There was much rejoicing at both hospitals at getting the x-rays working. At Livingstonia this is housed in the DOCI (Department of Clinical investigation) that has been funded by the Macnair Medical Institute. Besides X-ray this building now has modern Laboratories, Ultra sound and blood transfusion facilities also a generator shed providing back up power.

A few days after getting the equipment working, two radiographers arrived from Northern Island with Dr Maureen Stevenson. They were thrilled to see the x-ray working when previously it was just a pile of wires in a big box. It was not long before they had the equipment working and doing various tests then the patients arrived. Patients with suspected TB (which they were able to confirm) and a bad head injury etc. At long last they have the equipment fully working. The next stage is to provide automatic developing facilities.

A wonderful achievement by many people and organisations for the people of Malawi. Over the past few years much of the equipment for this unit and the hospitals generally has been sent out by one of the Raven Trust containers.

During John’s last visit, the fishing boat, recently built at Chilumba, was afloat but rather low in the water as it had broken its mooring and hit a local rock. Patrick, the builder, is going to get the boat out of the water and repair it so that on the next trip to Malawi I will get it sailing and working for its living.

Work is progressing on the clinic boat being built at MacDuff for use down the lake from Mlowe by Livingstonia hospital. It is hoped to have this finished and ready to launch in November. Safety equipment is still required and a few important items.