Save Orphans Ministries Malawi

INTRODUCTION

“Slowly but sure”, so says the saying. We are making good progress on the Therapy Center caring for children.  The center is also meant to train the caregivers and guardians on various areas like care of the sick children, how the patients should be feed and ways of making their homes sustainable through Income Generating Activities and how to use available fruits trees as medicine and food. This report covers the months of January to May 2010 activities as follow:

1. Caring for children
2. Referring children to hospital for treatment
3. Networking with government hospitals staff
4. Daily Devotion and counseling
5. Cooking demonstration and distribution of fruits trees
6. Distribution of Christmas gifts
7. Supervision by Government Officials

ACHIEVEMENTS THIS PERIOD

1. Caring for Children

During the period we cared for 12 children referred from the government hospital, while following up on 52 children in total. These children are between the ages of 5-18 and have under gone counseling and HIV/Aids testing.  Those that were found reactive are on ARV treatment. Total enrollment in the Therapy program is 52 (29 girls and 23 boys). 

2. Daily Devotions

The 12 housed children are taught memory verses from the Bible as well as singing Christian songs. We have been studying from the books of 2 Kings 2 verses 23 to 24, Proverbs10 verses1 to 6, Exodus 2 verses 1 to 10, Proverbs 3 verses 1 to 7,then verse 13, Mathew 1 verse 18. Memory verses were from Exodus 20 verse 12, Proverbs 10 verse 1, John 3 verses 16, Proverbs 3 verse 21, and Mathew 1 verse 23.

3. Cooking demonstration on locally available foods:

The nurse taught the children how to cook locally available foods to that are nutritious.  For example green vegetables from amaranths, local porridge, vita meal and dry beans. 

4. Daily Treatment

Children are receiving treatment on daily basis and are referred to the hospital if not doing well.  All the 52 children are on ARV treatment. The children are able to remember their hospital appointments and times for taking medicines.  We have trained them on the dangers of not taking their drugs and what can happen if they forget to take their drugs.  We have spent time with them so they know and understand their problem and   why they need to take drugs every day.  Their parents were afraid to tell them why they were taking drugs daily.

5. Parent Training

We have trained the guardians on the importance of having fruits in their homes. A total of 52 parents were taught and 120 trees were distributed to them.  We distributed 40 Moringa Olifera ,40 papaya and 40 sweat apples.

6. Physical Exercise

Doing field exercise like playing football, Jingo, and other exercises is a vital part of physical therapy.  This will help them to be physically fit as well as part of treatment to their well being.

7. Relief Materials

Rotary Club Malawi, Bwaila Chapter donated 9 bales of Sugar, 300 bottles of lotion, 300 notebooks, 48 (1kg) packets or rice, 2 bales blankets (140 pcs), 300 tablets of soap, and 288  pencils.  Each child was given 1packet of sugar, 2 lotion bottles, 2 notebooks, 1 blanket, 2 tablets of soap and 2 pencils.

8. Supervision by Government Officials

Government officials have visited our center twice to advise us on some things that needed improvement. Among them were electric wires that were hanging in the ceiling to be covered since we don’t have the electricity yet, repair the pit latrine which is outside for emergency incase the water stopped, repainting the walls inside and putting steps the front entrance.  Although these were not budget for but they said were important and that if we did not do those they would close our center. They gave us an ultimatum of May 10^th to do all the work as they required.  Since their visit in March we have repaired and rectified the problems and we are ready to bring more children because they said without those we could not add more children to be cared for at the center.

CHALLENGES

1. The front entrance needed steps to reduce injuries and it costs MK30, 000.
2. The area has one primary school with no secondary school in the neighborhood. All secondary schools are 8 miles away.  This presented a problem to transfer all the children under the care to this one primary school. Thus we started with a few (12) that were accepted and we will continue to have the rest enrolled. However, the secondary school which is 8 miles away remains a problem because we have to pick them up and drop them after school.  We may need to start thinking of building our own secondary school in the area which will help our children and the rest of the children from the community.

3. We need daily supply of drugs for non-AIDS sickness in stock and we are working with the Ministry of Health to allow us buy some from their Central Medical Stores.  The problem was that they did not have the medicine for 3 months and we depended on buying them from grocery stores.

 LESSONS LEARNED

The infected and affect people are very open with SOM and happy as they have a place to be comforted and to be cared for.

RECOMMENDATIONS

• To be meeting every two weeks with the rest of the children who are non-residential.
• To build a house for the nurse and the caretakers quickly so we can care well for the children 24/7. 

Success story

Out of 52 children and caregivers, 40 have planted Moringa Olifera tree which is used as nutritious vegetables that boosts immunity system.  Some trees like papaya are being used in the community by the caregivers to treat wounds as trained by ANAMED.  This is an organization that trained our nurse on how to use locally available herbs to treat wounds and some diseases.  Thus families will not frequently go to the hospital for treatment of minor wounds. Papaya has proved to be one of the fastest growing fruit/medicinal plants that is already benefiting the caregivers and the children.

Justin Majawa - Director

Save Orphans Ministries