I'M BACK!

I'm home! Finally. The last three weeks have been a blur between going back to the States to sort my Visa and then heading to Malawi the next day! I'm exhausted. However, the research trip was a huge success. I have learned more in the last ten days than I have in the past two years - and have learned enough acronyms to last a lifetime! But I am now, more than ever, determined to see that this maternity clinic, guardian shelter and doctor's house be built.

Right now the women have so few options and little chance of a safe birth...can you imagine giving birth in mud hut without a doctor? Or can you imagine walking 17 km while in labour? These women need a clinic so that doctors and midwives can not only deliver their babies but also so that they are given the proper ante-natal and post-natal care as well as HIV/AIDS education and information on other important health topics.

We spent most of the week in Nhkata Bay working with the District Hospital ironing out the details and then the rest of the week in Chisala organizing everything with the community (re: their contribution, land issues, where to place the buildings...etc). We also toured different sites that already had maternity clinics to see their set up and interviewed staff learn what services they offer and the best way to provide those services.

Meeting with the Village Headmen and The Maternity Clinic Project Committee (Chisala)
The community are so excited about the project and have already started making bricks!
They will make nearly 250,000 in total.

Perhaps one of the cutest photos of the trip! Breakfast time.

This is a Guardian Shelter at the District Hospital. This is a place where women can come when they are approximately 36 weeks pregnant - here they wait with other women until they deliver. This shelter means that they don't have to walk once they go into labour - usually family members come with them. We will be building a guardian shelter as well.
(although ours will be nicer!)

The existing Health Clinic in Chisala - which is in dire need of a facelift.
Any extra money will go towards fixing up the Health Clinic.

Weekly baby-weighing
Just one of the post-natal service that will be provided to all mothers in the community

Below: Women attend a class at another maternity clinic
This class focussed on HIV/AIDS and how to tell your husband if you are positive....

Some of the equipment which will be in the new maternity clinic:
oxygen, suction and resuscitation table (there will also be a vacuum extractor)

Anyway, you get the idea - lots of exciting stuff going on with the project. But I'm shattered now - it took my friend Emily & me 3 flights and over 24 hours to get home! And now I start my Master's Program tomorrow morning...time to get some ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ's!

Fantastic News!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I've been home since Monday sorting my visa out. And the good news is - it's done! I got it : ) I couldn't be more relieved. When the courier handed me back my documents WITH my visa in my passport, I was so overwhelmed with joy that I welled up with tears - he asked me if I needed a hug, haha. I had explained to him what I had been through and he knew what this meant to me. That was Wednesday, and since then I have been having a great time with Sharon. She took a couple days off work and we went to mom & dad's house in PA where we took walks, baked, read, watched films, drank bottomless cups of coffee, talked for hours, etc. It was a great girly get-away. And then tonight mom & dad got back from California so we picked them up from the airport (thank God they weren't caught up in the remnants of the hurricane, they just missed it!) We had a big celebration tonight, for dad's belated birthday - but also for the joy of being together. Sharon and I cooked up quite a feast. Good times. I fly home Monday and leave for Malawi on Tuesday. I feel so relieved that things finally worked out - thank you all for your care and concern over the last 3 weeks. xoxo