Birthing Centre

24th February 2013:

Of all the things we have done in our eight years, this is my favourite.

The picture shows mother with newborn, a few hours old beside Lillian the birth attendant and the grandmother. Mother, baby and grandmother will, by now, have walked home, maybe eight or ten kilometres.

When I saw it first and cried, the centre was a shed, but totally unsuitable for any valued cattle. The roof leaked and the floor was clay with a concrete bed/slab as the birthing stone.

This new building has two lovely rooms with beds, an office and a waiting area. Three hospitals attend here monthly for clinics, with ante and post natal support, an under fives project and every visiting health expert arrives when they are in the vicinity.

We grow iron rich plants for the huge anemia problem in order to lessen the enormous haemorrhage issues encountered in many areas. Since we learned of its use in Zambia we use amaranthus.

Lilian has had her training in conjunction with the Central Hospital and is highly values as a member of their team, even though she receives no pay at all.

We regularly provide transport for the monthly visits by the Health Clinic/hospital in Mzuzu, as the fail to have vehicles or fuel.

Lilian provides the most amazing, personal and attentive service anywhere. She has better equipment than the hospitals and if were to have a baby in Malawi!!! I would chose to go there.