Landirani days….

Landirani days will always be my favourite days in Malawi.

I have volunteered for Landirani since 2010 and they are the reason I found myself living in Malawi. 

Now working for 500miles I am able to work with Landriani regularly and these outreach days are spent reviewing clients I have seen over the years as well as new ones hoping that devices will be their answer.  Sometimes yes and sometimes we have to refer on to a more appropriate solution.  The clients we see on these outreaches from a 500 miles perspective have a variety of conditions eg cerebral palsy, post stroke, burns victims, leg length discrepancies to name a few. 

Today I wanted to just let you see the joy that is brought to their faces and mine when we work together on these days.

To check out Landirani's other projects go to www.africanvision.org.uk

Job love, nature and all things in between

I know I’ve said it before but I will say it again…it is so nice to love your job!

This week I did a round of the children’s orthopaedic ward with a brilliant Norweigan surgeon.  I am sure he thought I was exceptionally blonde when I looked at what I thought was a catheter bag hanging from the foot for drainage and asked have they not got any proper catheter bags left and we have to resort to shopping bags?? He looked at me strangely for some time and then said that is the traction equipment because there are none here. I.e. the bag was full of rocks holding the broken femur in place! Well of course!!  In my defence a catheter pipe was holding the bag to the bottom of the foot with strapping tape!

We have re-established a connection with the hospital’s physiotherapy department and I am hoping that this connection is maintained to aid with more appropriate and consistent gait training.  The challenge however is for those clients that are from out of town. Gait training often has to occur within a 4 hour window so they can catch the bus home as accommodation is limited.  Our fingers and toes are crossed hoping they will adapt well in the village and also hope they will return in 6 weeks for a review to ensure there is no misalignment occurring and that the device still fits appropriately.

I have on an important girly note found a second hand clothing store! Who knows what vintage collections I could find?!  I have also been told there is a second hand book store with a coffee shop attached – this weekend’s plan.  I am trying to contain my excitement!  Ensuring work life balance is paramount!

Nature news this week I have had a hedgehog in my garden, somehow my flat mate and I have acquired a dog “Bessie” and the cat “Mr Darcy” is becoming all too friendly for my liking. I may have also heard hyenas last night…I can’t be sure…but when in Africa!

Another clinical highlight

Another week has come and gone. I’m never sure whether the weeks are long or short! No 2 days or 2 weeks are the same!

In some respects it has been a typical Malawi week i.e. no electricity, shops not having supplies, some shops shut, basic administration issues that could take 5 seconds take 3 days, goal posts changing and the list goes on.  But life would be boring if every day was the same. Right?!

A car (who is now named “Rocky the Rav”) has now been purchased and freedom will ensue.  Life in Lilongwe can often get stagnant and so having the freedom for day trips is very exciting!  This weekend saw me playing with the big boys in their land rovers, land cruisers and pick ups on the dirt roads just outside Lilongwe.  My heart was beating fast at certain parts of the day and I would like to sincerely apologise to the poor children playing by the side of the road that may not have been able to get out of the way of the mzungus and may have been covered in mud.  We aren’t 100% sure as they can move very fast when they see vehicles coming into the villages.

The clinical highlight this week was working with another transfemoral (above knee) amputee.  This reasonably young man had been involved in a motor vehicle accident in November where he lost his left leg and one of his fingers. His quiet determination and the support his family gave him was exceptionally humbling.

After working with him on his first steps of utilizing a prosthesis and booking his future appointment for more gait training, I followed him and his family to his car to observe some basic activities of daily living such as getting in and out of the car.  Once we completed the tasks his brother shook my hand in the traditional Malawian way and said ‘God bless you and thank you for your kindness and support’.  Whilst I have faith to a degree, the passion and belief they have in God but also in the services we provided and the exceptionally gratitude his family and he had for what we have so far achieved, was overwhelming.  Tingles ran through my body when he shook my hand.  I am looking forward to seeing the progression of this man’s walking ability as well as seeing him return to some normality.  It will be exciting to watch.

We also ran a small workshop for the other NGOs we work with to assist them in identifying appropriate clients to visit the centre.  Creating ‘the same page’ will aid in reaching out to the wider community of Malawi and ensure more people are accessing our services as well as other rehabilitation needs.  Our goal is to hopefully see an increase in numbers walking through our door for 2015.

Outreaches will also start soon and I am looking forward to working with our team as well as the partners will be servicing.  There will surely be some great cases and photos to come of the events ahead.  Watch this space!