With only a few weeks to go, here’s the 11th of our 12 Weeks of Christmas stories. If you want to make a difference to people’s lives in Malawi, why don’t you buy a Christmas gift from our Christmas Gift Catalogue.
An amazing gift of £215 could pay for our Disabilities and Rehabilitation Project to make a life changing difference to a child.
This is Collins Chanika, RIPPLE Africa’s Senior Healthcare Co-ordinator for our Disabilities and Rehabilitation Project. Collins and a number of other staff are based at Mwaya Dispensary, the government funded health center built by RIPPLE Africa.
Collins is an amazing man and is well respected throughout the community and Nkhata Bay District and really does change lives forever. The local families adore Collins, he has an incredible rapport with the children and his approach is gentle and very effective. He is a great asset to RIPPLE Africa.
The project is unique to the area and aims to improve the quality of life of people in our local communities who are living with disabilities and for whom there is no provision within the mainstream Malawian healthcare system.
Collins is told about patients by health staff in the area, schools and other members of the local community. He then visits to make an assessment and look for simple solutions to problems identified. He visits the local villages identifying patients who could be considered for the project
RIPPLE Africa’s Disabilities and Rehabilitation Project is an independent project, but we work in partnership with existing government systems to identify, treat, and support the people in our community who have been unable to access help through mainstream healthcare. The project currently works with around 50 people at a given time from the local community who have been identified as needing significant help. All services are completely free to the patient.
In one of the poorest countries in the world, a limited public healthcare system and a lack of personal resources due to poverty can lead to hopelessness for people who need help. A lack of identification, treatment, rehabilitation, and support can mean a disability is a complete barrier to participation in local society.
This is Funny she is only 4 years old. She desperately needed corrective treatment in order to be able to walk. Collins found her in one of the villages and was able to access the correct treatment and Funny was put in hip to toe plaster casts to help her hips and legs. For children like these our Disabilities and Rehabilitation work is literally a lifeline. Without it these children would never leave their homes, be accepted by society and miss an education.
Every person with a disability deserves an equal chance at a better life! RIPPLE Africa’s Disabilities and Rehabilitation Project provides that – and brings hope and happiness to people who may otherwise have given up.
On behalf of Collins and Funny we’d like to say Thank You for taking the time to read about Disabilities and Rehabilitation project.
Tawonga Ukongwa!
