We’re doing the 6 days of Christmas this festive season with a story a day until Christmas Day to tell our supporters, young and old, more about the life-changing work that we’re doing in Malawi.
Today is all about Collins Chanika, our healthcare manager. Collins works with people of all ages who have a disability and/or who would benefit from a period of rehabilitation following injury or illness.
He does everything from raising awareness in the communities to building rehab equipment from everyday materials, for example tree branches, at his patients’ homes! Collins has many years of practical experience which makes him a brilliant asset to RIPPLE Africa. He has fantastic relationships with his patients and their families as well as throughout all the local villages.
Collins covers a huge geographical area singlehandedly. Before the charity purchased a motorbike around a year ago, he spent at least 80% of his time cycling on a pushbike to and from his patients’ homes. This left only 20% of his time for actually seeing and treating them! Can you imagine if the physiotherapist at your local hospital or the practice nurse at your GP (family doctor) surgery only had 20% of their time to help you?
Now that Collins has the motorbike this has completely reversed! He can now spend at least 80% of his time seeing and treating patients and just 20% of his time travelling. This allows him to provide RIPPLE Africa’s disabilities and rehabilitation project to many more people. Fuel is incredibly expensive in Malawi. Did you know it costs more for a litre of petrol in Malawi than it does in the UK?
Why not fill up Collins’s tank when you fill up yours this Christmas?
