The context in Ngolowindo

• High rates of HIV infection, teenage pregnancy and early marriages of young girls.

• Most people are unable to access affordable healthcare.

• Public transport to the nearest Government hospital (over 12km away) costs more than a day’s wages.

• People tend to delay seeking medical attention until their condition worsens and sometimes becomes life threatening. 

• In 2022, Salima District Council stated that Malaria remains one of the biggest killers in the district, accounting for 25 percent of total deaths. The perceived severity of Malaria is low in Malawi, so it is difficult to convince people to adopt prevention and treatment measures. In Ngolowindo, this is less of a challenge because of Hope Clinic raising awareness and being so accessible to the community.

Hope Clinic is already helping families and is well trusted in the community

This pregnant lady is travelling by bicycle to the clinic. It costs £2 for a motorcycle taxi to hospital (13km away), which is more than a day’s wages so some mothers endure a long walk, through rough countryside, whilst in the late stages of pregnancy, and some do not make it to hospital, but give birth on the way. The maternity wing will provide a safe, easily accessible place for ladies to give birth with expert care and good medical facilities to help protect mothers and babies.

Apatsa shares: “Health surveillance assistants come to the clinic every day and are doing a good job in treating our children. It’s a relief to have these services and medicines available for free, just a few doors away, when our children are not feeling well or their growth is not going well.”

Gloria shares her story about how the nutrition clinic has protected and changed her baby’s life:

“My baby was born weighing 2.5kg and he had sucking problems when breast feeding and floppy muscles. I was reluctant to accept that he was malnourished as I thought he was bewitched. But I visited Hope Clinic when he had a fever and he was treated. I was given peanut paste and was taught how to make healthy porridge for him. He is now 2 months old and he weighs 5.2kgs.”

"HIV testing and counselling has been successful with hundreds of people coming to find out their HIV status because of the kind treatment that they receive at the clinic. We counsel people to live positively and that being HIV-positive is not the end of the world. People come to access Antiretroviral medication without delay and stick to the dates given to ensure its effectiveness. Having a local clinic saves on transport costs and ensures people keep up with their medication.”
Chifundu, one of the medical staff from Hope Clinic

“Before Hope Clinic opened, people had to travel a long distance just to find a simple painkiller. I believe with the introduction of the maternity wing more lives will be saved as women will no longer be travelling a long distance during labour. There is also an ambulance to transport patients to the district hospital, especially for emergency care. Other clinics charge for this service, but the ambulance, which E3 donated, is provided free of charge for Hope Clinic patients.”
William, Secretary for the Management of Hope Clinic