My last day at the Health Centre

Wednesday April 11th

I can’t believe that time has passed so quickly! It’s the morning of our last day.

I have mixed emotions. Whilst I could never live like this for an extended period of time, I will miss it. Listening to the waves of Lake Malawi crash onto the beach 15 feet from our house, being able to leave our door unlocked during the day and having people stop by all the time to say hello. It’s nice.

Life is very hard for people living in rural Africa. They work long hours in awful conditions with little to no chance of being able to leave their village. I’m so glad that I’ve gained some insight into this. It’s easy to read about it in articles [or blog posts!!], but to experience it is something very different. If you ever get the opportunity, you should take it!

I have huge amounts of admiration for all the hospital staff, working in appalling conditions to provide pretty darn good medical care to their patients. I’ve learnt a lot about professionalism and that many [most] of the things I complain about are like the colour of the icing on top of the cake, whereas here in Malawi they don’t even have enough flour to bake at all. [OK, weird analogy – it sounded better in my head].

I hate to use clichés about “life-changing experiences”, because I know that ultimately my cushy life won’t change. Even as a student on no income, I am rich beyond everyone in this village’s wildest dreams and that won’t change. People here will still be the poorest people on this planet, and I will still be one of the richest. What I hope will change is my ability to help. Danni and I want to send twice yearly shipments of basic equipment [gloves, syringes etc.] to the health centre [please make sure we do it!], and I want to get more involved with development charities. To my friends back in the UK, prepare to hear a lot more about poverty and how you can help.

Today will mainly involve taking more pictures of the village and the health centre to show you guys, giving out presents and also saying goodbye. Tomorrow we present the equipment that we have bought and then on Friday we go back to Lilongwe, the capital of Malawi, to prepare for our flight to Cape Town and to buy lots [an unnecessarily stupid amount] of touristy wooden carvings and paintings as presents for people.