Construction of New Malakia Clinic 
to Begin  

Day of Commitment: May 24, 2000

 

After lots of thought and prayer about the needs of the people of Malawi and seeing the valiant work done by Gladstone and Alice Chonde, LifeNets commits to constructing a new clinic a short distance from the location of the old clinic which used a rented building.

We have been in constant contact with Gladstone Chonde for the last three years who has desperately needed larger facilities and a birthing center. 


The Chondes and Victor Kubik meet in Zimbabwe

On May 24, 2000 LifeNets sent $8000 to the Gladstone and Alice Chonde in Lilongwe to begin the construction of the new building which will have outside dimensions of about 15 by 25 meters.  The current clinic is 8 by 16. The new clinic will be three times the size of the old one. The total cost of the building will be about $20,000.  Construction will start in July and take about four months.   A fundraiser is in progress. Can you help?  

The Chonde's have purchased a plot of land for $450 on which to build the clinic. 

A few days ago,  May 22, we also received approval from the US State Department to ship another container similar to the one we shipped in November 1998.  This container will be shipped from St. Paul, Minnesota within six months. We have assurance that this will be a speedier process.

While we ship medicine separately that we purchase for about 5% of cost in Holland, the following items are needed that we will ship via container. I asked the Chonde's to describe some of their needs. Their memo follows.  After the memo I have a listing of some other needs that the Chonde's and we talked about.

From Gladstone Chonde:  

EXTENSION PROGRAMME FOR MALAKIA CLINIC

We are living in rented premises with limited facilities for expansion. Our aim is to improve our health delivery services. With the help we have been getting in the form of medicines, food, clothes etc. from U.S.A., we have been able to treat thousands of sick people who otherwise would have lost their lives without the help we get from the USA friends.

Since we started getting help from U.S.A. in 1997, Our Medical supply has been good and stable. In our expansion programme we would like if possible to include Antenatal care by trained Midwives. The trained staff will give the expectant Mothers preventive health education, the care of newly born babies, weight monitoring and vaccination programme against the six deadly but preventable diseases of childhood. Such as Tuberculosis, Polio, Diphtheria, Whooping cough, Tetanus and Measles.

To carry out the above mentioned things, we need weighing scales. For children under five years of age. Bathroom scale to weigh expectant mothers. Autoclave to sterilize equipments before and after use. We shall also need a Microscope to do simple blood tests for malaria parasites, stool and urine tests for worms. Test tubes and glass slides.

We shall need four beds in the labour wards also four chairs in the waiting room. Four beds in the postnatal room. Eight baby cots and one incubator. If possible, an ambulance to transport emergency cases to a referral Hospital. Two foetoscopes and a suction machine, one Electric Instrument Sterilizer. Two cheatle forceps. A dozen large artery forceps, three lotion bowls, three kidney dishes, one instrument trolley and a stethoscope.

Wishing you all a rich and fulfilling spring holy days.

Love,

Gladstone and Alice Chonde
April 9, 2000

The following items are also needed: