November 2021 I Malawi Travelers Give an Update from the Field!

GAIA Global Health team members visit Malawi and see firsthand the work the Malawi team is doing the fill in the gaps of Malawi's healthcare grid through health workforce development and mobile health clinics providing essential health services in rural villages across three southern districts.

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March 12, 2024

Our Malawi travelers -- Beth, Kelsey, Molly and Marcel -- have been in-country for one week now and wanted to update you on what they've been doing! All are thrilled to have the chance to visit the Malawi team and see, firsthand, the incredible work they do. Enjoy!

The importance of GAIA’s mobile clinics came alive for me during the first few minutes of our visit to the Mwanakhu clinic on Tuesday morning. GAIA clinical officer, Mphatso, was seeing an 11 month old baby and her young mom – the baby was listless and in a worrisome condition, even to my untrained eye. Mphatso diagnosed severe malaria and quickly arranged for clinic staff to administer the first dose of a second line treatment, aretesunate injection, and then coordinated her transfer by the GAIA vehicle to the closest hospital for treatment and observation. It was obvious to me that care located in the community was critical to that child’s health. A couple days later, Mphatso happily reported that the baby had been discharged and was doing well. Seeing the clinics in action was great inspiration for the hours spent submitting a funding proposal earlier today! - Molly

Within the first week, our trip has far exceeded my expectations. I’ve had the opportunity to visit all of our nursing and midwifery partner colleges, met each school’s principal and had impactful conversations with current students and alumni sponsored by GAIA. What has struck me the most has been the generosity and eagerness to give among our GAIA Malawi team and the Scholars themselves. I have never been more inspired and eager to convey their dedication to improve access to quality health care for their fellow Malawians. - Kelsey

I have witnessed the finance and admin team's hard work and dedication since joining GAIA in February this year. Seeing the team in action has given me the true depth of their workload and relentless processing power. Adalireni runs a tight ship and orchestrates a smooth operation on a daily basis.

Being in the office and assisting the team in their day to day activities will help me assist the team with strategic initiatives aimed to ensure internal controls are scalable and robust. In addition, I will assist the team with strengthening processing efficiency using Excel automated formulas, cloud services and adequate authorization workflows. - Marcel

What a joy it is to return to Malawi after a long COVID break. It’s been over 2 years since my last trip, and there is truly nothing better than visiting projects and sharing GAIA’s work with people that have never before been to Malawi or seen the programs first hand. From my first moment here until my last, I have and will be in awe of the dedication of staff to implement GAIA’s programs, and I am grateful for our clients and scholars putting their trust in them to deliver high quality care. - Beth

women carrying water pales