I have learnt alot recently such as:
- what is needed for travelling (bought myself a good tough rucksack which should hopefully last for other trips too)
- essential medications and immunisations ( had my last rabies jab last week, which was swollen for a little while)
- language, culture and currency (introductions in Malawi is very important, before doing anything people like to get to know each other, before having a hearing test e.g, ..so I have learnt some basic chichewa, (native tongue) to help me get by. English is spoken in Malawi, however in some rural areas chichewa is more common.
There has been alot of changes in Malawi recently since President Bingu wa Mutharika died (president for the last 8 years) and a new president Joyce Banda (Malawi's first female and Africa's second female president) came into power April 2012. President Mutharika fell out with western donors and expelled the British ambassador last year and so British aid was withdrawn.
Malawi is one of the poorest countries in the world, with an estimated 75% of the population living on less than 60p a day. Mrs Banda not long in power has started making big changes... she sacked the chief of police chief peter Mukihito over the poor handling of 19 people who were shot dead last July in anti- government riots. The Malawi currency - Kwacha has also been devalued 33% and western donors such as the UK have thankfully restarted aid again. So all changes to be a good thing? We'll see, I think Mrs Banda is definitely a lady with some balls! strong willed and will hopefully have a positive long needed impact on the country.
In terms of audiology - there is an extreme lack of audiologists in Malawi and other subafrican countries. It is actually said that 2/3 of of all hearing impaired individuals live in developing countries ( world health organisation figures) . The incidence of permanent and significant hearing loss is vast due to meningitis, malaria, measles, ear infections, ototoxicity and thats to name a few. With a lack of professionals and medical facilities/equipment alot of those with preventable hearing difficulties are going untreated. Currently Malawi has two permanent Australian audiologists - Peter and Rebecca Barlett from a charity called ears inc who have set up a clinic in the African bible colleges community clinic which is going really well and has also become a training centre training local people. There is also 1 ENT physician and 2 technical officers trained in ENT. 1 retired nurse and her husband who work with Bartletts and one school for the deaf. The country has a lack of schools for deaf, and the few they do have are each at full capacity. A UK charity "Woodford Foundation" who got involved in schools for the deaf in Malawi especially in the north and looking alot at children with a hearing problem in mainstream schools. http://www.woodfordfoundation.org.uk/ . Additionally on my trip I will also be joining another volunteer group who are coming over from Arizona USA. The fantastic Dr Ingrid McBride with a group of AuD students will be going over too http://hearingforhumanity.org/ . Its all exciting stuff and it makes me happy that there are people dedicated to helping this cause.
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| this little organ is very important ! |
