Current activities include:
Support of orphaned and vulnerable infants and the families caring for them.
Half of all child deaths occur in the first 30 days of life. For this reason Chimwemwe mu'bereki (CU) identifies the most vulnerable infants (orphans, multiples, premies) immediately after birth and provides supportive home based care. When a mother dies during or after childbirth her newborn usually follows soon after and then, if she has one, her toddler. Wet nursing is no longer recommended due to the risk of transmitting HIV and formula is prohibitively expensive for most Malawian families who need it. For orphaned newborns CU provides formula and teaches relatives how to prepare it safely, CU visits the baby regularly to monitor her growth and development. Other children in the home who may need extra support are also identified. And,when problems threatening the children's well-being are identified, CU works with families and communities to find solutions. Because of the individualized care provided and the distance traveled to visit babies in remote areas, this program requires much more time and money per child than the feeding program. But, no one else is following these babies and even though some die in spite of our support we know many more would die without it. This is not a question of cost-effectiveness but the provision of essential and humane care.
Supporting women after birth.
Women who are seriously ill during the time of their delivery require extra support during the period following the birth. When such women are identified, CU conducts home visits and assists these women with a few basic necessities.
Community feeding program.
CU currently oversees two feeding program in urban neighborhoods in Lilongwe. At each site, about 60 children ages 2 to 10 are served an enriched porridge three times a week. The programs are run by women from the area who are the guardians and mothers of the children who receive the meals. Children are weighed on a monthly basis and referrals are made as necessary to health facilities and other community resources. Together with CU we dream of starting a community garden for each of our programs and garden boxes for some of our elderly and ill volunteers. We would also like to build basic permanent shelters for the programs. At the moment they are held in open areas which are wonderful during the dry season but worthless during the rainy season.
Tuition assistance for adolescents.
Many children drop out of school after finishing primary school. Those who complete secondary school often lack fees to continue, and unfortunately the slots for government sponsored programs in the university and colleges are few. The positive impact of parents’ (particularly mothers’) education on the wellbeing of the family is well documented. AMHI supports young adults in their pursuit of further education, currently sponsoring four secondary school students and four college students. In return for receiving tuition assistance students volunteer 10 hours a week during their vacations in their communities.
