This week we are on week 3 of implementation and training. We trained nurses and doctors from KCH and Bwaila, and then the whole team went up in different waves to Lilongwe to bring 8 CPAPs, 4 oxygen concentrators, 2 carts and a lot more other supplies. The truck-load was a bit intimidating but our driver, German, is great and managed to get everything up to Lilongwe safely. These trips are great because its very exciting to see CPAP at places for the first time and how thankful all the staff are for having these new machines. But they are also really fun because of all the wonderful people that I get to spend time with.
The CPAP team here is a combination of a wide variety of unique characters from wise and experienced Malawian nurses, to the powerful Ministry of Health representative, to naive college interns that are experiencing Africa for the first time. We have all spent A LOT of time together this summer in long car rides to hospitals all over the country, for long nights of going through hundreds of patient charts, and just simply working alongside each other to make CPAP available to babies all over Malawi. Through this we have shared many great memories together and to think that my summer with this team is winding down makes me very sad. Here are a few funny quotes.
Car Ride to Lilongwe
Glyssie and Florence are two retired nurses that have been working on the CPAP project to help train other nurses. They are very motherly, but also have a great sense of humor.
Glyssie (while eating fries in the car starts choking): “Someone quick! Slap me on the back.”
Florence (looks at her and says): “You need CPAP. Quick! We should put her on CPAP.”
Training
Alfred is the representative from the ARI (Acute Respiratory Illnesses) Program from the Ministry of Health that has been helping with Training. He gives very intense and motivational speeches about the difference that CPAP will make for babies in Malawi. His words are always very powerful.
Alfred (while lecturing the trainees on the importance of CPAP): “First you save lives…. then you can have your Fanta”
Malawians LOVE their Fanta.
Girl Power
For the CPAP study, the Rice side includes MK, Jocelyn, Sam and I. What this results in is a lot of girl time. And inevitably with girl time, we have spent some time pondering about boys and spirit animals.
MK (over any lunch break): “Guys! I’ve got it! I need a blue-grass violinist slash ex-masseuse slash chef. And Jocelyn, you will end up with a country-boy slash computer programmer.”
We clearly have our lives figured out
Anyways, here are some photos from the week.
