After a few days back home, I already miss my Malawian friends. This experience has been incredible and I have learned so much about technologies, people, and myself. On the technologies side, we came back with amazing feedback for both the CHW backpacks and the pregnancy backpack. Both these technologies have promising futures in Malawi and I cannot wait to see them scale up nationwide in the next year. The community health workers and outreach nurses have done amazing work and I hope that the backpacks will empower more community health and outreach workers around Malawi. They are my inspiration to work hours upon hours on a piece of technology and ensure that they can effectively help patients.

I’m so grateful for this experience and look forward to coming back soon. Every moment was an adventure and I have met some of the most extraordinary people. My favorite parts of the experience include traveling to the distant communities and working in the pediatric ward. It is amazing to see how one backpack can start in a design lab at Rice and then travel to the patients in rural Malawi. The pediatric ward also made me smile everyday. In a place that was sometimes clouded by sickness, it was refreshing to hear the kids laugh and smile.

Over my past six weeks, I have met some of the most happy and good people. They are the true spirit of Malawi and have taught me that there is hope even during the darkest of times. When the news only seems to broadcast war and destruction, there are good things and good people in the world who fight for what is right. So for now, it is not good-bye Malawi but tionana (see you later)!