Blantyre is a place of many beautiful mountains just asking to be climbed. It is also home to many sick children who are dependent on the medical care provided at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH). As mentioned in my last post, there is a considerable lack of funding, leading to shortages in personnel as well as consumables and equipment.
The natural connection? Sponsored climbs. Since arriving in Malawi, I have witnessed the heroic efforts of the Pediatric Department to raise funds for the children they already do so much to serve on a daily basis. Friends of Sick Children (FOSC) is a charity based in the UK that provides funds for equipment and pediatric nursing salaries at QECH.
On June 25th, and again on July 9th, members of the hospital undertook two physically rigorous courses, sponsored by friends, family, and Blantyre locals. They even took out an ad in the local paper explaining what they were doing and asking for donations on behalf of the children in the wards. The climbs were epic.
First was the Three Peaks Walk. The route started in the heart of Blantyre (3,409ft), summited Mt. Michiru (4832ft), Mt. Ndirande (5288ft), and Mt. Sochi (5019ft) before completing the loop for a total of 28 miles of walking. A number of participants from the pediatric department carried baby dolls wrapped onto their backs to remind them what the walk was truly for.
Two weeks later was the 20th annual Porters Race, “Malawi’s ultimate endurance race.” This run started with a 3k climb of Mt. Mulanji, traversed the 15k of hills along the plateau, and finished with a 5k descent for a total distance of 22k (13.6miles) with the highest point 3280 ft above the starting line. Again, a number of doctors from QECH participated in this race in a continued fundraising effort.
Between these two events the Pediatric Department has raised over $9,000 to improve care in their wards, worth a massive congratulations. They are making a way to maintain high levels of care without enough government funding. The issue is that the need is so much greater.