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New Newsletter published

In August 2008, the current Newsletter including up-to-date information on the training of the TBAs, plans for future visits to Malawi in order to evaluate the progress of the project as well as further activities concerning Lebenschancen Malawi was published.

If you did not receive the Newsletter via Email, you have the opportunity to download it >>here<< .

Splendid bounty by IBWE 2008

In June 2008, we received the splendid donation of 4,970.10 EUR, which had been generated during the International Business Weekend (IBWE) in Trabolgan, Ireland this year.

The IBWE is one of the biggest international student gatherings in the world, this time more than 800 students from eight different business schools, amongst which also the ESB Reutlingen, met in Ireland. Traditionally, at each IBWE besides numerous specialist and free time activities, one fundraising activity for a charity organisation or project, is put into effect. After the intermediation of our two team members Christian and Dorothea, Lebenschancen Malawi had been selected for this year’s fundraising project. The money donated enables us to, for example, provide TBAs in Nkhotakota with washable mattresses. This measure, which being already quite some time on our agenda, had also been agreed to effectively contribute to an improvement of the hygienically situation on site in consultations with involved project members during the recent project evaluation journey to Malawi.Furthermore, one part of the money will be invested in long-term planned project activities such as for example advanced or refresher trainings of local Health Surveillance Assistants or trainings conducted for the hospital staff cooperating with the TBAs.

More information on the IBWE is available under http://www.ibwe.net/ as well as news particularly on the project under http://www.ibwe.net/index_main.php?a=p&p=charity. We would again like to express our sincere thanks to all of you being involved in this fundraising activity!

Constant progress in Malawi

Since our last project monitoring journey in February 2008, many things in Malawi have advanced and the communication exchange with our project partners on site functions very well by now. Presently, we are regularly informed about current improvements of the project, likely challenges or other incidences such as for example the death of a TBA for reasons of age. Meanwhile, nearly all 145 TBAs have passed through their initial two weeks training, all equipment kits have been distributed and henceforth there is an agile exchange between the TBAs and the hospital staff. Moreover, bicycle ambulances for the transport of pregnant women have been bought in March and been distributed to all TBAs in April and May.

In the upper picture some of the bought bicycle ambulances are illustrated. One bicycle ambulance consists of one bicycle, which can also be used separately, a trailer and a mattress.

With the help of this lorry, the bicycle ambulances have been distributed to the respective TBAs. Already in advance the TBAs had decided with whom to share a bicycle ambulance on grounds of areal distance.

Thanks to the bicycle ambulances already today first patients can conveyed to the hospital very conveniently. Both, the difficult way of communication, and unavailable transport possibilities were the two major reasons mentioned by the TBAs for too late delivery of pregnant women to the hospital. As from now, patients do not need to wait for the single ambulance of the hospital any longer; they can be brought to the hospital relatively fast.

Members of the project team return from the first project monitoring journey in Malawi

Until recently, our team members Judith, Dorothea and Astrid were away on business in Malawi to monitor proceedings of our project on site and to carry out the first phase of evaluation. Their experiences and report reflect that first trainings of the TBAs have been carried out successfully and one further training section will be conducted within March and May 2008. Additionally, approximately 1,500 Euro of bounties have been invested to prepare one part of the TBA kits (such as washing basins, petrol lamps and mosquito nets), which are being distributed to the TBAs after successfully passing a training course. Above, a group interviews as well as several further interviews with the TBAs have been conducted in order to use the results and findings of these interviews for our project evaluation. A report in full length on news from Malawi will be available at this page for your convenience within the next days. Please find in the following some pictures of the recent journey.

The first picture illustrating traditional TBAs was taken during one of the so-called Focus Group Discussions. At the outset of these group discussions the traditional TBAs select a joint representative for their interests, before they proceed to discuss inter alia their expectations from our project. In reverse we convey the precise aims of “Lebenschancen Malawi”to them. Beyond these group discussions also aim at helping the TBAs to improve their connection amongst each other.

The second picture shows a group of traditional TBAs who have just passed a two weeks refresher course at St Anne’s Hospital and are now about to receive their certificates.

Likewise after successful participation in one of the trainings, traditional TBAs receive as illustrated in the third picture a so-called TBA Kit. This kit comprises some of the elementary items and supporting materials (such as basin to wash newborn babies, clean razor blades to be able to cut the umbilical cord, petrol lamps to assist in childbirths at night, mosquito nets to protect expectant mothers as well as newborns from malaria) which are required in order to provide at least minimal hygiene during the act of birth.

Online exhibition about Lebenschancen Malawi

Some pictures of two team members' journey to Malawi are now available at an online exhibition of the Virtuelle Akademie. To see the pictures, please click >> here <<.

NEW: Donations via PayPal

You can now donate for "Lebenschancen Malawi" via PayPal. Simply click on the "Donate" Button on the left and help us to improve the living conditions for babies and their mothers in Malawi.

PayPal is a great and convenient opportunity to donate for our project especially for our international supporters. So far, it was rather complicated and costly for them to transfer money to our German account - however, this excuse is not valid anymore :-)

We hope that you make use of this new way of donating! We need all your support now in order to guarantee a smooth project start in Malawi on June 1, 2007.

Lebenschancen Malawi celebrates its first birthday

Exactly one year ago - from February 17 till February 19, 2006 - 15 European and African students met at the seminar titled "Aid for Africa?" in Gummersbach, Germany, to discuss about the achievements and drawbacks of international foreign aid during the last decades. Very soon it was clear that we wanted to initiate our own project and the idea for "Lebenschancen Malawi" was born.

Today, one year later, we achieved many things already. Most of the preparational work is done and the project is about to be implemented in Malawi starting in June 2007. We organized various seminars and speaches covering different African topics and we were able to raise the first 30,000 Euros.

In order to guarantee the long-term success of our project and to sustainably improve the living conditions of women and their new-born children in Malawi further funds and support is urgently needed.

All the best for the New Year 2007!

Lebenschancen Malawi wants to say "Thank you" to all the supporters of the project in 2006. We wish you a Happy New Year and that all your wishes may come true.

As of December 31, 2006 we were able to collect donations worth 21,200 EUR. Hence, we are very optimistic and believe that we will be able to collect the missing 28,800 EUR in the coming year 2007.

However, this won't be an easy task since during the last months it was getting more and more difficult to motivate people for donations. We would be happy if you continue to support us and we are looking forward to any feedback you might have!

Best wishes, thank you for all your support so far and, again, a Happy New Year,

your Team from Lebenschancen Malawi.

Our team member Christian just came back from Malawi

After assisting in the St. Anne's Hospital for seven weeks, team member Christian - a medical student - came back to Germany with many experiences and memories to share. Through his stay in Malawi we now have an even better understanding of the situation in the hospital as well as the relationship with the TBAs. Christian had the chance to interview two of our project partners in Malawi and the interviews will soon be available in English. For now, we keep you happy with some pictures of 65 year old TBA Nakutchata biti Lumeya at work:

Project Lebenschancen Malawi to be presented at the Waldzell Meeting 2006

It is a great honor for us, to be invited to present the project "Lebenschancen Malawi" at the Waldzell Meeting 2006. Our "Architect of the Future" Niels Beisinghoff will have the extraordinary possibility to present Lebenschancen to worldknown leaders from the fields of science, arts and business. Among others, he will have the chance to meet Paulo Coelho, Robert Gallo, Isabel Allende, Christo and Jeanne-Claude.

Report from the Waldzell Meeting 2006- Can the individual change the world?

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