SI UN Representative Gloria Essoka is a
professional nurse specialising in Maternal-Newborn Nursing and Child Health.
During her career she has been awarded a PhD and trained other nurses. She is a
member of SI Suburban Essex in the USA.

This year she visited Malawi to help
provide healthcare to three villages via the foundation of new clinics. In this
SoroptiVoice Gloria tell us all about her experiences.

 

Photo: Children were excited to meet the newcomers. 

"One of my dreams for the past 20 years has
been to return to Malawi where I spent 2 years as an exchange professor at
Kamuzu College of Nursing from 1991-1993, an experience that changed my life
and perspective.  It was truly a cultural
immersion.

During the summer of this year, I had the
opportunity to travel to Malawi on a health mission with a faith-based
organization called Villages in Partnership. 
Villages in Partnership was established six years ago by a Presbyterian
minister and his wife in collaboration with the Synod of Blantyre. Our group
consisted of nursing students, nurse educators, nurse practitioners, a dentist,
a teacher, friends and spouses of nurses in the group.  Although I knew that the goal was to provide
health care in 3 villages, I had no idea how that goal would be met.  I travel frequently, love every experience to
have an element of surprise and, consequently, try to acquire as little
information about my destination as possible making every trip an adventure.

 

Photo: a child pumping for water in a village

Malawi, referred to as “The Warm Heart of
Africa” is a small landlocked country in South central Africa.  According to the World Health Organization is
it among the poorest countries in the world and has significant health
challenges including a very high incidence of HIV/AIDS, high rates of infant,
under-five and maternal mortality, measles, malaria and tuberculosis. Eighty
five percent of the population live in villages where most earn a living as
subsistence farmers or small business holders. 
The population is young; sixty percent of its citizens are 24 years of
age or younger.  There is a high student
teacher ratio in the primary schools (170/1) with many children dropping out of
school after the first year.  Among those
who complete 6^th grade, the majority are unable to read, write or do
calculations at grade level.  Approximately
1% of young people enter the university system that includes a medical school,
nursing schools, and colleges of agriculture, liberal arts, sciences and related
health disciplines.  Poverty, extreme
poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, child and forced marriages as well as little
or no access to health care severely impair the progress and status of Malawian
women and girls. Reportedly, there has been little improvement in the past two
decades. The conflict between female constitutional rights and culture are
major barriers to the empowerment of females of all ages.

 

Photo: The mission brought supplies that could be used by the communities and clinics in suitcases

The purpose of the mission was to open
three clinics that would provide care to the people in the area and surrounding
villages. Every participant brought a suitcase of personal items and one filled
with items for distribution including clothing, blankets, eyeglasses, footwear,
over the counter medications and school supplies.  The first two days were devoted to orientation,
meeting Malawian support staff and translators, packaging medications and
filling the supply chests that would serve as a dispensary in the rooms that
would serve as clinics. In three days our team interviewed and cared for 2000
men, women and children.  For eight to
nine hours daily villagers were provided with health assessment, consultations
with nurse practitioners and/or a physician, distribution of prescription and
over the counter medications, tooth extractions, counseling, blood tests for
malaria and referrals to local hospitals. 
For some, it was the first time in their lives that they were able to
fully discuss their health concerns and receive professional counseling and
care. The work of support staff who were fluent Chichewa and English speakers
made communication possible.

 

Photo: greeting local women and children

Members of our team also made home visits
to those unable to come to the clinics. In each village, we were surrounded by
all those who lived there.  At that time
clothing and blankets were distributed to the most vulnerable who were
extremely grateful.

We also had some unique memorable
experiences.  Among them was immunizing
120 goats and 400 chickens against parasites that were fatal to them and would result
in families losing a source of protein and/or income.  In addition, a village chief invited us to
observe the celebration and dancing during a manhood ceremony that preceded
circumcision of three adolescent boys. As part of the faith-based mission we
attended worship services, heard glorious singing and presented gifts to the
congregation.

 

Photo: goats are a vital to the communities visited by the Mission

The experience gave me great satisfaction
in the knowledge that if had used my expertise as a professional nurse to help
others.  At the same time I was
heartbroken to see people who were so extremely poor that the blankets and
clothing given to them moved some to tears and others to their knees in
thanksgiving. As I reflect on our work there, I wonder how effective a thirty
day supply is when there will be no more forthcoming until the clinics open
again in 2015."

Gloria Essoka,

Soroptimist International UN Representative, New York