Slowly getting back to normal life

It’s been hard for my family and me for the last few weeks such that I have not been on the net.
You see after we were terrorized on 25th July 2011 (had my property and vehicle destroyed by robbers), my family has not been the same.
We are still having nightmares.
But I would like to thank all the good people who have been supporting us, and who have made our life much easier.
Imagine just yesterday an unknown retired gentleman from Germany who saw the story on my blog site promised to give me Euro 50; and he is already asking for my bank details.
Yes a few people want to destroy, root; but there are also a lot of good people who are there when you need them.
I have resumed my work at the eye hospital and I am still seeing a lot of blind children.
Today I operated on this lady from Nsanje who was completely blind and i am happy that I have made a change to her life.

I will post a few pictures as soon as am settled.

What do you say?
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Tough times for blind children

Am asked: are you Coping?
And i answer:

Pretty tough!!!

That probably describes everything that my family has been through over the last two weeks.
Why us? It’s a million dollar question.

But we are coping.sleepless nights are become the norm.

Malawi is gradually turning into another monster: God forbid lets hope things change for the better.
I have not been to the field to help blind children such as the one in the pciture with congenital cataract:congenital cataract is treatable and children can regain their sight after an operation
so why have i not been going to fetch for theM?
guess what I do not have a vehicle and also there is no fuel. My vehicle was vandalised during the robbery that took place at my residence.

Today will mark 3 weeks since I last visited the community.AS a community Eye Specialist this is quiet a long time for me.

Am still looking for resources outside Malawi who may come in and help find blindness in Malawi: because i honestly do not know what will happen to the many who are needlessly blind.

Shocked that things are this bad. Me too!!!

But what can we do?
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Thieves at my house in Blantyre Malawi

Its one of the saddest day of my life.
Did I deserve this for helping blind children from my won country? Is this a plan to force my family to leave Malawi.First my Investiments gone, nopw my property gone. So how can i continue working for the community when all the cars are damaged.Forgive those who have done this as they do not know their deeds.

Just want to inform you that around Monday midnight (25 July) a group of thieves (about 15 in total) came to our house in Blantyre, Malawi ,ransacked and broke the brick wall fence; broke all windows of the house and the doors , went in the house and store almost everything they could get hold of in the house.I mean literally evrything :phones,television,radios,blankets,clothing,plates.

In addition they also broke into the cars, breaking the windscreens and side mirrors and taking radios from the cars. The police came 45 minutes later but by that time the thieves had gone. Lucky enough, only 3 people were hurt, the guard, garden boy and my broother -but the rest of the family are ok , in shock.

It will take time to recover from this experience.See how my face looks.I am remembering my village in Mtwalo Mzimba, where theft rarely happens.all I ca say is that God help us and this can better be said in my language:

"A chiuta mutovwire waka"

This is Malawi in 2011.

Shocked. Me too!!!

How can you help?

But what can we do?

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Washington DC

This place has been very hot for the last few days.
Well you have to stay in door all day.
Managed though to visit the capitol, white house, pentagon and a bit of other places.
I am at Connecticut avenue presenting the issue of blind children in Malawi. Rumours say my presentation was not too bad and we maybe in for another project.
The heat wave here resembles the heat in Chikwawa and Nsanje districts is southern Malawi and also other areas along the lakeshore road (Salima , Nkhotoakota).
Can stay I have enjoyed my stay this time.
But the US governments need to be thanked for their initiatives to fight blindness in Malawi through BICO.
See the picture of a Malawi blind child who may benefit from this project.
You want to support/comment?
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Invest in Malawi: Get out of here

Why would an eye doctor like myself want to invest in my own country. Well its because I know sooner than later I need to retire from this community work and spend sometime with my daughter Tapiwa.
So where would one invest in Malawi? For now I will say nowhere because I have just lost USD10,000 due to the collapse of a financial institutions.
You see I was keeping my money with “Trust Securities” a Reserve Bank regulated financial institution and I thought my money was growing every day.
I have just been told every penny I invested was chewed; and that I cannot be compensated in any way.
The money was meant to be my initial deposit for buying a house: now got nothing.
With no forex, no fuel; I am wondering whether it’s still worth staying in Malawi. I may leave if opportunity strikes at the right time.
Meanwhile I am stuck here? Have you noted that I cannot even go and help blind patients in the community because there is no fuel.
Been here for a while, but have never seen Malawi like this.
I rest my case.
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Where and what have I been up to?

At the US embassy while processing for my VISA to Washington; I was asked where-else I have been.
Well guess what I have been to every corner of Malawi but they wanted me to state where I have been.
Here I go (hopefully I remember all countries).
Malawi, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Burundi, Cameroon, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda ,Zambia, South Africa, Mozambique, Botswana, Lesotho, Egypt, India, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, France, Germany, Switzerland. Most of these within the last 5 years and more than once.
And how could I have forgotten about England? Been there more than all these other countries combined.
And was I doing there? Of-course Medicine, but mostly community Ophthalmology: presenting my work from Nsanje Inland port in Malawi.
I was then told that unless one has been to Nigeria, they have not travelled. Though I had, but was once again proved wrong.
So guess where my next trip will be after I return from Washington?
And where have you been?
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Warning

I am told unless I change my writing style, things are bound to remain worse for me especially that I work for the same government which I am castigating. When did I do that?
I remain an eye doctor regardless of which political party is in power in Malawi. I am not affiliated to any party. You will be surprised that I have never voted for a Member of Parliament or president in my life. every time elections are being conducted I miss them because I am out of Malawi.
But regardless o who is in power my work continues. I want to help the young blind and visually impaired children who do not care about politics (I also don’t).So till them I remain a dedicated community worker. MP’s gets paid a fortune, but I am content with the little I have.
I rest my case again.
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