News Just in

I have heard that the high court has allowed peaceful demonstrations to take place in Malawi tomorrow on 21st September. I am very worried for two reasons: fear of my life and fear of my property. I was innocently tear gassed by police on 20th July in Blantyre even though I was not involved in the vigil.3 days later my house was vandalized and my vehicles were broken in. I have no reason to rejoice in any force of strike/vigil as long as people plan to root other people’s property. If you do not see my writing anymore, it may be because I have been injured during the vigil, otherwise you will see me writing about blind children tomorrow (especially that we are told not to come to work). Heard that the street kids have burned the Blantyre Marker? We need to do something about such children otherwise we will continue facing such challenges in Malawi. Blantyre Institute for community OphthalmologyBICO an organization that I direct and which is involved in a lot of eye activities that benefit the rural communities of Malawi will be prepared to ADD IN streets kids in its programme. But we need to get funding for them. Do you know of anywhere we could apply for funding? Then please advise me. What do you say? Email me!

YOU ASK WE ANSWER

WE ARE THE EXPERTS IN COMMUNITY EYE HEALTH

Blantyre Institute for community Ophthalmology BICO was founded in Blantyre Malawi in the year 2008 with the mission of contributing to the prevention and control of blindness in Malawi and neighbouring countries in the Southern part of Africa through conducting practical research, teaching, training, consultancy and advocacy in eye care delivery.
The idea to start the institute was conceptualized after realizing that despite nearly 10 years after the launch of the VISION 2020: the Right to Sight; the global initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness and the various achievements in many areas of the world; the southern part of Africa has still not made much progress especially in the area of research on effective community eye care programmes.
The centre aims to coordinate research being carried out eye care professionals in Malawi and transfer the best of its expertise and experience to an ever-increasing number of eye care institutes across Southern Africa The centre is strategically located within the University Of Malawi College Of Medicine teaching eye hospital, the Lions Sight first eye hospital in Blantyre.
The centre has helped in restoring sight to thousands of Malawians.

HOW CAN YOU HELP?

You can help by sponsoring a sight restoration eye camp to be done within the community in Malawi.

You can Fund health services research to improve eye services for children?

You can help by sponsoring a midlevel personnel officer to undergo one year ophthalmology training which includes.

You can help by donating cash as little as you can.

You can help by sponsoring a doctor to specialise in ophthalmology (four years course).
Support training of Ophthalmologist Training of nurses in community eye health

Email BICO!

director@bicomalawi.org or bico@bicomalawi.org

Helping Others

Believe me or not; no matter how much you have you don’t get full satisfaction until you start helping others. This is why apart from being an eye doctor, and helping many close relatives, I continue doing charity work through Lions Club of Limbe, which is part of Lions Club International.
My involvement in the club has made me become a better person.
I need to be helped myself in a lot of ways (both financially and non financially) but I also help a lot of others.
Blantyre Institute for community Ophthalmology BICO an organization that I direct is involved in a lot of eye activities that benefit the rural communities of Malawi at no cost to them.
Due to global economic crisis BICO has been facing several challenges including difficulties in fund raising. But we are still doing some work, and are always looking for well wishers who can help us implement programmes.
Do you know of anywhere we could apply for funding? Then please advise us.
What do you say?
Email me!

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?
Email me!

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?
Email me!

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?

Email me!

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?
Email me!