Clinic Update

Here is the last progress update on the clinic and the news from our friends in Pen Sulo:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sylvia Avgherinos

Executive Director

Joshua Orphan Care Trust

 

The clinic

 

We have been trying to source things locally too to try to finish the clinic, and have been promised a donation of paint, so we will try to get the painting done when that arrives.  We are also trying to source glass.  Electricity and water remain the big problems, and we are finding that we have promises from people here, but not much action.

 

The showers, latrines and septic tank are partly constructed, but not finished.  We will have to finish them if we want to open these small clinics.  But I am stalling a bit, as I think the DHO will have to do something real - not just promises as we have heard for the last year.  She wants to open these clinics, she better get on with helping with water and electricity. 

 

We are getting the foundations in for the Staff House Number 1, and hope we will get funding for that soon.

 

What else is going on in Pen Sulo

 

At the Secondary School, we had a disaster when a roof got blown away, both iron sheets and trusses.  Unfortunately we had used a 'recommended' builder as we were in a hurry to get the Science Lab and Library finished, but the builder was a disaster.  We have since discovered that the floor is suspect, and had to take up one, and found he put a thin layer of cement on earth - awful!  So we had to take that up too.  It has cost us over £1500 to put it right.  Unfortunately at the time Yophat was on a contract in Lilongwe, so we couldn't use him.  But he has been working hard to put it right, and we have two retired teachers here setting up the Science Lab and Library. 

 

Our next project will be a computer lab. We have some rather damaged computers that arrived when you were here, being stored in a warehouse, but still no power.  However the number of students have gone up to over 350, on the promise of these facilities, so we must persist, and we have an excellent team of teachers too.  Our pass rate for the JCE (like O level) was 62.5% - the national average was 50% - so that was pleasing.

 

We are now sorting out sponsorship, which is always difficult and costly.  So your support in that area is really appreciated.

 

Other news is that Redson got five distinctions in his exam, so he is very proud of himself, and we feel proud of him too. 

 

I believe some of you worked in Mbinda Primary School, and we now have upgraded the building and the teachers too, so that is better.  We had a lovely young teacher called Nicky staying here who worked wonders there, and it is transformed. 

 

We also built another classroom block at Chibwana Primary School.

 

The other news is that the Chief had a baby boy!  I thought she was going to wait for the clinic to be operating, but clearly she couldn't!  Perhaps she'll have another babe when it is ready!

 

            

                          Cheers and Best Wishes to you all for 2009, Sylvia