US Ambassador opens the Jacaranda Community Physiotherapy & AIDS Counseling clinic

On Monday 16th April 2018, The Jacaranda Physiotherapy and AIDS Counseling Community Clinic was officially opened by US Ambassador to Malawi Virginia Palmer, in our village of Chemboma in Newlands, Chigumula, very close to Jacaranda School for Orphans.  

We built the community clinic because we felt there was a dire need for the special needs children who were coming to our school looking for help. For the past few years we have been helping many mothers with transport fare to take their children to far distances for physiotherapy help for their children. After seeking for support for a long time we received a grant from US Ambassadors Special Self Help Fund in Malawi which helped us build the clinic in our community. Ray Chambers, UN Assistant Secretary-General, then gave us a donation to equip the clinic. It is a free clinic and Jacaranda Foundation pays the two physiotherapists salaries and provides the services needed at this location. The clinic combines AIDS counseling too. Twenty children have already started attending the clinic and we are expecting many more to come.

Dr Edward Kondwe and Dr Steven Piringu in charge at the clinic are physiotherapists who graduated from College of Medicine here in Malawi. 

Attending the ceremony were Traditional Authority Kapeni, Member of Parliament Victor Mbewe, Deputy Mayor Makwinja, Counselor Ngalande, Mr Chisati, head of Physiotherapy Department at College of Medicine, Miss Talumba, Head of Physiotherapy Department at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Isaac Chapweteka, Cerebral Palsy African coordinator for Malawi, Mrs Mpunga, Women and child program officer of MACOHA, Mrs Chavula Rehabilitation coordinator, and many more including chiefs from the other villages that surround our village. 

This was a special day for all of us at Jacaranda School for Orphans because it is something that was our mission for a long time and to see it come to life is a joy to our hearts.