MOTHER MARY COME TO ME

FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF MARY: by Scott Barnard

Tuesday, May-05-09


The team had a full day of activities planned for Tuesday. The day started with several team members going to the Zomba Hospital for a tour of the Dignitas Clinic. The rest of the team headed to Kachere where we had completed the community centre the previous day. The purpose of the visit was to deliver 20 each of baby blankets, womens’ kits, infants’ kits and numerous hats for men and women. The items were left at the centre for distribution by Mary, the director of Kachere, to deserving helpers and volunteers from the village.

Most of the team went to Faith Trust to finish painting the community centre there. However, Leo and I remained at Kachere to accompany Mary on her rounds to visit AIDS patients. For the next two hours we walked through the fields of maise, sweet potatoes, peas, etc. constantly climbing as we headed to the base of the Zomba plateau. Along the way we visited the homes of 9 families where at least one of the members was HIV +ve. At each home we received a warm welcome and were invited to sit in a place of honour while Mary described each patient’s situation for us. We were surprised that the patients allowed us to ask questions and take pictures. At one home, the woman who was HIV +’ve was the mother of a 1 week old baby. Mary proudly told us that the woman would be the first to receive one of the blankets donated by Rotary that morning.

Generally we were struck by how healthy the patients appeared. Most had been taking ARV’s for several years. Mary explained to us that as long as they were “good patients” and took there medications regularly, most of her clients or patients were doing well.

Our final visit of the day was heart wrenching. As we approached the house, Mary explained that we were visiting one of her “bad” patients who refused to take ARV’s. When we arrived, the woman was totally covered by a pile of blankets outside on the ground. She was extremely weak, but managed to sit up and welcome us. It was fascinating to watch as Mary comforted her and spoke to her softly. While we didn’t understand the language, it was obvious that the woman was telling Mary about the pain she was experiencing and the parts of her bady that were affected. After a lengthly conversation and many tears, Mary led us in prayer to a place of hope. On the way back Mary joked with us about being tired and told Leo it was because he was an old man. Before we returned to Kachere, Mary honoured us by taking us to her home and introducing us to her mother.

Reflecting back on the day, it occurred to me that it was a day of hope. It was demonstrated to us firsthand that the healthcare system in Malawi, although still rudimentary, is much improved over 5 years ago. This is in no small part to the Mary’s of Malawi………..dedicated, selfless, home care volunteers. It is clear, that the future of Malawi lies with those that will follow in the footsteps of Mary.