Volunteering in Africa

Volunteering in Africa.the government district hospitals - where treatment
Our organization (World Medical Fund) was founded inis free - have few skilled staff, the pharmacy shelves
1997 with the mission “To work with localare usually empty and they are regarded by the local
communities to create opportunities for thecommunity as just a place to go and die. The Mission
world’s most vulnerable children to live safe,Hospitals - where usually there are clinical staff and
healthy and happy lives”. Our work in Africamedicine is available - charge for all treatments at a
began in one of the least-known and least-developedprice well beyond the means of the poor.
regions of Malawi, with a community basedOur programme fills this vital gap; it takes
programme caring for the children orphaned by thedesperately-needed medical care to where it is
HIV/AIDS pandemic. It soon became clear that noneneeded, in the villages. It utilises a 4x4 Landrover,
of the children in the remote villages had any form ofstaffed by clinical officers and nurse and equipped
access to medical care, denied by the real problemswith diagnostic tools and well-stocked with medicine.
of poverty, lack of transport and the reality that in aOver 40,000 sick children have been treated in the
family living well below the poverty line, only the ablelast 12 months at less than US$2 (£1) each and
bodied adults, who can work in the fields to produceyoung lives are saved every day.
food are considered worthy of investment in healthWe rely on donations and we need volunteers; over
care.the past five years we have had people from all
These children suffer and die unnecessarily, mostworks of life including doctors, computer
often from illnesses such as malaria, which areprogrammers, students and managers who had come
cheaply and easily treatable if only the diagnostic skillsout to work on our projects in Malawi – and had
and medicine are in place. For this is a world in whichthe time of their lives!