World Connect

Kachindamoto Maternity Guardian Shelter

Year: 2018

Country: Malawi

Project Status: Funded

Impact Sector: Health

Project Investment: $10,000.97

Project Launch: 12-28-18

Kachindamoto Health Center is located in Dedza East, a hot, lakeshore area in Central Malawi. The facility has a clinic, nurses’ houses, a pharmacy, and a maternity wing. The health center cannot provide maternal health services due to the unavailability of a guardian shelter and kitchen. As a way of solving this challenge, the community is mobilizing resources to construct a maternity wing's guardian shelter for the health center. This project will help eliminate challenges women face during delivery such as traveling long distances to access maternal health services. In addition, this project will help guardians have access to better accommodations in a conducive location. Once the project is complete, the health center will have all the facilities required for the Ministry of Health to certify the clinic to start providing maternal health services. It is expected that the shelter will serve more than 30 guardians per month.

Project Update: 9-5-19

Five months after funding, the construction of the Kachindamoto Guardian Shelter is in its final phase with the structure past the roofing stage. The shelter has two bedrooms, a lounge and a bathroom that will provide accommodation to women as they wait to deliver children. The project is expected to be completed in July and the community members provided bricks and sand for construction purposes. Once completed, the shelter will serve pregnant women and guardians who will receive maternal services at Kachindamoto Health Center, a development that prompted Pemphero Yobe, a 24 years old lady to say,”Other development partners promised to fund the guardian shelter after the health officials identified a gap for the maternity to become operational two years ago and it only took World Connect a month to fund us this project after they were informed. All I can say is that, this is a big opportunity for us as women to fully utilize this project and this will have a positive impact in our community because most of the challenges will be reduced.”

Final Report: 12-31-19

The Sunduzeni Village Development Center has constructed a maternity guardian shelter at the Kachindamoto Health Center in Dedza district. This guardian shelter is set to accommodate at least eight guardians per day and expects to register almost 30 users a month. The 12 x 9 room consists of a kitchen, a living room, a bathroom, and four bedrooms fully equipped with eight beds and mattresses. This shelter will reduce the distance women used travel to give birth, enhance security for women, and create a conducive environment for expectant mothers and their guardians. Having completed the construction of the shelter, the community now waits for the Ministry of Health to equip the Health Center with medical equipment and staff for its full operation.