Improving Health, Building Hope: Neno, Malawi
Submitted by: Eric Nonacs
Foreign Policy Advisor to President Clinton
The weekend brings little rest for President Clinton and the hardy group of people traveling with him on his tour of Clinton Foundation projects in Africa. Today, we are in Lusaka, Zambia. It’s the first time President Clinton has ever been here, and we have a full slate of events ahead of us. More on that tomorrow…
Yesterday, we visited the rural district of Neno, in southern Malawi. About 85% of Malawians live in rural areas, so this visit provided an invaluable window into the numerous challenges faced by the vast majority of the population including limited access to health facilities, economic opportunity, and basic infrastructure.
Our Clinton Hunter Development Initiative is working with local authorities there on several projects to strengthen the community’s health care system. We toured a construction site for a new district hospital and adjacent staff housing we’re helping to build in partnership with Partners In Health. The hospital complex looked like a normal construction site: noisy, covered in machinery and teeming with hard hats. But there is more being built than just a hospital - this project alone has created hundreds of jobs and trained local women in construction work, contributing to a foundation of sustainable growth in the community.
While in Neno, we met up with Dr. Paul Farmer, one of the founders of Partners in Health (and featured in our video). Much has been written about Paul, his intensity and his inspiring dedication to health care for the world’s poorest. While all of that is true, he also happens to be one of the warmest and funniest people I have ever met, qualities he shares with President Clinton that often get lost on the printed page.
Our too-brief stop in Neno gave us an opportunity to better understand how 70% of the people on the continent live. Makes me thankful for the things I have at home – running water, a doctor only a subway stop away…hopefully our work will help put these amenities that we take for granted in reach of these isolated regions. Now, on to Zambia…
July 22nd, 2007 at 11:47 pm
Great information. We do tend take those things (running water, health care etc,) for granted. Seems as though things have gotten off to a great start on the project (district hospital) and what is even better is the project training the locals to work on the project. Hopefully you will get some power naps “fat chance”. Well at least we know that President Clinton is in his element. He loves what he is doing and it is good to know that you all are there by his side.
Peace to you all…
Jax
July 23rd, 2007 at 1:11 pm
Dear Clinton,
Greetings from Tanzania!
Your great concern and care for Africa/the poor is the symbal of your kindness.
Please keep it up, and i can asure, you are the man of all time and most of all your effort will never pass the time.
safari.
July 25th, 2007 at 9:53 am
I would like to express my congratulatory message to Bill Clinton for the work he is doing in Africa.
This is a great work, serving humanity. May the living God Bless you for all your efforts.
Millions of lives will be improved and saved. As a Malawian let it be known that you are a blessing.
Weston.
July 25th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Rock on, Bill. You and your group are my heroes.
July 26th, 2007 at 12:06 am
I’m very happy to see all that President Clinton is doing and hopefully we can all help to make the difference in Africa.We at Africa 6000 hope to also help by making clean water available to many there who now do not have access to clean water. It is our hopes too to help create meaningful much needed jobs for thew economic benifits of many. We arre just a new organization but with big ambitions to help the children of Africa. You can visit us on our website soon www.africa6000intl.org and learn more of our mission. Perhaps you may want to help us and also partner with us on our journey too. We can make a difference. Over 6000 children die each day in Africa from water borne diseases,that’s one child every 14 seconds and the trend is still moving the wrong direction. Thank you President Clinton for what you are doing, we’re with you and have a common cause.
God Bless You all. Joe
July 26th, 2007 at 12:27 am
Great work! As a nurse I support the Foundation’s efforts to improve healthcare.
July 26th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Go for it Bill you are a Hero in my Eyes mikela
August 8th, 2007 at 12:53 am
I would like to thank President Clinton for everything that you are doing in the poorest nations on earth….More especially, thank you so much for doing so much for my country Malawi. The Hunter-Clinton Foundation is a Blessing from God—-Thank you President Clinton—-God Bless you, your family…and The Whole Foundation!!===I hope I can be involved in what the Foundation is doing in Malawi—thanks!!!!
August 8th, 2007 at 1:44 am
Hi to all
I enjoyed my meeting with Mr Clinton and the chat colleagues complained that we talked too long
You may remember that I am the water guy from Scotland
I am enjoying the work here and hope that we can continue to improve on the quality of water in Malawi
Neno was a great experience not only for us but for the people who waited all day and sang so enthusiastically African women always move me as they dance and sing They work all day fetching water planting crops making meals caring for their children gathering enormous loads of firewood and if you are lucky one day whilst passing a field you will hear them sing their songs.
Come back soon Bill and sit down a while with us
Jim