Near many rural villages where the nutritional project works, Malawi's government provides basic health services. In Malawi, there is a health care worker, a "Health Screening Assessor," in most large communities. The "HSA" provides support and medication for illnesses such as malaria, HIV, and TB. In addition, these government workers serve as the central government's training arm for hygiene and handle births and other daily life needs for the surrounding villages. They are paid about $10 to $12 a week - a relatively good salary in rural Malawi.
Health care support for the entire population is provided free of charge.
When a child or an adult needs to see a para professional, he or she often travels five to ten kilometers by bike or foot and then waits for a half to a full day to get help.
The picture above was taken at a busy health clinic - a small brick sided room with a flat roof and an adjacent waiting area filled with stone benches. The woman with the white cap has waited most of the day. She is now near the front of a long swirling line of roughly two hundred people. I sat and watched this procession for some time. I was drawn to this quiet woman. She seemed to possess a sense of reflection and peace.
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