Mobile Technology for Development

Tsogolo la Mafoni am’manja m’Malawi

2011-01-06T05:33:00.000-08:00

By Kumbu’ Kuntiya

Anthu ambiri lero kuMalawi ali ndi foni zam’manja ndipo ambiri mwa amenewa ndi makasitomala amakampani awiri a Airtel kapena TNM. Pakafukufuku waposachedwapa, zinaonetsa kuti ntchito zamtengamtenga ndi mtokoma zinathandiza kupititsa chuma chadziko laMalawi ndi 9 perecenti. Ndi kafukufuku yemweyinso anawonetsa kuti potha chaka cha 2010, anthu 27 aliwonse pa 100 adzakhala ndi mwayi wotimikilidwa ndi mafoni am’manjawa kuyelekezekela ndi anthu awiri okha omwe adzafikilidwe ndi mafoni ogwiritsa ntchito mawaya.

Powonotsetsa chitukuko chimenechi makamaka kubwera kwa matelefoni a m’manja amenewa ndi zabwino zake, aMalawi tili okonzeka bwanji kufuna kudyerera ubwino wake pogwiritsa ntchito mafoni amenewa? Ndikulunkhala mawu amenewa mopanda phyete podziwa kuti dziko la Malawi lidakali m’mbuyo kuyelekeza ndi mayiko ena pakagwiritsidwe ntchito kamafoni am’manjawa. Chomwe aMalawi ambiri timaziwa pogwiritsa ntchito mafoniwa ndikutumizila anzanthu mauthenga apafoni kapena kuti ma SMS kapena kucheza ndi okondewa athu kapena anzathu pankhani zopanda ndi mchere womwe. Zinthu zomwe sizili zaphindu konse pamoyo wathu walero. Chomwe tiyenera kudziwa aMalawi anzanga ndichoti pali zambiri zomwe mafoni am’manjawa angatumikile paumoyo wathu watsiku ndi tsiku kupyolera pa moni yekha. Fananizani mafoniwa ndi munda waukulu womwe mwangokwanitsa kuulima mbali imodzi yokha ndipo watsala mbali ina yaikulu yomwe inganthe kubweretsa zokolola zina zambiri. Ndichimodzimodzinso momwe tigugwiritsira ntchito mafoni amenewa lero kuMalawi. Pali ndime yayikulu yomwe tikuyenera kuyilima kuti tiwone phindu lake lenileni lamafoni amenewa.

Padzaka zoposa makumi anayi (40) zomwe aMalawi takhala paufulu wozilamulira patokha, ndikhulupilira kuti muvomerezana nane kuti tili ndi madela ena pakana lero omwe alibe chipatala, misewu yabwino, sukulu kapenanso magetsi ndi zina zambiri. Chodabwitsa ndichoti panthawi yomweyi, mudzaka khumi (10) chabe, madera omwewa pafupifupi munthu aliyense, wamkulu kapena mwana wakhala ndi mwayi wotumikilidwa ndi foni yam’manja.

Kubwera kwamafoni amenewa athandiza pazambiri monga kusaononga nthawi yathu poyenda mitunda italiitali kukasiya uthenga kapena kukafuna zina ndi zina tikafuna kugula kapena kugulitsa malonda athu. Tangoyelekezani m’chikumbe yemwe ali ku Kasungu ndipo akufuna kudziwa ngati fodya wake wagulidwa kumsika wa fodya (okoshoni) ku Lilongwe. Nthawi zambiri m’malo moyenda mtunda onse, ndi kwachidule kwaiye kuyimba foni ndikugwiritsa ntchito kandalama komwe akadakwelela basi kapena matola, ntchito zina zachitukuko pakhomo pake. Ndipo pogwiritsa ntchito ndalama zakezo poyimba telefoni kapena kutumiza uthenga wa SMS, zimenezi zimathandiza makampani ngati a TNM kapena Zain (Airtel) kupanga chitukuko m’madera athu. Posachedwapa a TNM ndi a Zain anathandizapo pantchito ngati zimenezi ku kuzipatala za Thyolo ndi Ntaja ndinso ku Blantyre pa Mjamba CDSS.

Owerenga anzanga, tsiku ngati lalero tivutikilanji kuyang’anira odwalira kumudzi pofuna kuti nthawi iliyonse yomwe tafuna chithandizo kuchipatala, tiyende mtunda wautali? Ndipo nthawi zina tsiku lonse limatha tili pamsewu kuyenda kukafuna chithandizo ngati chimenechi. Nthawi imeneyi ndiyoyenera kungoyimba telefoni kwa achipatala kapena mavolontiya ndipo azatha kutithandiza. Nthawi zina, timafuna ambulasi, ndipo timayenda mtunda womwewu wautali pomwe chili chapafupi kungoyimba telefoni ndipo achipatala azatithandiza. Zimenezi kuno ku Malawi zikuchitika monga ku Namitete, Ntaja, Balaka, Malindi ndinso Neno komwenso achipatala amatha kukumbutsa otengela mankhwala kunyumba monga a TB kapena ma ARV. Izi sizisowa achipatala kusiya ntchito zawo kutsatila odwalawo kunyumba kwao.

Ndipo mumadziwanso kuti matelefoni omwewa mutha kulipilira madzi kapena magetsi kwaiwo omwe muli ndi mwayi wokhala ndi madzi kapena magetsi olipira mizinda yathu ya Mzuzu, Lilongwe kapena Blantyre?

Omwenso tili ndi mwayi osunga ndalama zathu kumabanki, tilinso ndi mwayi wogula zinthu kumasitolo ambiri m’Malawi muno pogwiritsa ntchito matelefoniwa.

Pofunanso kupatsa mwayi anthu ambiri omwe alibe mwayi wosungitsa ndalama zawo kumabanki, mulinso ndi mwayi wotumiza kapena kulandila ndalama kupyolera muukadaulo wamafoni amenewa. Ndikhulupira munamvapo za khusa m’manja kapena kuti Zap ndinso Fast Account, njira zamakono zomwe sizifuna kuti muyende ndi ndalama mthumba pamene mufuna kukagula chinthu kapena kulipilira ntchito zina kuopesa akuba achuluka masiku anowa.

Kupyolera njira ngati izi mutha kukhala ndi mwayi wotumiza ndalama kumudzi kapena kutawuni kupyolera patelefoni yanu m’malo motuma munthu ndikuwononga ndalama zina zankhaninkhani. Njira yomweyi muthanso kumutumizila mwana wasukulu ndalama kusukulu komweko posafunika kuti inuyo mupite komko.

Kupyolera apa, ngati muli ndimaganizo oyamba geni m’chaka chanyuwanichi, muli makobili ambiri mubizinezi yoyimbitsa foni kapena kugulitsa maunitsi.

Izi ndizabwino pang’ono zomwe telefoni zam’manja zabwera nazo. Nanga ndichifukwa ninji aMalawi ambiri sakugwiritsa ntchito zinthu zabwino ndizamakono ngati zimenezi? Pakhoza kukhala zifukwa zoletsa zingapo.

Kukhoza kutheka kuti mwina aMalawi ambiri simumadziwa kapena mulibe nazo chidwi zinthu zabwino ngati izi kuyesa kuti ndiza anthu akutawuni okha. Zikhoza kuthekanso kuti eni mamkapani okonza zanthchitozi sanathe kufikira ena mwainu ndimauthenga amomwe mungathe kugwiritsira nthito zinthu ngati Zap kapena Khusa M’manja.

Chinanso chomwe ndidaona kuti mwina chimakhumudwitsa aMalawi ambiri kuyesera zabwino ngati zamafoni am’manjazi ndikukayikira makampani afoni zam’manjawa. Izi potengela kuti pamakhala matatalazi nthawi zina kuti munthu uthe kuyimba foni kapena kutumiza kapena kulandila uthenga wapafoni zam’manjazi. Nthawi zambiri timamva zamavuto a netiweki ndi zina zovuta.

Chinanso chomwe ndidawona ndipo mukudziwa ndi kukwera mtengo wogulira ndi wokhala ndi foni zam’manja. Monga tonse tidziwa, foni yam’manja ili ngati galimoto. Imafuna ndalama yogulira ndiyodyetsera kudzera kugula maunitsi kapena kutchajitsa. Ndipo maunitsiwonso, anthu akayika, akuti sachedwa kuwulukamo. Kungolankhula pang’ono, atha. M’madera omwe kulibe magetsi, ichinso chimakhala chiphinjo kapena chiletso china kuti munthu athe kugwiritsa bwino foni yake yam’manja chifukwa choti kutchajitsa foniyo kumakhala kokwera mtengo zedi.

Tili pankhani yokwera mtengo yomweyi, ndichosadabwitsa masiku ano kuwona kuti maunitsi ndi okwera mtengo kwambiri m’madera akumudzi kuposa kutawuni. Chosencho opikulitsa maunitiswo amapita nawo kumudzi komko.

Chinanso chakula paMalawi pano makamaka amuna, ndikudelera kapena nsanje kwa aMayi okhala ndi foni yam’manja. Pakafukufuku wanga wina, m’mayi wokhala ndi foni amuna ambiri amudelera kwambiri kapena amamuona ngati wachimasomaso ndipo izi zimagwetsa mphwayi amayi ambiri kuti akhale ndi foni yawo kuti iwatumikile pazachitukuko mofanana ndi abambo.

Pomalidza kuwona mavutowa, tiyeni tiwonepo vuto lanetiweki. Pafupifupi mudzi uliwonse m’Malawi muno anthu ambiri ali ndi mafoni kuyambila kaMose mpaka mafoni ena okwera mtengo zedi. Ambiri mwamafoniwa m’midzimu ndimaluwa chabe poti netiweki kulibe kapena imathawathawa. Akati ayimba foni ndiyekuti apite ku thiredin’gi senta kapena akwera mumtengo nthawi zina paphiri.

Tsogolo lake

Izi ndalembazi ndizoti zikhoza kuthetsedwa kuti aMalawi ambiri akhale ndi mwayi wopindula ndi foni zam’manja.

Poyamba, Boma litengepo gawo lalikulu monga kutsitsabe kapena kuchotselatu msonkho pamafoni ndi maunitsi kuti mwina angatsike mtengo.

Makampani amafoni zam’manja alinso ndigawo lawo powonjezela netiweki m’madera ambiri ndikuwonetsetsa kuti makina awo sakuthimathima pogwiritsa ntchito mphamvu yadzuwa kapena mphepo.

Kumaliza

Ndinkhani ndakambazi, ndikhulupilira mwavomeleza kuti pali zambiri zomwe aMalawi angapindule nazo popyolera kugwiritsa ntchito foni zam’manja. Choncho tiyeni tonse tigwirane manja polima munda umenewu kuti zokolola zathu zichuluke kuti tsogolo kamafoni am’manja likhale lowala.

M4D: THE CASE FOR MALAWI

2010-09-07T07:17:00.001-07:00

Abstract
Malawi has a population of about 14 million and currently has 5 telecommunication players and actively being serviced by two mobile network operators, namely TNM and Zain. G-Mobile is yet to roll out its services by January 2011. The country has 2.9 million mobile subscribers, 100,000 people have access to fixed lines and close to 1% of the population has access to Internet backed by 2 fiber optic backbones [1]. In 2009, the telecommunications industry contributed 7% to the country’s GDP. By end of 2010, penetration rates will be at 27% for mobile, fixed at 2.4% and Internet will be at 4.4% [2]. The paper highlights some major strides and other work in progress that the country has embarked upon in its quest towards Mobile for Development initiatives and areas that need to be looked at to meet the estimates as well as the three targets under MDG 8.

THE IMPACT AND SUSTAINABILITY OF MOBILE TECHNOLOGY FOR HEALTH CARE DELIVERY IN MALAWI

2010-09-07T07:17:00.000-07:00

Abstract
Healthcare delivery service in Malawi is being hampered by acute shortage of skilled health workers. This then limits the quality of care given to the patients in terms of obtaining health care advice from upper cadres, communicating vital information to headquarters or even timely request for emergency services like ambulances [1, 2].
In reaction to this in Malawi, UNICEF, Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) and FrontlineSMS Medic established mobile technology projects around 2008 as one way of providing communication link between patients at community level and the health facilities. To date, no collective studies have been done to assess their effectiveness and there is no literature that could be used to scale up or replicate these projects.
This study therefore aims at evaluating mobile technology use in these projects as one way of determining if technology implementation in these projects could be utilized as a solution towards low staff levels health facilities are facing as well as its impact towards improvements in data collection and transmission as a way of furthering health service delivery.

developments on my study and request

2010-08-06T00:49:00.000-07:00

Progressing well - have now done a full proposal for my study with just a minor change on the topic - its no longer Evaluating but simply Impact of .......

If you know some mobile technology projects being implemented in Malawi for health delivery or anything else please consultant me - need such details - am also planning of doing a case study of such initiatives. Will require name of project, sponsor/implementor, location and contact person and details.

kumbu'

Evaluating Mobile Technology Projects in Malawi

2010-07-25T10:37:00.000-07:00

Am finally finalising my thesis entitled "Evaluating Impact and Sustainability of Mobile Technology For Health Care Delivery in Malawi " as part of my Master's Degree in Public Health (Informatics)

The Deportee

2010-04-26T03:55:00.000-07:00

by Kumbu’ Kuntiya, April 2010
based on a true story

The sun was almost settling in, in readiness for the next day’s scorching. A day which would mark exactly a month of reunion with my family. It had been a month of mixed fortunes as I flipped through chapter after the other of the past decade I had been away from my family and the events that led to my isolation. I had been seated on the veranda since mid afternoon after taking our mid day meals with my mother. I was in deep thoughts as my mind crisscrossed the valleys of the past world.

I had been standing there, my usual place for almost half an hour together with Lucy. Our other friends had opted to cast their net from the water holes across the road. A few of us opted straight for the roadside. In no time, my feet started complaining from the excess weight they were supporting. A few steps up, some down was a perfect therapy coupled with some flips of my very short skirt much to the delight for each set of headlamps that chose not to dim at us.

“Riiiiing, Riiiiing”, the usual Nokia tone rang once, then twice. I flipped through my handbag hanging loosely but purposely from my left shoulder. Fished it out and a familiar number appeared on my “brick” as they were called by then. In no time, I pressed the once green button as it had witnessed too many pressings.

“Hallow”, I said as I pressed the gadget closer to my ear while the other hand cushioned the other from unwanted sounds of the cruising traffic as I moved aimlessly towards the gas station.

“Are you available tonight?” A familiar voice came from the other end. “Yaah …” And before I could finish, “Will pick you from same place”, the caller said and immediately cut off without the formal byes. That was my Uncle Ken, my Finance Minister and very typical of him and unlike most of my customers.

My face flooded with excitement and failed to control a smile as I glided towards the deserted and dark veranda of a nearby liquor store to await his coming. My night would be short-lived with a handsome takeaway of course. In the absence of marathons with police, such was the modis operandi on a good part of the month.
“Aunt, are you there?” A voice seemingly from nowhere echoed through my ears. I opened my eyes, and in a flash, came out of my dreamland. I lifted my almost flail 30 year old mass of which was now simply a collection of bare bones, from the mat I had unconsciously slept on. I pulled some remains of my chitenje over my shoulders and headed for the open door without being conscious on how I lifted my once beautiful frame unlike the yesteryears.

Standing there was Hannah, the beautician from next door. Before I could even greet her, she started to showcase her beautiful set of whites. “The Chief’s wedding is on TV”, she said. “Come and join us”, she went on. “We are at Aunt Matilda’s house watching it since morning and I forgot to tell you”.

“Kheliwe is also there”, she went on referring to my daughter of 15 who seemed to still have problems accepting me as her mother. I suppose after the years I had been away.

“Am sorry, I will have to join you later. I need to prepare food”, I feigned an excuse just to be away from the numerous inquisitive questions and comments I had gone through the month I had been back to the village. I had retold my story too many numerous times and today I was in no mood for a repeat but a good sleep.

“Ok, will come later to pick you. Or you can join us when you are through”, Hannah said as she headed back running towards Aunt Matilda’s house and almost bumping into an advancing goat. Not wanting to miss any action supposedly from the live coverage on TV.

I decided to stand there much to my displeasure and pleasure, all fused into one for being woken up from an afternoon siesta. The sun was now in and total darkness would soon be in.

Ten years earlier, I could have been having an early dinner in readiness for the night’s work. To start off from Chigwara for the road, to catch Zobanduka. To the lit offal of Lilengwe, Bwandala and all such other hot spots in the city. To have a share from the green gold as it were. To have a ride in Uncle Ken’s latest 16 valve to unknown destinations. To stand endlessly on roadsides, expose for all to see and admire and hopefully catch one or two for the night. This together with my newly found sisters from Likuna, Mchasa, Area 81, 94 and other far away districts like Kabalu and Zambo.

A single night’s net cast would cart home anything between K500.00 and a K1,000.00 enough to take me and my 5 dependents throughout the week. A week’s collection at such a rate could even make my kachasu brewing mother back home at Chikende in Zambo all smiles from ear to ear. By month end, my landlord would be a dear friend after parting away with K300.00 for the room I rented. I led somehow a comfortable life and was the envy of my fellow “sisters” around our compound especially the 14 year old Maria who had recently joined us from Kwamkanda. She looked upon me as a model. I had almost everything any middle class woman would have ranging from a black and white TV to a 2 CD changer. I had my own “brick” cellophone as well just after 5 years.

Finally, Uncle Ken came. “Am rushing to watch a game”, he said from his steering wheel. He had said on numerous occasions that he was a fun of Whitehead or was it Bengam, whatever it was. I never followed football matters as it worked against my battle over poverty emancipation.

“Came to drop you this for your drinks”, he said whilst shoving some fresh and crispy K100.00 bank notes in between my chest. One time he jokingly said when I die, he will make sure they will be preserved for him to be seeing every day.

In no minute, he sped off. That was typical of Uncle Ken, full of surprises.

Before I could decide what to do next, I was seated in the passenger’s seat of a supposedly new client whom I tried to recall from my vast database of 5 years of practice but to no avail. I decided to be that usual nice girl, ask no questions but simply take instructions. All we cared, especially amongst us professionals as we fondly called ourselves was simply getting our payment.The hows, wheres was another issue altogether which never existed in our reference manuals.

At 6am the following day, a Saturday to be precise, I gently woke up my client whom I figured was 10 years my senior, but fun loving and quite a nice man. Besides being to the USA for a considerable number of years, he was still a pure African man behind the sheets. He would pass for a gondolosi user of course as he really made me sweat for the comfort he had availed!

“What time is it?”, he said whilst wiping his eyes and still looking somehow fresh from the night’s marathon.
“Did you sleep well darling?”, I said whilst scouring his almost bare cheek with one hand whilst the other attempted a massage on his hairy chest. “It is after 6 and I need to go now”, I said babyishly.

He didn’t attempt to respond immediately but allowed to absorb the pleasure, God’s creation was offering.

He then asked me for my expectation. I settled for K1,500.00, which he had no problems with as I had a sleep-over. I regretted not to have mentioned K2,000.00 instead which I believe he could have paid without a qualm. “There will be next time”, I convinced myself.

After flipping through his clothes which by then were by the bed side, he paused and looked like he had seen the devil himself.

“Can I pay you in dollars”, he startled me. “Yes, I mean American dollars”, he emphasized after noticing the surprised face in me.

“I have just returned from the USA within the week and haven’t changed much of my money... ”

“Yes, I know. You told me”, I interjected him whilst attempting to fully wake up. “I want Malawi Kwacha now and then”, I nearly lost my temper and immediately recalled rule # 17 in our trade’s manual. “Never lose your temper when with your client.”

Despite recalling that, I was in no way going away without my payment. My family was expecting food that morning.

After a few minutes, he suggested to go to some bureau to exchange his so called dollars into Kwacha.

For fear of being duped, I suggested to wait for him in his house of which he accepted. At exactly 8.20, he left with one or 2 green bills, the dollars I believe. Thirty minutes passed by, then an hour, an hour and a half without him coming back. I became impatient and went out of the bed and decided to have a look at the house. A few minutes later, I returned to the bedroom and flipped through some drawers by the bed and a chest of drawers by the window.
I decided to leave. I scribbled a note in almost some legible writing not typical of a Standard 8 drop out, for him to call or find me at the same place that night when he was ready with my payment. I then pulled out a chitenje from my handbag which I moved with every night am on duty and wrapped it around my assets and dashed for the exit door which was not locked fortunately.

A day passed by, then a week without seeing or hearing anything from him. I didn’t worry a thing as I knew one day he was going to call me anyway.

That week, business was almost slim despite Parliamentarians being in town. Lucky enough tobacco sales were doing fine and the rest was as usual. As usual, we also engaged in some cat and mouse chases with the constables almost twice that week. On a single occasion, I paid for my freedom in kind with one of the constables.

That week’s Saturday, I spent a good part of the morning in town buying some groceries for my family. It was around 11am when I finally returned home and was greeted with a sight of a police van and a sizeable crowd by our compound.

I was taken to the Police station for questioning as regards possessing a firearm without a license.

It transpired that whilst I was in town shopping, Kheliwe and her friends had come across the pistol I had taken from Patrick’s house for the unpaid bill. After 3 months on police remand alongside Patrick, pending investigations, I finally appeared in court for hearing.

“My lord, my client here in his submission has indicated he has never owned this firearm which according to evidence tendered under this court, was manufactured in China”, Patrick’s lawyer said in one of his submissions.

During interrogation, as I was initially told, Patrick had accepted to have owned the pistol and I was to be charged with theft as communicated to me by my legal counsel from the government’s legal aid department.

“My client Patrick, as you are aware”, the hired lawyer went on, “was deported from the USA some 4 months ago and there was no way, he might have carried this firearm with him through all the security checks the mighty Americans have.”

After a series of arguments and counter arguments, it was now judgment day.

It was delivered in under 10 minutes which seemed to be a split second and in no minute, I was whisked away by 2 female prison warders to a waiting police van and still faintly recall what was said before. I remember to have heard some disjointed words as they kept on reverberating on the entire bumpy road to Maola Prison: “acquitted . . . guilty … 10 years with hard labour, ……”.

And later the judge picking up a mallet and knocking it down heavily on his table and it echoed over and over.

Startled, I woke up again and there was Hannah again standing by the open door now.END

village phones

2009-06-28T07:28:00.000-07:00

Soon embarking on village phones - watch out this space for more details.

Zain handsets

2009-03-18T02:07:00.000-07:00

I am at Zain internet cafe right now and what a line of customers who are in to but the reduced handsets - from K2,499.00 to K1,499.00.

Money through SMSs - Txteagle

2009-03-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

DAVID, a Masai herdsman from Kisumu in Kenya, answers a call on his cellphone. After listening to the message, he repeats a short phrase in his Masai dialect. He then listens to another short message, and repeats the new phrase. After 30 minutes, he ends the call, having earned enough for a week's worth of personal cellphone airtime.

David is working for txteagle, a service that allows rural Kenyans to earn airtime and money by performing small tasks such as translation and transcription using their cellphones.
More details, visit: http://psdblog.worldbank.org/psdblog/2009/02/from-mobile-banking-to-mobile-money-making.html?cid=150273231#comments

Village Phones

2009-03-02T02:28:00.000-08:00

Very excited of its roll out into Malawi - check out on my next postings.

Sharing the Burden

2009-02-25T07:57:00.000-08:00

By George Ntonya, a correspondent
The Nation Newspaper, 23 February, 2009, page 25

Helen Mkupa from Mangochi has been sick since 2006 and is usually in severe pain. When she gets up in the morning, Mkupa is taken into a shed behind her house to while away the day away.
She can hardly walk. She does not enjoy meals because of the pain.
Consequently, she has lost weight.
Two-and-a-half years after falling sick, what remains of her now is a shadow of the once strong and plump mother from Mkope area.
“I have been to the hospital several times but my condition continues to deteriorate,” said the woman who is believed to be around 65 years old.
“They told me that I have cancer of the uterus and I lose a lot of blood because of this,” she explained in a low tone, sitting feebly on a reed mat in the shed.
She said when relatives saw her massive weight lost they suggested that she should take an HIV test.
“The results showed that I was HIV negative,” she said.
Besides, family members, Mkupa looks up to home-based care givers in the area for assistance.
Sometimes the care givers bring her soap and basic food stuffs.
They also provide her with drugs to ease the pain.
“They (care givers) are trying to help but their capacity is limited,” she lamented, adding that in some instances she goes to bed without a proper meal, even when she has the appetite.
Davis Mchengani is Chairperson of Chiwalo Home Based Care Group at Mkope and said there are many chronically ill people his group is helping.
“Most of our clients are HIV-positive and some of them are feeling better because they have started the [antiretroviral] treatment,” Mchengani said.
According to national coordinator of Palliative Care Association of Malawi (Pacam) Lameck Thambo, there are tens of thousands of patients who are in severe pain and cannot access strong pain killers called opioids.
“Many patients, particularly those with AIDS or cancer die in severe pain,” Thambo said in a separate interview.
Out of the estimated 13 million people, over one million are infected with HIV and some of them who are on ARVs – drugs that prolong life – develop different side effects that also bring about severe body pain.
Thambo said patients in severe pain require strong pain control medicines such as morphine but most of them do not access drugs because of medicine control regulations that aim at preventing abuse.
He said the Association is carrying out advocacy programmes to sensitize people on the importance of providing quality care to patients in severe pain.
Africa Palliative Care Association Advocacy Manager Dr. Henry Ddungu said the World Health Organization (WHO) defines palliative care as “active total care of patients whose disease is not responsive to curative treatment.”
He said nearly 58million people die annually in the world and almost 65 percent have prolonged illness which is characterized by severe pain. This justifies the need for palliative care.
According to Thambo, palliative Care Association of Malawi is working in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and other partners to sensitize people on the need for provision of quality care to the chronically ill people so that they die a pain-free death.
“I am happy to say there is palliative care desk officer at each government hospital,” Thambo said, adding that he is looking forward to some flexibility by government in the way strong pain control drugs are regulated, so that patients in severe pain can access them.
In February, 2008 Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) launched a K16 million mobile technology with a view to help home-based care groups and health workers improve the quality of service they provide to patients, particularly those infected with HIV.
The mobile technology project was piloted in Mangochi district with financial support from Tearfund – UK, a Christian organization which is supporting different organizations involved in initiatives such as food security, water and sanitation as well as HIV and AIDS.
According to EAM Head of Programmmes Bryer Mlowoka, the project’s main objectives are to improve the quality of care provided by the HBC volunteers, to help the volunteers generate income from the phones for their sustainability and to offer a technological solution that effectively supports information and communication technology related to health services.
The Association distributed free mobile phones to different community-based care givers whose volunteers provide home-based care to the chronically sick people in Mkope in Malindi areas in Mangochi district.
The Association also trained the home-based care givers how they can give effectively use the phones to use the phones to help the sick access medical assistance in good times.
They were also trained in new methods of community home-based care to enable them to improve on the quality of care services they provide to the chronically ill.
The Association also trained them how to use the phones to generate income to support their activities.
Probably, patients such as Helena Mkupa would receive quality palliative care if more community members get proper training to care for the chronically ill.

busy

2009-02-04T23:53:00.000-08:00

Busy with preparations for the dissemination meeting hopefully next week or the other.

having a rest

2009-02-02T07:32:00.000-08:00

Having a rest and a bit of finalising reports with my daughter Tasha.

Some Highlights

2009-01-28T04:55:00.000-08:00

Images below depict some of the highlights from the Mangochi project in terms of patient registration, business calls vs health calls, volunteer turnover during the period.

bye but see you again

2009-01-28T01:52:00.000-08:00

Finally my time is up and have to say bye but it will not be forever as I will still be part of mobile technology and mobile technology will still be part of me. My bye will therefore be from one level to the next. So see you in the next chapter of my mobile technology life I have embarked upon.

Out to Namitete

2009-01-27T22:57:00.000-08:00

Tuesday afternoon - visited some communities in Namitete (around St. Gabriel Hospital) who are part of another mobile technology project utilising FrontlineSMS. First pitcure depicts an Internet cafe built within a water reserviour, the second shows Alex, the man in charge of the FrontlineSMS project at St. Gabriel at work and the last is the frontview of the hospital.

Mobile Phones for Health Services

2009-01-19T22:51:00.001-08:00

MOBILE PHONES FOR HEALTH SERVICES*

By George Ntonya

When Agnes Banda fell critically ill in Mozambique where she got married, her husband took her back home in Mangochi district and abandoned her.

He returned to Mozambique secretly, reportedly thinking that his wife was going to die anytime. “I was left for dead,” Agnes said in an interview at her house recently.

Over six months have elapsed since her husband disappeared and Agnes has bounced back to health life. Members of a home based care (HBC) group in her area helped her to survive.

They reported her condition to St. Martin’s Hospital for medical attention using mobile phone they received from Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM).

“I have survived because of the support I have been receiving from the home based care volunteers,” Agnes explained.

Her sister Christina, who acts as her guardian, said that “If Agnes’ husband decides to go back he would be surprised to see her looking healthier than she used to be before she fell ill.”

“He would not believe his eyes to see her alive because at the time he left her she was on the verge of death,” Christina said. Agnes is one of the many patients who at one point or the other suffered from a chronic disease and managed to get prompt medical assistance because of mobile phones which EAM distributed to home based care (HBC) groups from different villages in Mkope and Malindi in Mangochi district.

EAM launched a K16 million mobile technology project in February 2008 with a view to help community based organizations and health workers improve the quality of service they provide to patients, particularly those infected with HIV.

The mobile technology project was piloted in Mangochi district with financial support from Tearfund UK, a Christian organization which is supporting different organizations involved in initiatives such as food security, water and sanitation as well as HIV and AIDS.

According to EAM Head of programmes Bryer Mlowoka, the project’s main objectives were to improve the quality of care provided by the HBC volunteers, to help the volunteers generate income from the phones for their sustainability and offer a technology solution that effectively supports information and communication technology related to health services.

The Association bought several mobiles phones from Celtel Malawi Limited, which is now called Zain Malawi Limited. The phones were distributed free of charge to different community based organizations whose volunteers provide home based care to the chronically sick people in Mkope and Malindi areas, respectively. The Association also trained the home based care givers on how they could effectively use the phones to help the sick access medical assistance in times of an emergency.

They were also trained in new methods of community home based care to enable them improve on the quality of care services that they provide to the chronically ill.

The Association also provided training to enable the volunteers to use the phones for income generation to support their activities. “We conducted a study and we realized that there was an acute communication problem between community members and health facilities in Mkope and Malindi in Mangochi. That is why we decided to pilot the project there, “Mlowoka said.

Mcford Moda, Clinical Officer and HBC Coordinator at St. Martin’s Hospital said that EAM bought a digital telephone switchboard and fixed extension lines in all the hospital’s departments to improve communication within the hospital as well as with communities that require its services.

“At first we had one telephone line and people had to walk from their offices to the phone room to take their calls. People had problems to reach us because most of the time our phone was engaged,“ Moda said.

“This is no longer the case because EAM provided us with modern equipment,” he added.

All the HBC groups call the Coordinator directly whenever they require an ambulance or any medical information. When the case is not serious, the Coordinator advises the volunteers what locally available resources to use to help their clients.

“If they can not handle the case, we send an ambulance to collect the patient,” Moda explained.

Mkope Health Centre also received a new set of communication equipment, said Senior Medical Assistant Petre Mulauzi.

Davis Mchengani, Chairperson of Chiwalo Home Based Care Group at Mkope expressed gratitude to EAM for supporting HBC groups in Mangochi. He said that many patients are being saved from death because the groups are now able to communicate with the health facilities fast whenever there is an emergency.

“Our relationship with health workers has also been strengthened so that whenever we take our clients to the health facility they are attended to immediately,” Mchengani said.

By bridging the gap between the communities and the health workers through the mobile technology, EAM has also managed to increase the number of people going for voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) in the project areas.

“We advise our clients to go for voluntary HIV testing so that if they are infected with the virus, they can be registered for anti-retroviral therapy (ART),” said the Chairperson of Iliyoni community based organization (CBO) Jafali Mtakataka.

“Most of our clients who were critically ill because of HIV related illness are now healthier because of ARVs and this encourages many others to go for VCT even before they fall ill,” he said.

As the number of HIV infected people that require special attention continues to grow, home based care becomes the only feasible option for the majority of patients. It is a holistic concept that incorporates the full needs of the sick and address the worries of family members. Home based care has also helped people to become more open about HIV and AIDS, thereby addressing the problem of stigma and discrimination.

Results of the monitoring and evaluation study on the project have shown that since the inception of the project have shown that since the number of the chronically ill that have registered with the HBC groups has increased because of the benefits the patients get from services offered by the HBC groups.

There has also been an increase in VCT activities and ARV utilization.

However, the mobile technology has also faced some challenges. “At first we were able to generate reasonable income from the mobile phones to support our activities. But the introduction of cheap cell phones had impacted negatively on the income generating component of the project,” said Nellie Mpanjira, Treasurer of Chikomwe CBO.

“Now many people have their own cell phones and no longer come to our bureau to make a call,” she said.

According to Mary Mlembe, Secretary of Mkuli CBO, the demand for support from community members has increased tremendously since EAM introduced the project such that the volunteers sometimes spend more time caring for the sick than engaging in economic activities for the benefit of their families.

“We have also sometimes had difficulties to communicate with the health facility because of network problems,” she added.

Country Representative of Tearfund-UK, Vincent Moyo said that they would like to provide more financial support to EAM to scale up the project by introducing SMS and Internet services, among others.

“We will try to all we can to help communities improve the quality of life they lead through the use of modern technologies,” he said adding that they would use lessons learnt during the pilot phase to improve the project.

* Published in The Sunday Times, January 18, 2009, page 11

Mangochi in Pictures

2008-11-18T00:59:00.000-08:00

We are currently finalising a video documentary from our humble work in Mangochi and have posted some pictures I took during the trip for your review and downloading.

Check them out at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kuntiya

Thank you for the Payphones

2008-10-30T23:43:00.000-07:00

By Martha Fatsani Sande

In an effort to help chronically ill people in his village, Harrison Ndelemani volunteered to give the sick financial and medical support. With support from other well wishing villagers Ndelemani formed Chikomwe Home Based Care (HBC) group. Apart from helping the patients with necessities like food, soap and medicine, the group also provides transport for patients to go to hospital. However, with lack of training in HBC coupled with inadequate resources, life was a nightmare for the group as they could not help many patients.

“Our main challenge was lack of training; we could not care for the patients effectively. We also found it hard to communicate with the nearest hospitals to call for an ambulance when faced with serious cases which needed immediate physician attention,” Ndelemani said.

It is against this background that The Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) introduced an Information Communication (ICT) programme to train volunteers in HBC and link them with hospital officials.

According to the organization’s ICT Manager Kumbukani Kuntiya, the project which is in its pilot phase, explores the use of ICT in contributing to the quality service that health care workers and volunteers provide for people living with HIV infection and AIDS in Malawi.

“We believe that better equipping the community volunteers with mobile communication enables them for greater access to support and greater capacity to improve and increase their role in the provision of community care and support for HIV positive people and those with chronic illnesses being nursed in the community,” said Kuntiya.

He also said increased communication between volunteers, health care units and hospitals may ease patient access to appropriate levels of care with reduced time, costs and travel.

With funding from Tearfund, EAM purchased payphones from Zain Malawi Limited formerly known as Celtel and distributed to eight HBC groups around Nkope Health Centre and St. Martin’s Hospital in Mangochi district. The groups use the payphones for income generating activities to support the patients and also to communicate with the two health facilities for medical support as well as calling for an ambulance when they face emergencies.

“In the past it was hard to raise money to assist the patients with some painkillers and other basics like food and soap. However with this project, we are able to support them with the money generated from the payphone business. We are also able to call for an ambulance from the hospital when need be and care for them appropriately. We thank EAM for the support,”

said Ndelemani with a smile on his face.

The project is being implemented with funding from Tear fund UK and will run for 10 months until October 2008.

Mobileactive08 Summit

2008-10-14T00:16:00.000-07:00

Mobileactive08 started on Monday, 13 October 2008 in South Africa bringing together over 350 delegates from all over the world - quite rich discussions are expectd during the 3 day event.

Part of the Malawi delegates at the summit.

Mobileactive08

2008-10-11T02:51:00.000-07:00

Will be away attending a Mobileactive08 conference - Unlocking the Potential of Mobile Technology for Social Impact from 13-15 October 2008 in Johannesburg, South Africa.

More details about the conference, check - http://mobileactive08.confabb.com/conferences/MobileActive08

kuntiya, k.

Mid Term Review out

2008-10-10T00:00:00.000-07:00

Following an evaluation (mideterm) that was conducted on the Mobile Project in August, the final report is now out. Summary results will be posted here shortly.

Away to Mangochi

2008-10-09T04:17:00.000-07:00

Will be away to Mangochi visiting the participating CBOs and collect phone usage data as well as patient data from 13 to 16 October, 2008. Hope to share with you anything worthwhile by Friday or right there once I get internet access.

Mobile Phones to Improve Health

2008-10-09T04:05:00.000-07:00

by Mike Langa Lulanga - The Guardian Newspaper, 24^th April, 2008

Evangelical Association of Malawi (EAM) has partnered with Celtel Malawi on an Information and Communication Technology (ICT) project that will provide mobile phones to Home Based Care groups to improve health delivery services in the rural of Mangochi through the use of mobile phones.

The project is funded by Tearfund and aims at improving the quality of health care provided by the Home Based Care Volunteers in the villages and sustaining the community phone programme and offer a technology solution related to health services delivery.

Kumbukani Kuntiya ICT project Manager for EAM said the project will train about 100 HBC volunteers on how to use the mobile phones which the project will provide to them to help them communicate with their nearest health centers in their duty of caring for the sick in the villages.

Kuntiya said they noted that the home based Care Volunteers were spending a lot of time on the road going to the hospital to report on the conditions of their patients a thing which he said was time consuming.

The project which is being piloted in Mangochi and Lilongwe districts through the use of mobile technology is one way of contributing to the quality of services that health care workers and home based care volunteers provide for people living with HIV and AIDS in Malawi.

“We want HBC volunteers to spend much of their time in the villages caring for the sick and if there is anything they want from the hospitals they can just make a phone call and speak to their medics,” said Kuntiya.

He said equipping the HBC volunteers of Malindi and Nkope with mobile communication will enable them have greater access to support and capacity to improve and increase their role in the provision of community care and support for people living with chronic illnesses being nursed in the communities.

Kuntiya said increasing communication between these volunteers and health care units and hospitals may ease patient’s access to appropriate levels of care with reduced time and travel costs. He said this is a significant project for rural Malawi where human resource shortages already caused by the AIDS epidemic greatly impact subsistence farming and related economies which has made people to be unable to spend time working in their fields if they are sick or caring for the sick family members.

Currently EAM with the help of Tearfund has trained 30 HBC volunteers from Mangochi district, one its implementing partners. The participants were trained on the usage of mobile technology that will be utilized in the project as well as business skills.

Volunteers for the training were drawn from areas surrounding areas in Malindi and Nkope health facilities and were trained in basic HBC care services as well as use of the phones for generating income at community level for HBC services as well as sustaining the project.

Kuntiya said Celtel is proving free training and will assist in monitoring the phones and has pledged to donate additional mobile handsets. He said Celtel is more than a commercial partner in the project as they are not looking at making profits out of the project but as a social responsibility to see what they can do in fighting HIV and AIDS.