St John Association of Malawi
Who we are
St John Malawi was originally established in 1957 in Nyasaland (now Malawi) supported by major commercial companies who were conscious of the urgent need to prevent accidents in the work place. These organisations gave St John material and financial support.
St John Malawi is a non-profit trust registered under the Trustees Incorporation Act 1962 of the Laws of Malawi. Also it is a member of the Non-Governmental organisations in Malawi.
The affairs of St John are managed by a Council comprising professional people with skills relevant to the mission and vision of the Association. In addition, the Council has powers to co-opt individuals onto its committees who can enrich and enhance its activities and programmes.
The headquarters of St John Malawi is in Limbe, on the outskirts of Blantyre and comprises office space with a large meeting/training room. Opportunities are currently being sought to expand the existing building which was constructed in the early 1980’s through a grant from the Beit Trust. The expanded activities of St John Malawi now mean that the original premises are too small.
Malawi at a Glance
The Republic of Malawi (formerly Nyasaland) lies in south-eastern Africa. It borders Zambia to the north-west, Tanzania to the north, and Mozambique surrounds it on the east, south, and west.
The Great Rift Valley runs through the country from north to south. Lake Malawi fills this deep trough covering approximately 20% of Malawi’s total land area.
Malawi is one of sub-Saharan Africa's most densely populated countries. Its capital is Lilongwe where all government ministries and the Parliament are located. Blantyre is Malawi's major commercial centre.
What we do
Whilst the origins of St John Malawi are linked to the provision of first aid especially in the work place and at public functions including football matches, the Association established a community health care programme in 1988 based in Ndirande, one of the high density townships in the city of Blantyre, the commercial capital of Malawi. This programme of work continues today and through funding from the St John Priory of Scotland has expanded to cover the adjacent township of Mbayani. Around 60 trained volunteer community health workers (all women) regularly visit the homes of women and families providing health education together with advice and encouragement to attend health facilities where necessary.
In late 2005, St John Malawi accepted an offer from the St John Priory for South Africa to train 15 Malawians as trainers in home based care. This work was funded following a successful appeal to all parts of the Order launched with the blessing of the Grand Prior (The Duke of Gloucester). While the training programme is designed to equip carers in general, home based care has become essential at community level because of the large numbers of people requiring care at home due to devastating effects of HIV and AIDS. At present an estimated 14.2% of the adult population of Malawi (aged 14 - 49) are infected or affected by HIV and AIDS amounting to approximately 810,000 individuals.
Future Plans
Whilst continuing with the existing programme of public first aid and community care, we currently plan to increase our emphasis on the nutritional needs of under-5 children and their mothers through our community health work. Collaboration with the Blantyre City Assembly and the Malawi Ministry of Health will be strengthened in support of this nutrition programme.
In order for St John Malawi to cope adequately with its expanded activities, the central administration has been strengthened by the employment of a full time Co-ordinator. The initial funding for this appointment has been provided through the Order Secretariat’s Capacity Building Programme and the post was filled from mid 2007.
Links
Historical links between Malawi and Scotland have been echoed within the St John context with St John Malawi and the Priory of Scotland having a strong and productive partnership over a number of years.
St John Malawi has also established links with the Priory for South Africa in particular for support to Malawian trainers.