Alleluya Band Tour to Comfort the Children

Queueing for treatment at CCH

Queueing for treatment at CCH

Alleluya band’s annual tour to Italy this year aims at supporting Comfort Community Hospital which treats Under 15 children for free this is disclosed in Fr. Mario Pacifici’s Pentecost message. The hospital also gives food to the admitted children for free.

In the message Fr. Mario who is the founding trustee of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust urges us to leave traces of goodness and love in solidarity for all because those in need are our brothers and sisters.

In the message he gives disturbing statistics like “Five billion people have no access to decent surgical facilities and unable to be operated; in sub-Saharan Africa 93% of the population cannot access even to basic surgical care” (Lancet Magazine).” Sadly, part of the problem is caused by the shortage of doctors, adequate hospital facilities and more importantly, the inability of people to pay for treatment.

If we help those in need, he says, “God can smile and rejoice in the sons and daughters” that are carried away by the passion for our humanity.

It is sad, the message continues, that many people are not committed to those who suffer, because they are too blinded by their own tears.

“They do not hear the cry of the poor, because they have become deaf with the noise of their own desires and their projects.”

Quoting Jean Vanier, Fr. Mario says we must enter in alliance with the poor, make the effort to listen more and grieve not only for our own small sufferings and concerns.

Last year alone, Comfort Community Hospital (CCH) treated over 60 thousand patients and this year we anticipate over 100 thousand will be treated at this facility.

The Alleluya band members leave on 9 June and are expected back late August.

By P.K.B

Share to Facebook
Posted in Culture and Sport, Health Care, News from Malawi | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Time to Dream with Us

Last year, Comfort Community Hospital (CCH) treated over 60 thousand patients and this year we anticipate over 100 thousand will be treated at this facility. The job is just too enormous but we believe that if we all join our hands, we win this battle of saving lives of the little children.

Please, dream with us…

Queueing for treatment at CCH

Queueing for treatment at CCH

 

Share to Facebook
Posted in Education, News from Malawi | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Work on the CCH Theatre in Progress

On Wednesday, 8 April 2015 Dr. Annibale and company started fixing the equipment in the Theatre of Comfort Community Hospital. Below are the pictures of the work they are doing. (Pictures by Matache)

cchIMG_0074cchIMG_0075cchIMG_0064cchIMG_0059cchIMG_0078cchIMG_0039 cchIMG_0034

Share to Facebook
Posted in Health Care, News from Malawi | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Fr. Mario hails Orizzonte Malawi Onlus

Washing of the feet on Holy Thursday

Washing of the feet on Holy Thursday

Fr. Mario Pacifici, the founding trustee of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust (AYCT) has hailed Orizzonte Malawi Onlus for coordinating the entire network of solidarity, “to ensure a fruitful future” for Andiamo Trust in “its effort to give a valuable service to the community to all Malawi, engaging in its four areas of intervention: Education; Healthcare; Social Development; and Culture and Sport, with the spirit of genuine charity,” he says this in his Easter message.

He also discloses that the Alleluya Band’s 2015 Italy Tour will also be in memory of his brother Andrea, Bishops Alessandro Assolari and Luciano Nervi who died ten years ago “after a life given and spent for the mission.

Read the whole message here

Share to Facebook
Posted in News from Malawi | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

A New Ultrasound Scanner!

From Left to Right:  Nurse M. Kholiyo, Dr. Gloria Esegpona, Nurse C. Nkando, Dr. Elena Geco (performing the ultrasound)

From Left to Right: Nurse M. Kholiyo, Dr. Gloria Esegpona, Nurse C. Nkando, Dr. Elena Geco (performing the ultrasound)

Dr. Gloria Esegpona and Dr. Elena Greco, both from England, visited CCH to explore the possibility of establishing a Maternal Health Care Training Program at our facility. During their visit, Dr. Greco demonstrated our new Ultra Sound Machine to our key medical staff.

The new scanner was donated by Mariella an Mino Cantamessa in loving memory of their daughter – Dr. Eleonora Cantamessa – who was tragically murdered last year while providing medical care to an injured person on the road.   May God bless Dr. Cantamessa for her dedication and sacrifice to help others in need. May her soul rest in Eternal Peace!

Late Dr. Eleonor Cantamessa

Late Dr. Eleonor Cantamessa

By Jill Claus

Share to Facebook
Posted in Health Care, News from Malawi | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Drug shortage hits Balaka District Hospital

CCH must brave for tough times ahead

CCH must brave for tough times ahead

Balaka District Hospital has been hit by drug shortage. Balaka District Health Officer (DHO) Bertha Maseko has told The Daily Times of Tuesday, March 24, 2015 that the drug shortage has been there over the past two months.

“We are running out of stock of many types of drugs, including pain killers, contraceptives and antibiotics like benzylpenicillin as well as drugs for mentally disturbed patients,” the paper quotes Maseko.

The drug shortage at Balaka District Hospital will put pressure on Comfort Community Hospital (CCH), which treated over 60,000 patients last year alone.

By P.K.B

Share to Facebook
Posted in Health Care, News from Malawi | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Happy Father’s Day!

ayctIMG_0020

It’s 19 March! The day we call Father’s Day. The day we celebrate in honour of fathers and celebrating fatherhood, paternal bonds, and the influence of fathers in our society. They say Father’s Day was created to complement Mother’s Day, a celebration that honours mothers and motherhood.

Here are Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust, we consider ourselves both a mother and father mainly looking at the fruits we (men and women) have produced together over the past thirty-one plus years. We have grown from a band of young people to an organisation that is operating and contributing positively in four areas namely: Education; Health Care; Social Development; and Culture & Sports.

We don’t hesitate then to wish our men in Andiamo, a happy and responsible Fathers’ Day. Let us work together in order for us to produce more fruits for the benefit of our community…

Communications Office

Share to Facebook
Posted in News from Malawi | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Fr. Mario Calls for More Time for Life

Fr. Mario Pacifici

Fr. Mario Pacifici

Fr. Mario Pacifici, the founding trustee of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust has called for people to spend more on sanctifying life more than anything else.

In his Lenten Message, he calls Lent as the “time of the spirit, time of pruning, and it is time of new life”.

“We are all on a journey, sharing the joys and the great suffering of the whole world that aspires to get out from the chains of ignorance, misery and slavery of all kinds. At the end of our Lenten journey, which Pope Francis wishes us to be confident and joyful, awaits the Resurrection, as the great gift of the Risen One who also won the slavery of death,” writes Fr. Mario.

On the floods in Malawi, he calls people to continue the commitment to a fraternal solidarity, offering signs of renewal from the heart of each one, starting from our families, associations and community to reach the whole human family.

He bemoans the fact that, the world spends $59 billion for the ice cream, but it spends $22 billion on humanitarian aid, to save lives in disaster situations. On ice cream we spend three times as much of what is spent for life!

Quoting Nelson Mandela Fr. Mario says overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity but an act of justice. “You protect a fundamental right: the right to dignity and to a decent life!”

In the message he also discusses the Alleluya Band’s 2015 Tour and the commendable service that Comfort Community Hospital is doing reaching up to 10,691 patients just from January to date. He thanks all and asks them to be strong they continue to support the CCH, “small oasis of recovery for the sick, young and old”.

By P.K.B

Share to Facebook
Posted in News from Malawi, Social Development | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Kefasi wins gold for Malawi

Kefasi Kasiteni: The gold medalist

Kefasi Kasiteni: The gold medalist

Kefasi Kasiteni of Andiamo Secondary School won the senior men 12 kilometres clocking 36:59:20 at this year’s Confederation of African Athletics Southern Region (CAASR) Cross Country Championship at Njamba Freedom Park on Saturday.

Malawians dominated the cross-country that also pooled athletes from South Africa, Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Speaking to the media, Kefasi asked for more international competitions.

“Our preparations were chaotic but we managed to dominate the event. It shows with good preparations we can win more medals. It is our hope that our association will convince the government to send us for more international competitions where we can win medals,” Kefasi is quoted.

This is not the first time that Kasiteni is representing Malawi. Last year, he was among the Malawian athletes in Scotland Commonwealth Games.

These results do not surprise to Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust (AYCT) because Andiamo Education Institutions (AEI) have deliberately invested in athletics through Inter Schools Hope Trophy to make sure that the game of athletics is promoted in schools. Kasiteni was identified through these competitions was offered sponsorship to study at Andiamo Secondary School to make sure that he [athletes] also works hard in school. He will be writing his Malawi Schools Certificate of Education (MSCE) examinations this year.

Team Malawi

Team Malawi

article 2 1

The man in the news (The Daily Times - Monday, February 23, 2015)

The man in the news (The Daily Times – Monday, February 23, 2015)

By P.K.B

Share to Facebook
Posted in Culture and Sport, Education, News from Malawi | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

AEI sends back Kasimu to School

Touched by the story of Kasimu Kapatile Wasi who is unable to attend classes at St Charles Lwangwa Secondary School for lack of school fees, Andiamo Education Institutions (AEI) office has paid the school fees so that Kasimu goes back to school.

The AEI office has used part of the money that was set aside by Fr. Mario Pacifici, the founding trustee of Andiamo Youth Cooperative Trust (AYCT), to help the floods victims. Kasimu has also received exercise books.

Meanwhile, AYCT has also given him a plastic paper that he can use to roof his hut. Kasimu is an orphan (he lost both his parents) and has two brothers whom he as sent to distant “poor” relations to take care of them. Half of his hut fell down due to heavy rains and all his belongings are exposed and therefore not safe. Kasimu hails from Lupanga Village, a village that is making boundary with Andiamo to the South.

AEI Bursar, Fanny Bentala giving exercise books to Kisimu

AEI Bursar, Fanny Bentala giving exercise books to Kasimu

 

Kasimu receives the plastic paper from Goster at AYCT

Kasimu receives the plastic paper from Goster at AYCTPhotos by George Matache 

Share to Facebook
Posted in Education, News from Malawi | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment