Malawi/Overbrook Pediatrician Partnership Fund
  • In Columbus, when a child reaches the age of five, a party with balloons and cake is usually held, and the family rejoices and that is wonderful. In Malawi, where one in every five children die before they reach the age of five, on a fifth birthday, there is also rejoicing by the family, but because the child has reached that age.
  • In Columbus, when we hear of M&Ms, we think of a candy that melts in your mouth, not in your hand. In Malawi, M&M means malaria and meningitis, two diseases that cause too many unnecessary deaths among children.
  • Searching "Columbus" and "pediatrician" on Google results in 370 entries of providers within a 30-mile range, and that, too, is wonderful, and something we should be very grateful for. In Malawi, with a population of over 12,000,000, there are only six pediatricians in the entire country. In the Northern Region where 50% of the 1.4 million population is under the age of 15, there are no pediatricians.

Overbrook is helping to provide hope to the children of Malawi by funding the study costs of Dr. Dumisani Kamwana for his pediatric residency at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. Dr. Kamwana is a Malawian, who, before leaving for South Africa held a heavy responsibility as the Medical Officer in Charge at Embangweni Hospital, and at times was the only doctor at the hospital – a huge load for someone, who at the time, was not yet 30 years old! When Dr. Kamwana finished his three-year residency, he will return to Malawi and to Embangweni Hospital and the Northern Region will have at least ONE pediatrician, and there will be great rejoicing!

In the meantime we can all share in Dr. Kamwana experience, by reading his updates about his time and training in South Africa.
December 30, 2005 Friends and family, As they say in South Africa....."Compliments...
November 13, 2005 Friends and family old and new, Greetings to you all. We start this...
October 1, 2005 Family and friends, A big thank you for your prayers and responses...
August 28, 2005 Family and friends, We hope this finds you all well. Mary and I came...
July 30, 2005 Hello friends and family! It has been a while, but also worth alot of news!...
July 10, 2005 Dear friends and family, I hope that you all have been well...
June 11, 2005 Friends, family, all! It is Saturday night, just before nine...
May 8, 2005 Friends and family, It has been a while since I heard from most of you...
April 9, 2005 Dear all, friends and family! The church meetings based on the movie...
March 27, 2005 Dear all, It has been two weeks and so much has happened in this period...
March 12, 2005 Friends and family, I hope this finds you all well. Last week I took ...
February 27, 2005 Dear friends, Time for a second up-date. Third and first for a few of you...

For more information at this important mission, please contact Donna Chirwa. To contribute to the Malawi/Overbrook Pediatrician Partnership Fund please contact Victor Buadu or Donna Chirwa.