12 Days of Christmas 2024 Update
1.
On the first day of Christmas…
A very warm Merry Christmas from the Project Kuyenda team in Mzuzu, Malawi. They will perform multiple complex trauma operations today but still have 65 inpatients all waiting for surgery.
The team is lead by Bitiel Banda, the only orthopaedic consultant for the entire population of Northern Malawi - around 3-4 million people. He relies on the can-do attitude of his fabulous team in order to wade through the never ending trauma cases.
With your support this year this amazing team has been able to undertake weekend operating lists, gain new uniform and equipment, benefit from their first Northern Malawi orthopaedic conference and are now trained in regional anaesthesia. We’re so excited to see what 2025 holds.
Interested in supporting our work?
Visit our website to donate or purchase tickets to our fundraiser in March 2025!
2.
On the second day of Christmas…
A picture speaks a thousand words! This time of year focuses a lot on family. We were lucky enough to have the Project Kuyenda team joined by father-daughter duo Tim and Katie White. Tim White is a senior trauma consultant in Edinburgh and his daughter, a budding orthopaedic surgeon. It was an incredible privilege working with them both.
Today, we think about the team in Mzuzu working tirelessly over Christmas, supporting patients in hospital, away from their families and friends.
3.
On the third day of Christmas…
Project Kuyenda strives to improve orthopaedic services in Northern Malawi in a sustainable way. Our focus is on education, training, quality improvement and frugal innovation. In June we hosted the first Northern Malawi orthopaedic conference. Through didactic lectures and interactive practical sessions we covered a wide range of orthopaedic topics chosen by the delegates.
Northern Malawi is vast, meaning many of the orthopaedic clinical officers attending made a long, bumpy, 10 hour journey to Mzuzu. This is the same journey patients will travel, with broken limbs, in order to see the only orthopaedic surgeon in the north.
We hosted a post course meal and funded return travel and necessary overnight stays for delegates. It was an incredibly rewarding day with a well earned Kuche Kuche beer at the end of it!
None of these interventions would be possible without your generous support. Whether it be prize donations to our gala raffle, bringing together friends and family to attend or donating through our website, your money goes a very long way.
4.
On the fourth day of Christmas…
Thanks to the incredible training courtesy of Dr Adam Paul, and the Project Kuyenda funded ultrasound machine, the anaesthetic clinical officer, Mike, delivered a successful regional block today. This enabled Bitiel to fix a nasty forearm fracture which would not have been possible due to a shortage of general anaesthetic drugs.
Important, meaningful interventions like these are what you are supporting when you donate or attend our galas! Life changing!
5.
On the fifth day of Christmas…
“Am Hilda Phiri, Married and I have 2 children, Annie and Brian. I also adopted my late brothers son Felix.
Am married to Hunnis Phiri who is an anaesthetist.
I joined orthopaedic school in 1998. When asked by the interviewer, I said I wanted to be the first female orthopaedic clinical officer. After 2 weeks, I received a phone call telling me that I was successful.
In short, I am the first female orthopaedic clinical officer in Malawi.
After I finished the training I went back to the district hospital where I was before thus Nkhatabay District Hospital.
Then my husband also left for school. When he came back he was transferred to Mzuzu Central Hospital so I followed him. We started working at MZUZU central in August 2001. The hospital was opened in Nov 2000 and I attended the opening ceremony. I have worked there ever since. I know most of the things that has been happening at hospital and people come to me for advice.
When I joined, the Orthopedic department did not have a surgeon. By then we were 4 orthopaedic clinical officers and I was the only lady, and the youngest. Operations were being done by me and my fellow OCOs since we didn’t have the surgeon. At times we were receiving visiting surgeons from Beit Cure and outside the country.
When 2 of them left I was heading the department. I was also heading the following departments: physiotherapy, rural outreach care and Gender based violence department.
At one time when management team was away they gave me the responsibility of taking care of the hospital. So I could sign some documents on their behalf and run things when they were away.
I work hard, I often sacrifice my days of leave in order to help the department and the patients. I can comfortably perform skin grafts, simple fracture fixation, amputations and I run the club foot clinic for all the babies.
Orthopedics in the northern region can be improved if the international support can be continued with motivation, funding, training and recruitment.”
6.
On the sixth day of Christmas…
Technology!!
We introduced a new electronic patient record system in 2024 with an aim of helping the Mzuzu orthopaedic team better organise their inpatients. With 60-70 patients waiting for surgery at any given time, it’s often a challenge to prioritise patients. In the UK we use electronic systems to help plan our care, and most hospitals will have their very own dedicated trauma coordinator!
The Project Kuyenda team have developed the application and are funding internet access to allow ease of use.
Interventions like these would not be possible without donations and support. In March we’ll be hosting another charity gala at Prestonfield House. We raised nearly £30,000 at our last event and are hoping to surpass that in 2025! Tickets are available through our website!
7.
On the seventh day of Christmas…
We’ve supported Dr Bitiel Banda in attending a number of courses this year to further his professional development, enable networking and to show our appreciation for his amazing leadership and hard work. Bitiel is a COSECSA graduate who was born and raised in Malawi. He started working in Mzuzu in 2023. Outside of his work he’s a keen footballer!
We wish all our followers and supporters a very Happy New Year!! We’re looking forward to 2025, our gala in March and further Project Kuyenda developments!!
8.
On the eighth day of Christmas…
Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2025!
The Project Kuyenda team have a lot to look forward to in 2025:
Our 2nd Project Kuyenda Charity Gala hosted at the gorgeous Prestonfield House Hotel on the 29th March!
Future visits to Malawi to assess progress with the electronic patient record system and provide further training in wound management, peri operative care, external fixator application and patient triage. We hope to travel with a larger multi disciplinary team in November to broaden training.
Launching our online teaching platform available for low and middle income countries worldwide.
None of this could be possible without funding. We raised £27,500 at last year’s gala and are looking for sponsors and donations towards this year’s gala. Know a business that might be interested in sponsoring our fizz reception, Photo Booth and more? GET IN TOUCH! Ask around friends and family for raffle donations and, to avoid disappointment get your table booked!!
9.
On the ninth day of Christmas…
End of season work party!!
As a huge thank you to the hard working members of the Mzuzu Central Hospital orthopaedic department we supported their end of season work party. Bitiel organised awards to support and motivate members of the team.
Looks like a very successful evening!
10.
On the tenth day of Christmas…
The Project Kuyenda Charity Gala!!
29th March 2025
Prestonfield House Hotel, Edinburgh
Our 2024 gala was a huge success, we hosted nearly 300 guests at the stunning Prestonfield House Hotel. Guests enjoyed a delicious three course meal, a silent auction, raffle, games, prizes and a live auction followed by an incredible performance by a live 9 piece band. We raised nearly £30,000 thanks to generous donations as prizes and to our wonderful guests!!
Tickets are selling fast for our gala in just THREE MONTHS! We’re still looking for donations towards our prizes and for event sponsors; get in touch: projectkuyenda@gmail.com
11.
On the eleventh day of Christmas…
The team are hard at work on the Malawian public holiday, clearing the store rooms, sorting stock and operating. Dr Banda completed another fracture fixation of a forearm under regional anaesthesia as there was no oxygen for general anaesthetics to be performed.
One of the interventions we hope to introduce during our big MDT visit in November is to help with stock organisation and ascertain how your funding is best spent on new equipment for the team.
12.
On the twelth day of Christmas…
A HUGE thank you for all of your support in 2024 and ongoing support in 2025!
Keep in touch, follow us on social media and drop us an email to let us know your thoughts and if you can help!