As I arrived for my second visit to Open Arms, I was excited at the prospect of the Christmas preparations that lay ahead.  The next few days were spent with daily trips to the local stores to let the children choose their Christmas gifts.  Their excitement lit up the air as the children browsed the aisles, searching for the perfect toy.  Isaac, from Harrogate House, bounced with joy as he spotted a “policey manny” on a motorbike. Then all that was left was to wrap the presents ready for the arrival of Father Christmas!

On Christmas Day in full attire, shouts of “FATHER CHRISTMASY!” followed my path as children came up to greet me.  We started in Harrogate House, giving them the bike they had chosen.  The children took it in turns to make one lap around the room with Yusufu delicately helping the younger children with their coordination skills. What continues to strike me about Harrogate House is the camaraderie between the children.  The Mothers there have done a truly wonderful job in making the house a home. From Harrogate, we moved up to the small children. The mothers eagerly helped their children to unwrap their presents, encouraging them to play with them.

Soon, it was time to head to Rosemarie’s House for the main event of the day – a party with all of the foster houses!  As we arrived, first things first, it was time to dance and the party was well on its way! Many of the older children took the younger ones by the hand to make sure they were involved in the festivities.  We then sat down to eat together, as the Mothers had been busy preparing a feast of chicken and rice. There were cries of “mmm ku koma!” (mmm… delicious!)

After lunch, it was time for a special visitor to arrive! As Father Christmas entered the room, a sea of hands emerged, welcoming Father Christmas to the party.  After checking with the children that they had been good, Father Christmas began calling the names out for children to come and collect their presents.  The children hurriedly ran back to their places to open their presents, smiling from ear to ear as they proudly showed their presents to the other children.

After the excitement of presents, it was time for ice cream and sweeties!  Then the dancing continued long into the afternoon as the children enjoyed being together for Christmas.  Spending Christmas with the children really cemented for me how much of a family Open Arms is.  The children laughed and played together, and the Mothers proudly looked on as their children took part in the festivities.  It really is just like one big family and the care and love that everybody has for one another is clearly evident.  For me, it was definitely a different Christmas but I am so glad that I had the opportunity to be part of such a special day for all involved.

It has been lovely also to spend time with the children and although I miss those who have gone back to their villages, it is amazing to see the small and delicate babies who have grown into thriving young children in their own right.  It lights up my heart every time I see Devine smile with his now chubby cheeks, or Atupele. They were very sick on my previous visit, but now she sits up and gazes at the world around her.

I look forward to many visits to Open Arms in the future, to continue to witness the amazing work that goes on here and to continue to visit the amazing people who make it happen.

By volunteer Katie Gourlay

Last week Open Arms welcomed six new babies – in six days.  Ranging in age from about one and a half to a few months old, we thought we would take a minute to introduce them to you.

Gladson is the oldest.  He has big brown eyes, long lashes and confidently toddles around.  He is social and interacts with the other children but I have yet to see him smile.  He comes from Balaka, 100 km away, where he was being raised by his 9 year old sister, Memory.  His parents had passed away and Memory was the only one willing to care for him.  When you ask him where Memory is, he looks around, pointing in a general direction, knowing that even though he is at Open Arms, Memory can’t be too far away.

Muliena is an orphan from a family of four children along the Mozambique border in Chikwawa. After they lost their mother to Tuberculosis their grandmother was struggling to care for the children. A Child Protection Officer felt it was best for Muliena to be moved to Open Arms.  At four months old, she is slightly malnourished.  The Matrons are optimistic that she will settle in well and quickly put on weight.

Madalitso, meaning ‘blessings from God’, was abandoned by his mother in Thyolo.  He was found naked near the market and taken to the Social Welfare Department.  The community hinted that the mother might be suffering from mental instability. At about five months old, he seems to be doing well but the Matrons are eager for him to put on some weight and start smiling.

Boyce is two months old.  His mother died and like so many orphans in Malawi he was being cared for by his grandmother.  He was only 3.2 kgs when he arrived and had suffered from chicken pox.  He is already gaining weight and seems to be settling in well.

Calista is currently at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital where they are running tests to make sure she is in good health.  Her mother, who we think also suffers from mental instability, left the baby girl with the grandmother who has been struggling to care for her.  Calista is from the crowded nearby township of Soche, and at three months, seems healthy and happy.

And finally there is Emmanuel.  Emmanuel lies quietly on the floor, not crying or making any noise.  When I reach down to pick him up, I am astounded at how little he is.  At over a year old, he is the size of a malnourished 5 month old.  His upper arms are the size of my index finger and his skin is loose and wrinkled.  His legs are also tiny and he is so light he feels hollow.  What is most haunting is that he looks at you with the eyes of a much older child.  He looks at you as if he knows he is in poor shape and there is nothing he can do about it.  His breathing is deep and laboured, but more than anything, he seems tired.

He was abandoned in the neighbouring town of Limbe along the river and weighed only 4.6 kg.  In the four days he has been at Open Arms, he has been given supplementary meals and is already 4.8 kg.  Open Arms has seen babies like Emmanuel too many times before, babies who have the same sunken hollow eyes, and seen them thrive after a few weeks at Open Arms.  I remember Wyson, most recently, who was so malnourished that he screamed every time he was fed; now he is such a fat and happy baby.  The dedicated, loving mothers and professional Matrons will continue to care for Emmanuel and his friends and monitor their progress.  If anyone can bring him up to a healthy weight and find the smiling carefree child inside, it’s the amazing staff of Open Arms.

By Kate Evans

It has been so hot here recently  that when you go to buy a chocolate bar in the store, it’s liquid in the package.  Everything is hot, which means we’re all moving a bit more slowly and without much energy.  The only real solution for times like these is to splash around in a paddling pool.  Friday, Neville and Jasmine set up the new paddling pool in the backyard, which provided endless entertainment, both for the babies and for us.  The older children played games or catch, while some of the younger ones (like Wyson) were content to just sit in the cool water and splash their hands around.

Meanwhile, the mothers have been busy caring for three brand new babies.  One, brought here after her mother died, has the very distinguished sounding name, Sharron Collins.  All three seem happy and have quickly adjusted to being part of the Open Arms family.

Charlie, who still reigns as one of the cutest toddlers to ever stay at Open Arms, is doing well in his home village with his grandmother.  The exciting news is that his older siblings have joined him there.  Open Arms has located a sponsor for the family and they are getting much needed extra support on a regular basis.  While it’s hard not to see Charlie’s dimpled grin or hear him call me “iwe”, his transition to his home village is what Open Arms is ultimately all about.

Esther, who has faced many physical challenges since her birth, is doing amazingly well.  After months of physical therapy, she has transformed.  While she used to sit alone, rocking back and forth, she now has much greater range of motion and has more control over her movements.  More than this, though, she has really come out of her shell.  She is extroverted, chatty, and loves to sit on your lap.  It’s amazing the advances she’s made in just a few months.

Otherwise, everything is going well – the older children at Harrogate House are attending school and look so polished in their school uniforms.  Chisomo and Crispin seem to be settling in after their transition from the infant home to Harrogate.  We’re all just eagerly awaiting the rains and cooler weather!

By Kate Evans

It’s always hard to say goodbye to the little ones who are returning to their families.  It’s selfish, I know, because they are so often going off to a loving home where they are surrounded by family and community.  Still, after spending so much time with the children and seeing them grow from little helpless infants to proud toddlers full of personality, you feel the loss.

This is especially true of Eklesia.  We call her the princess.  A beautiful little girl, her eyes are always full of mischief.  She usually gets away with being up to no good by shining her huge smile.

A few weeks ago, Eklesia’s grandmother came to Open Arms for a visit and told the staff that she is ready to take her home.  She later came and stayed in the traditional hut that helps children adjust from life in Harrogate House to rural life.

When I arrived last Thursday, Eklesia was nestled against her grandmother in the hut, looking right at home.  Her grandmother put a protective arm around her and looked out at us as if to say that Eklesia was in good hands.

The Open Arms staff brought together all of the necessities for Eklesia’s new life: a mosquito net, maize, a blanket, clothes.  The Harrogate House children gathered around her in a semi-circle to sing the goodbye song:

“We say goodbye, but not forever.

We know that one day we shall meet again.”

Eklesia, usually so comfortable as the center of attention, looked slightly confused.  She clung to her grandmother’s hand but didn’t cry.  The children and mothers took turns giving her big hugs but we were all less successful at not crying.  I felt my tears prick as they loaded up into the truck.  All I could see of Eklesia was her little hat.  Her grandmother waved and smiled as they pulled away, headed for a new start.

The children seem to understand, to some degree, that they are leaving Open Arms and the family they have known since infancy.  Their participation in the good-bye ceremony helps prepare them.  Still, even when they are heading off to live with a caring family member, it’s hard to say goodbye.

The good news is that Eklesia and her grandmother live in the greater Blantyre area, so we can go visit her soon…

By Kate Evans

Boarding my flight to Blantyre, I was nervous and had no idea what lay ahead of me over the next two months.  I came to Malawi with no preconceptions and left a completely different person from the one whom arrived.  In total, I spent three months with Open Arms in Malawi (extending by one month because the experience was just that good!).  I quickly warmed to the amazing staff whom are the pillar behind Open Arms.  The ladies were so welcoming and very eager to teach me Chichewa.  So eager, in fact, that they progressively stopped talking to me in English!  The work that they do for the children entrusted to them is so admirable and their genuine love and care for the children is so evident from the outset.  I spent many evenings with ladies cooking and sharing stories about our respective cultures.  I enjoyed learning more about Malawian culture and lifestyle from the house mothers, an insight which has affected me tremendously.

I enjoyed too, the many days that I spent with the children in the foster homes.  In particular, I enjoyed taking part in the computer lessons, which the children take part in every week.  It was amazing to see them getting so excited about their learning and it was inspiring to watch them come on leaps and bounds in the time that I was there.  Finishing off every lesson with a little dance to their favourite songs was also a bonus!  Another highlight has to be the end of school party, where we celebrated with the children and rewarded them for their hard work throughout the school year.  The happiness on their faces as they clanked their bottles of Fanta together in celebration and congratulated each other will stay with me forever!  Each of the children were eager to show me their present for having passed their school year.  It was a happy afternoon spent playing with everything from erasers to wooden skittles and naturally, lots of dancing in between times.  We also had a great time with the children when we organised an inter-foster-house sports day.  Morale was high and the children were eager to tackle everything thrown at them from sack races to beat the goalie and… soak the volunteer!  It was a great day for all and it was wonderful to see all of the children together in one place.  It was also a great opportunity for the children to catch up with their mothers whom had cared for them in the infant home and that was a particularly touching moment to witness.

School time at Harrogate was a daily ritual and one that I enjoyed greatly, it was always a welcome start to the day!  As the weeks passed by, I slowly watched as many of the younger children began grasp their 123s, as they recited with a jump on each number.  Usually, hands fly up in the air and the pitch of the voice climbs high as they reach “teeeen!”.  There is always time for a game of football afterwards, which is often interrupted by the children running at the site of a wheel barrow or because one of the dogs have come down to say hello!  Interruptions are then usually followed by a group of cute little faces asking with great enthusiasm to be pushed on the “see saw” (swing).  Even sweeter, is the children’s eagerness to ensure that everybody has their shot.

Spending time in both Mangochi and Blantyre Infant Homes, I loved getting to know the children and their characters.  Each one of the children really are unique and individuals in their own right.  One of the funnest times of the day to observe is porridge time.  There are no bounds for where the porridge may fly!  Equally as fun, is trying to keep the children in the bathrooms for nappy changing as they usually conspire in groups to escape, running as fast as their little legs can carry them and then stopping abruptly in the feeding area as they realise they’re not actually sure where to escape to.  At play time, cars and balls fly past as the children release their energy for the day!  This is a great time to get to know the children individually and to chat to mothers about their children.  It is also a great time for teaching eager participants how to walk or sit up.  Little Joyce is always happy to lend a hand in helping her peers to walk!  From porridge time, to bath time, to play time, there is never a dull moment in the infant home.  The home is full of laughter and giggles… and the occasional “roar” from Stancie!

What struck me most about my time spent with Open Arms was the compelling and important work that they do.  Open Arms should certainly be very proud of the work that they do and the happy, healthy, intelligent children in the Infant Homes, in Harrogate House and in the Foster Homes are a clear indicator of a job well done.

From Katie Gourlay

The Open Arms family extends far beyond the babies, mothers, matrons, and staff.  It even extends beyond Malawi.  The Open Arms family includes all of you who support our work through your donations, your energy, your time, and your care.

We just received a letter from Gemma, one of our many supporters in England.  Gemma visited us in 2008 and was so moved by the experience that she is looking forward to returning as a volunteer after her school is finished in 2013.  Gemma asked after Ulemu in her letter, a baby girl that she remembered meeting three years ago.  Neville and Mrs. Phiri were happy to report back that Ulemu had been adopted and was doing well.

We are fortunate to have many visitors and volunteers who keep in touch and stay involved.  That, I think, is part of what makes Open Arms so special.  It’s not just the precious babies, the mischievous smiles, the mood-improving giggles, or the caring team, but all of our many supporters who remember these children and want to make a difference in their lives.

Gemma’s letter was a lovely remembrance of this support and we are grateful.

By Kate Evans

Malawi is so beautiful and the people so warm and generous, it is easy to forget how difficult life can be here.  It is easy to forget that childhood diseases which we encounter so rarely at home can be life-threatening here.

Anna, whose grandmother went to such incredible lengths to save her, just passed away from measles.  Young and weak, she was unable to fight the disease.  Even more shocking is the loss of Fatima, who was healthy, a good weight, bright, and strong.  Those who have visited Open Arms will remember her sweet, cheerful disposition and her huge, smiling brown eyes.  They will remember that she didn’t mind when the older children tried to “help” her with her bottle, or when the toddlers fell over on top of her.  She did, however, make it clear when she was hungry and used her powerful little vocal chords to scream when it was dinner time.  Fatima and Anna were so special and loved and will be missed.

There have been nine Measles cases so far among the babies too young to be vaccinated, but thankfully the rest have pulled through.

After such a tough few months at Open Arms, it is the small gestures of love and humanity that help.  Relatives of Richard, who passed away a few weeks ago, made the long, difficult journey all the way from beyond Mulanje just to thank the mothers and staff for taking such good care of him.

Another bright spot was Rhoda’s visit.  Rhoda lived at Open Arms until she returned home to her grandparents in 2009.  Open Arms donates ‘starter packs’ to families with maize seed and fertilizer, which in a good year can provide a large part of the staple food required. Rhoda’s grandparents took a four hour minibus ride to say thank you with some of the maize raised from their starter pack.  The mothers got to see Rhoda looking happy, healthy, and loved.  Her grandparents’ loving generosity brought much needed smiles.

By Kate Evans

The babies are fat and happy this week at Open Arms.  Patricia, Charles, and Boniface are adjusting well after their move to Harrogate House.  Tiyese finally started walking by himself; his twin Joyce has been walking for months and seemed confused by his crawling.  Doreen, Tina and Chisomo waltz around like little queens now that they are amongst the oldest and biggest children.  Crispin seems to be getting over his phase of hurling himself onto the floor whenever he’s not getting enough attention.

Fatima, Praise, Enoch, Osborn, Mepha, and the others are enjoying the new batch of toys that have been donated.  They also patiently cope as the toddlers ‘help’ them with their bottles.  Hamex is gaining weight and looking more and more like his twin, Hammiton.

The littlest ones are doing well – Devine and Mphatso are getting bigger and I almost didn’t recognize Anna after two weeks as she has grown so much.

Anna has become a little celebrity after her grandmother’s plea for help on television.  In fact, pupils of Rose Garden School were so moved by her story that they collected donations of blankets, baby supplies, and clothes, climbed in a bus and set off to find Anna and her grandmother in Bangwe.  Upon learning that Anna had been taken to Open Arms, they decided to come find her here.

The bus load of caring youth were excited to have an opportunity to see the work Open Arms is doing.  They played with the children, toured the two houses, and distributed the donated items.

St. Paul’s CCAP Youth Group also came to meet the children of Open Arms. The visit made such an impact that they wrote a newspaper article about Open Arms which appeared in the Malawi Voice.  http://www.malawivoice.com/latest-news/open-arms-malawi-sheltering-tear-signaling-stories/ We are so thankful that they also took notice of Anna’s story and acted so generously.  We hope they will come back soon and see what progress she has made.

Anna is such a success story.  After a serious and prolonged illness, she is recovering well, growing quickly, and is a favorite of the Open Arms community.  Her grandmother visits often, making the long journey from Bangwe to hold Anna and make sure she knows she is still very loved by her family.

By Kate Evans

While it’s been a busy few weeks for Open Arms, it has also been an especially sad time as two of the triplets, Lucia and Lyna passed away.  Despite the love and care they received with us, their small size and susceptibility to illness took them away before their one month birthday.  The third triplet, Nesi, was in Queens hospital for more than 2 weeks, but was released yesterday.  She seems to be doing well, and has been growing stronger since the discovery that she is lactose intolerant.  While we are all mourning the loss of the two girls, we know that they were loved and comfortable at Open Arms and received the best medical attention.

While Nesi is carefully monitored and watched over, there have been other changes around the home. There is a new addition, a month-old boy named Devine.  Abandoned and found at Kamuzu Stadium, he was placed at Open Arms by Social Welfare.  He is small but healthy and lively.

Frank happily returned home to live with his aunt and cousins.  We are always happy to see children reunited with their family, but we’ll miss Frank’s big hugs, serious little expressions, and his earnest help with the younger children.

Charlie, another of the older children, just moved down to Harrogate House.  He was getting a little too big and too rambunctious and has now outgrown the infant home.  He seems to have transitioned well from being the biggest kid in the room to being by far the smallest in Harrogate House.  He still grins, giggles, and calls me “iwe” when he wants attention.  His smile is just as mischievous as ever and he still likes big hugs.

Yesterday was a lively day in the house thanks to Katie, a new volunteer from Scotland.  Katie traveled all the way to Malawi with a separate suitcase full of children’s clothes.  The mothers sorted through the clothes and made sure that each child got a new outfit.  The children showed off their new dresses and suits in an impromptu fashion show.  Joyce was proud of her blue dress with white polka dots, Doreen loved her multi-colored dress, and even Wyson got in on the fun in a new suit.  Katie says that the clothes were generously donated by members of her community in Scotland.  The children looked so proud of their new outfits and we are all so grateful to Katie and the many who donated.

By Kate Evans