I’m a plastic surgeon from San Francisco, CA, and I was honoured to be able to work with Operation of Hope, and return to Blantyre, Malawi in August, 2013. I was happy and honoured to help out many kids and adults with cleft lip, cleft palate, and burn surgery.
I was able to revisit Open Arms Malawi as well. Too much doing good? Hardly- because Open Arms Malawi is one of the most magical places on Earth. Why? Let me tell you!
Last year, Marike was kind enough to drag me/ show me the wonderful facility at Open Arms Malawi. She has been volunteering and helping out at Open Arms for several years, and brought some nappies and toys for the kids there.
And then we took a tour. And my heart melted. We were surrounded by tons of cute babies, infants, kids, and their loving nurses. The kids are so wonderful and friendly, and the nursing staff truly loves and appreciates the children there.
Our visit quickly made me realize that there were a lot of loved children here. But why were they here?
I learned that extended family is VERY important in Malawi. Sometimes parents are unable to take of their kids properly, due to unfortunate circumstances. However, there’s always a grandparent, uncle, or aunt ready to take care of the little ones.
But what if the grandparents are overwhelemed? They’re going through an economic rough patch? The child is an orphan? This is where Open Arms Malawi steps in- they will TEMPORARILY take care of a child, usually up to the age of 2 years old.
At 2 years old, the child is reunited with a more stable extended family environment. While the child is cared for at Open Arms, visits from extended family members are strongly encouraged. The kids are well taken care of- ample food, clothing and cleanliness that even an OCD plastic surgeon can appreciate!
Most importantly, the kids are hugged, loved, snuggled, and given the human touch - often missing in many childcare places.
Open Arms does not force children, adults, or families into difficult or unusual situations. Also, Open Arms is not an orphanage in any way. I wish that all childcare groups dealing with difficult social situations were as enlightened and nurturing as Open Arms.
Open Arms truly nurtures and cares for the children under their direct care. The building is well maintained and spotless. There’s a high ratio of caregivers to children. The kids are loved, well fed, clean, and taught every day.
When the children are ready to be reunited with their family, the process is done in a smooth, loving manner. When the kids are back with their families, the Outreach Team from Open Arms headed by Matron Phiri visit regularly to make sure the children are being taken care of, loved and attending nursery school. If the children are not being treated well, or there is economic hardship, then Malawi Social Services are alerted.
In the very rare and unfortunate times where the child is not thriving in their home environment, then a social worker will recommend that the child go back to Open Arms. Open Arms has worked hard to expand their existing facilities to be able to accept older children.
Another impressive project they are undertaking is expanding Open Arms Malawi to school age children. When their children get to elementary school age, and if the Malawi government continues to recommend Open Arms as the caretaker, then the kids are placed in a large foster home with a total of about 6 kids. Since all of the children grew up together, they know each other very well.
This group home of children are cared for by a foster Mom, and they attend private school. Some of these children are now starting high school, and go back to Open Arms to see where they started.
Giving children a head start, or just even getting them to the starting line after being born in a difficult situation, is one of the miracles of Open Arms. Being there, you can sense the love and care they give to all of the kids.
You can feel they really want the extended families to do well. Open Arms Malawi wants the families to be able to the kids after a temporary stay at Open Arms. And even if the kids come back, Open Arms has done astounding work to ensure that their children are loved, educated, and given every possible advantage in life to succeed as productive people in Malawi.
After spending time at Open Arms in 2012 and 2013, I’m a believer in their work. And you should too!
By reading this article and being aware of the incredible work that Open Arms Malawi does, I hope that you will consider sharing this article.
You can also follow Open Arms via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media accounts (see our footer for links).
You can volunteer for Open Arms Malawi.
And of course, you can donate to Open Arms Malawi, and rest assured that your pounds, dollars, and Euros will go to a wonderful, magical place, where dreams are kept alive and allowed to blossom.
Your generous support saves and enriches the lives of children who otherwise would face difficult circumstances.
Your donation will help children in Malawi grow up healthy with the love of a family
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