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By Chakunja Sibale
I met Kevin Denny in 1992 at Malindi Hospital. At the time I was working as
a clinical officer. Kevin brought his wife, Elaine, to Malindi Hospital to learn about medical cases in Malawi. Kevin came
there also to visit a Peace Crops volunteer teaching at Malindi Secondary School.
Malawi Children Village
was started by Dr. Kevin Denny and my self. I am a clinical and Public Health Officer. I did four years of clinical medicine
in Malawi and one year Public Health course in Scotland, UK. Kevin is a MD.
Kevin and I have been friends
from way back in 1992. Writing to each other as friends late in 1996 when I was working for Mother Care Project funded by
USAID, Kevin wrote to me asking about HIV/AIDS in Malawi. At that time I was a research manager. We were looking at the prevalence
of anemia in pregnancy. That gave me the opportunity to learn about the effects of AIDS in pregnancy and the effect to the
new born babies. So I wrote back to Kevin about the situation in Malawi at that time. My thinking and knowledge was more about
the infants because I had a direct connection.
Towards the middle of 1997 Kevin asked me what was in place
for the orphans and what ideas I had to help them. I told Kevin that there was nothing in place for orphans and I told him
that I had an idea to help a few orphans live, but had no resources. Kevin wrote back &I don't have the money either;
but together we can do it. Back and forth we were writing to each other the ideas to develop the project. For about four to
six months Kevin would send $100 per month then $150 per month. The project got started with the little resources I had and
what Kevin was able to send.
Then later Kevin told me that he was writing to many other people (former Peace
Corps Volunteers) to see if they would be interested in the project. The Friends of Malawi were also contacted. Malawi Children's
Village got started but I was doing this part-time.
August 1997 I came to America for Mother Care Meetings
in Washington DC. The baseline survey for Malawi Children's Village (MCV) was done in June 1997 and on this trip to the USA
I had all the baseline information about orphans and their needs in our catchment area. Hence, after my official duties with
Mother Care, Dr. Kevin Denny took me from Montreal, Canada to Boston where I met Garry Prime and Michael Hill (former Malawi
Peace Corps Volunteers).
After Garry Prime had looked at our MCV Project materials he seemed impressed and
he said, Malawi Children's Village: This sounds like a good project. He then posed a question: Sibale, if I guarantee your
salary for one year will you be able to quit your job and work fulltime for MCV? Well, that was risky. I also asked him what
if MCV did not work out. He asked me how long it would take to find a new job? I said three months probably. He said that
he would provide money for 6 months. With that I said yes to work full time developing MCV. Remember, there was no money for
the operation. With the spirit of trust money and giving , MCV is what it is with hands on from many people: former Peace
Corps, Friends of Malawi, Rotarians, well wishers and many others.
(Chakunja Sibale continues to be Director
of Malawi Children's Village
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