Posted on Apr 12, 2018
Russ Hanthorn presented the program: The Malawi Project of 2003.
 
Recognizing a serious need for wheelchairs in third-world countries, Rotary set out to raise $50,000 – and actually raised $ 160,000 – which bought 2,400 wheelchairs.   9 Rotarians went to Malawi to deliver the chairs.
Malawi, in West Africa, has a population of 18 million. It is a largely agricultural country, making efforts to overcome decades of underdevelopment, corruption and the impact of an HIV-Aids problem, which claims the lives of tens of thousands every year. Most Malawians rely on subsistence farming, but the food supply situation is precarious because of the climate.
 
Russ showed a presentation of excellent, interesting photos of the delivery project. They showed the van in which the group travelled within the country with 4 orthopedic surgeons. They showed what they did to assemble the wheelchairs (packages in large cardboard boxes), There was no trash – the countries people used every scrap of cardboard and packaging material.
 
Rotarians from several different clubs built close friendships during this trip. The group spent some enjoyable leisure time at Lake Malawi - the ninth largest lake in the world and the third largest and second deepest lake in Africa.