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| Archive News from Kawalazi Tea Plantation Project - March 2008 |
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| There was a break in the rain season, and clear weather prevailed for the beginning of the month with intermittent showers. This has boosted the growth and crop levels are on the rise now. Taking advantage of the weather the estate has also applied its second round of fertilizer. |
| Pruning (rejuvenation) of the tea fields is coming to an end for the first phase and this operation will complete by the first week of April. The fields that were pruned in January have now started throwing new shoots and these fields are being tipped to establish the plucking table. |
| The new field that has been recently planted is being mulched to conserve the soil moisture and prevent soil erosion due to rain. Other benefits of mulching is that it will suppress the weed growth therefore reducing the use of herbicide and will also serve as an organic matter that will slowly decompose and add to the soil as humus. The work is in progress and is on track to be completed by the end of April. |
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| Project Work |
The first project has come to an end this month with all the plants distributed to the villages and some of them to the schools.
The renovation of the clinic (expansion of the existing clinic to accommodate the new equipment has been completed. The equipment will be configured for use this month and the laboratory will be fully functional from the next month onwards. |
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| The Traditional Healers |
Traditional healers have existed in Malawi since a very long time. They were the only source to cure any kind of ailment when the nation was primarily undeveloped with very few hospitals. Traditional healing is still practiced and these doctors are still respected for the perfection in their skills. One such traditional healer is Dr. Liwemba Kaunda, who practices in Katongo village within Kawalazi estate.
Dr. Kaunda has been a Singanga (traditional healer) in this area since 1979. She has cured not only the local villagers but also other people who traveled long distances to seek treatment. She has a place that she calls a "Temple" which she uses as a clinic (OPD - Out Patient Department). This is where all the patients gather before she diagnoses them.
Traditional healers as she puts it "believe in the external powers, forces and agents that regardless of being visible or invisible are always at work for the reasons, which are not known. Understanding these powers and forces is one of the primary objective of the traditional healer who then provides for the cure either through the medicines or through prayers or both if necessary". |
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"These powers can be witchcraft, sorcery, magic, the evil eye, a curse or a spirit, and this is where the role of a traditional healer is important."
Dr. Kaunda divides the illness into three categories:
- Natural or Physical - diseases that arise from easily known causes eg., cold, cough, venereal diseases; in which case the herbal remedies are often sought to cure the patient.
- Preternatural - diseases caused by an agent that engages in magic, witchcraft etc and leads to serious illness caused all of a sudden; the causes for which are less known. For example: prolonged fever, continuous pain of any particular part (organ) of the body, hallucinations etc.
- Mystical - this is of the most serious type and is primarily caused by the spirit of the dead to punish the living for the offence they have committed against the dead or the society or to draw peoples' attentions to their wishes and demands. Healer's assistance is needed to deal with such spirits and cure these kinds of problems.
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Dr. Kaunda also states that the traditional medicines are for various purposes. For example: they can be curative, preventive,
offensive or for just good luck etc. |
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- Preventive medicines are often in the form of a charm or talisman that is worn around the neck, waist or the arm.
- Curative medicines are herbal medicines that may be dried and pounded or soaked in water. They are drunk in a liquid form or eaten along with the meal for various kinds of illnesses. Other ways of administering the medicines is through an incision in the body, or rubbed on the body during a bath, inhalation etc.
- These are often accompanied with one form or the other of ritual practices that includes hand clapping, drumming "Vimbuza" and singing along with the prayers.
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Dr. Kaunda receives partial payment before the cure and the rest is paid after the cure. She was elected as the Treasurer for Nkhata Bay district of Traditional Healers. They used to meet once a month at Nkhata Bay center but the venue was later changed to Kavuzi Trading Center.
Due to prolonged sickness, she dropped out of the Treasurer's post and is now working as a Discipline Committee Chairman. |
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Dr. Kaunda is visited by patients from as far as Mzuzu which is almost 50 kms away and many go back with a solid belief that they have received the proper treatment. However, some of them are admitted and sent home after they are completely healed.
Dr. Kaunda's future plan is to expand her area of operations and build more "Temples" and extra houses, which can accommodate more patients. |
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| We provide regular newsletters on our projects in Malawi. Read recent archive news from the Kawalazi Tea Plantation Project. |
» Read the current news from Kawalazi |
» More archive newsletters from Kawalazi |
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