Life Concern Organisation - Malawi

In our third visit to one of the Egmont Trust's partners, we visited Life Concern Organisation in Rhumpi, Malawi...

There are some people you meet in life whom inspire you instantaneously. Peter Gondwe is one of them. Life Concern was dreamt up and established by Peter in 2008 in response to the alarming HIV/AIDS infection rate in his home district of Rhumpi. At that time almost 1 in 5 people were living with HIV/AIDS, the highest rates in Malawi. Peter has a lengthy educational and career background in the health sector but decided he could do more and strike the heart of the problem by stepping into the NGO realm. A bold and philanthropic move. Peter was brutally honest about his first three years in the role of Director of LICO - no funding, just a couple of people trying to spread knowledge and awareness to local villages who were reluctant to listen and or accept the message. Without any money coming in, all that Peter could do was to use his own time and money and make his way to the villages to try to promote healthy living, treatment plans and safe sex.

Soon organisations, such as Egmont, began picking up on Peter’s invaluable work and tireless passion for his community.

From those small and simple starts, LICO has grown into an internationally recognised (Peter proudly talks of his awards and conferences in Washington, Melbourne, Turin and London) front runner in tackling mother to child HIV transmission. LICO’s particular approach, recognising the need to invoke the trust and cooperation of fathers as well as mothers, has been so successful that some of the LICO team will be headed to Zambia to spread the skills and approach that has already ensured that 16 HIV negative babies have been born to HIV positive mothers. Peter must have said the words, “...and then we went one step further” at least 12 times in the day that we spent both in the office and in the field with LICO. Every time an organisation has put trust and funding into a LICO project the dollar has been stretched and manipulated until all that was expected and so much more has been achieved. One investment was for the purpose of building a maternity waiting wing at the hospital, LICO turned the money into a stellar wing AND a water tank to bring hot and safe water to the entire hospital. As well as utilising the old space for a youth club meeting spot. All completed in half the allotted time.

In the field we were given a treat of a performance by the child counselling team and the edu-toys which were brought to a primary school to educate young children on all things relating to HIV/AIDS. What struck us was, not only the wide-eyed enrapture of the children who were clearly engaged and absorbing the message, but the dozen or so who felt safe enough to step forwards at the end to speak privately with the counselling team about a problem relating to the edu-toy topics. That’s over 10 children in just one school, and LICO have brought this unique educational drama to almost 12,000 children in the Rhumpi and Mzimba North areas. On top of this, and to deal with the fallout of disclosures, LICO have trained 417 teachers to deal with child abuse cases and provide basic counselling.

Our time in the field took us to a couple of local villages where the LICO team were warmly welcomed by the chiefs as we made our way to meeting spots. The first a meeting of women. The second a meeting of men. Both groups were initiated by LICO as a means of spreading knowledge and power about health facilities and HIV/AIDS management into communities. Some perspective has to be applied here to truly understand the life changing nature of these groups and the education that is passed on between its members. These communities are fighting age-old cultural beliefs and traditions that are seen as cold hard facts: HIV is a curse that can be cured by sex with a virgin, a husband sleeping with his wife after she has reached menopause will lead to the birth of a snake, sex with a minor will lead to prosper and healthy crop yields. These “facts” were believed and feared and led to tragic and disastrous crimes being committed.

Now these LICO initiated groups are listening to the real facts, they are spreading positive traditions and the new word of mouth is saving lives. The women are empowered and able to stand up for what is right and healthy, the men gain respect, understanding and a trust of things beyond outdated tribal fallacies. Going one step further, LICO has provided pigs to the groups as a financial incentive to stay, listen and be part of this new movement. One of the incredible areas of work in which LICO have made an unbelievable difference is in preventing child sexual abuse. LICO have set up a system involving the police, doctors and judiciary to enable swift prosecutions - 13 already where there were none before. LICO have a round the clock initial response team for victims and have lobbied and provided a one stop location for all necessary drug administering such as HIV preventative treatments, examinations and witness statement taking. None of this existed before LICO. A real piece of creative thinking (and I imagine persuasion) has led to mobile courts delivering judgment on prosecutions in the centre of the perpetrator’s community. This educates all - young girls feel empowered by the knowledge that these actions are abhorrent crimes, potential perpetrators relying on old customs and beliefs will not find a cure or stronger crops - but a 14 year prison sentence delivered in front of friends and family.

Peter never stops with the creative thinking and problem solving. For him there are only solutions, and I have no doubt that there are hundreds of lives that are better, safer and stronger because of his unwavering and unending desire to see the end of the devastating effects of HIV and AIDS. And, if anyone can do it - Peter can. In the 10 years that LICO has been operating the infection rate in Rhumpi has decreased by over 50%. Everyone from community chiefs to police officers and schools students, trust LICO, and how could you not - they have delivered so much more than expected and than could ever have been achieved by anyone else. We have no doubt that there’s a sprinkle of magic in everything that LICO does and, for the sake of the children of Rhumpi in particular, long may it continue.