Getting on with the real job

I've been back in Malosa for a week. My house was not ready, as predicted, so I'm still with the monkeys, goats and hyenas. I picked Mati, the kitten, up on sunday and she has taken over the house. She is a scruffy wee thing, who lets you know what she wants, its usually food, and she has a real killer instinct. She tries to kill my feet everytime I move them. She has already been treated for worms and needs treated again, she was infested before I got her so life for cats is not dissimilar to life for patients in Zomba Mental Hospital.

I've been trying to support the students doing their psychiatric placement. Zomba has the only state mental hospital in the country its quite different from any hospital I've ever visited. If you have read "Papillion" you may have some idea of the hospital by comparing it to the prison in the book. The patients come in on temporary treatment orders but they are renewed all the time so its like having a permenant section under their mental health act. They are working to a 1948 act. If you don't have lice when you come in you soon will. The matresses are all infested and the washing facilities are poor, no hot water or baths. Clean clothes are at a premium and the drugs are very limited. Electro convulsive therapy is given without anesthesia. The level of violence is high, theft is rife and there are not enough beds but you can always sleep in your lice infested matress on the floor. Enough said about the hospital.

Our last week in Lilongwe was interesting, there was more focus on education and food security. I've been picking up gardening tips and husbandry skills so as soon as I get the house I'll get going. I've been told I can move on Monday but I'll wait and see, I've been let down so many times. It was like Christmas when I got back from training. I got 5 letters and 1 box and a package. It was great to hear from everyone and I am replying to all letters. Look out for the paper made from elephant crap. The box and package were full of little goodies from JB. Unfortunately 4 other boxes, with shoes in them, have gone missing. You can imagine how distressing that is for me to have missing shoes! I'm sure they'll turn up sometime.

I'm about to try out a resturant for lunch. In Zomba you have to use the word resturant loosely. However I'm going to a good hotel for a meal on Monday with VSO staff, a journalist from the Scotsman and a film crew who are doing something on the Scottish Executive link with Malawi. So look out for something in the Scotsman on my placement here.

Keep the comments and letters coming you are keeping me sane and I'd hate to end up in Zomba Mental Hospital as a patient.