Maps and Meetings

I'm very happy with how things have started off. Almost immediately upon arriving, I pitched the communications program at the hospital's management meeting. Most of those in attendance I knew from my previous stay in Namitete, and they seem happy to have me back.

I've discovered that props are useful. So, I lugged my suitcase into the conference room, revealing about one-hundred cell phones. I also flopped around the ~100,000 units of communication credit I'd purchased at the airport. After a quick demonstration of FrontlineSMS, ideas started flowing - and not just in one direction. I'm finding that ideas developed in the US regarding the program's potential usefulness (e.g. patient follow-up, TB and HIV drug adherence monitoring, fielding the community's medical questions, etc.) are really resonating here.

After a bit of grudge work (putting in SIM cards, implanting the initial Celtel units, recording numbers, testing FrontlineSMS, etc.) we are ready to start the pilot.

I am calling the Chairs and Vice Chairs of both the Community AIDS Committees (CACs, "cacks") and the Village AIDS Committees (VACs, "vacks") for a meeting on Monday morning. It's set for 8AM - I'm hoping they'll trickle in by 10:00. This first 'batch' of CHWs will be the pilot within the pilot. After monitoring their activities for a week or so, we'll look to expand to another group - as the Matron says, we'll start with those who are "hardest working."

I spent the day in Lilongwe, trying to find decent maps of the area the CHWs hail from and work in. First, I tried the District Health Office. No maps, but the doctor coordinating health information for Lilongwe was very interested in the communications initiative - specifically, the possibility of scaling up to cover the entire Lilongwe district. In an attempt to stay ambitious but grounded, I kindly left her my e-mail and other contact information.

Next, I headed to the Department of Surveys. Like the government hospitals, the state buildings are treacherous. Quite literally, I had to guess which alleyway to wander down - I was finally consoled by a piece of paper, duck-taped to a door, which read, "Digital Mapping." I put in an order for TA Kalolo and TA Mavwere (don't ask me what 'TA' means, because I have no idea), and was told to come back in a few hours. After a few bribes ('fees') and hitchhiking excursions, I had my maps (below).


I'll leave you with an image of some of the goods. Before the week ends, I am creating some step-by-step instructions for operating the phones and FrontlineSMS, which Alex is going to translate into Chichewa tomorrow. I'll probably fall asleep testing the hand-powered, wind-up chargers - the motor is strangely soothing.