En route to Malawi for the Hospital Opening, a reflection from Thoko Phiri, Executive Director

I try to be mindful of the frequency and length of my updates, knowing that long messages can get filed away by busy people balancing hectic lives. But from the airport in Johannesburg, en route to Malawi, I’m writing to share good news.

I’m on the way to our partner community in Phalombe District because on Monday, February 17, 2025, we’ll celebrate the opening of the community hospital we’ve built together. This hospital replaces a facility that was irreparably damaged during in March 2023. Since that day, healthcare for a rapidly growing population of more than 40,000 has been delivered in tents and temporary structures, or in a compromised clinic building that has deteriorated before our eyes one leaking roof sheet, one failing wall at a time.

The population here has grown as families displaced by severe flooding in the Lower Shire and surrounding areas moved inland seeking safety and services. That we’ve been able to build this facility amid these challenges is a credit to two communities.

First, the community in Phalombe and our partners there. The women and men who mixed mortar and laid block. The staff of the old health center who braved heat and rain to keep seeing patients under canvas while awaiting the new building. The leadership of our partner construction firm, Kuthandiza Builders, whose determination and creativity got supplies to site despite washed-out roads and fuel shortages. District leaders and the District Health Office who ensured design, permitting, and human resources stayed aligned.

Second, our generous supporters. News from Malawi has included difficult headlines storms, disease outbreaks, economic strain and many of them are true. Our community of supporters has cared enough to think and feel deeply, to recognize that more than one truth can exist at once, and to believe in a model that invests in the talents, courage, and vision of local leaders who know their communities best.

Monday’s inauguration will be a celebration of what’s possible music, dance, and recognition of the several hundred community members and leaders who made this hospital a reality.

And then on Tuesday, the real work begins.

Rise Fund Global’s work is rooted in partnership. We don’t own assets in Malawi we reinforce local institutions through deep relationships and long-term commitment. For the new hospital, our primary partner is the Ministry of Health through the District Health Office, which has historically received support from both government and international partners. Recent budget constraints have reduced staffing levels. Rise Fund Global will help bridge that gap for as long as we can, increasing support for key positions in addition to the roles we already fund.

Earlier in my career, I spent several years working at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre and Kamuzu Central Hospital in Lilongwe. I witnessed the painful consequences of inequity the look in a mother’s eyes when she learns her child is gone, knowing that had circumstances been different, the outcome might have been too. I also saw extraordinary strength Malawian clinicians who lost homes to storms and floods and still worked 18-hour days through the cholera response, returning to temporary shelters at night and showing up again before dawn.

We’re not naïve about the challenges ahead, but we are fully committed to our partners committed to working with humility and tenacity to ensure the quality of care matches the quality of the building you’ll see below. The opening of this hospital is a momentous step and a source of hope and light for thousands of families. I look forward to keeping you posted as we move forward together, and I thank you for helping us get this far.