So Much In a Month!

So it has been nearly a month since my last update and on reflection so much has happened yet it feels so little!!

My reorientation back to the University started with marking of the third year paediatric exam papers and attending the GAIA (Global AIDS Interfaith Alliance) Scholarship ceremony to welcome new first year students in receipt of this benefit. They are all students who have difficult personal circumstances and part of the scholarship pays for their uniform, vital signs equipment as well as a food allowance. The students performed a thank you song and dance which was beautiful and very moving.....There is much excitement and enthusiasm in this group and having the 150 of them in the lecture theatre can be quite a challenge! They will commence their clinical placements in May.

I also had the privilege of assisting with the University Entrance Exams for Malawi...this was quite an experience.

The picture above was taken early in the morning at a sports stadium where the registration for Lilongwe took place it does not really do justice to the thousands of young people who turned up to register this was the girls side where I worked and registered a few hundred candidates!!

The exam took place on Thursday it was supposed to start at 07.30 I was assigned to a local secondary school where 540 students sat and apparently I got off lightly as this was the smallest site.

Each candidate was individually identified by me and I only had two queries the exam room was packed tightly with only about 12 inches between tables and the exam finally started nearer 10.00

I did not hear one student complain. The exam took place all over Malawi with 20.000 candidates

after 2.000 government funded university placements. This was an experience I will never forget.

There were soldiers in attendance (with guns) should the situation get out of control. I did not like that!!

This is one of my favourite pictures of local produce. Pumpkin or tomatoes???

Have had some fun too and projects to keep myself occupied apart from candy crush...

Next instalment coming soon I hope if internet keeps playing.