Why do I enjoy working in the medical field | Get to know the team

The medical profession is vital because it deals with finding treatment for different diseases. It does not only help with the physical aspect of life but also psychological and spiritual aspects. The medical field takes care of people in totality. We provide support to the helpless in their time of need because every person at one time finds themselves in need of help.

My name is Rose, and I am the Health Officer at The Sparkle Foundation Malawi.



When I started working for Sparkle, I was worried that I would be overwhelmed and that everything I learned from my university degree wouldn’t be enough. However, since starting last year, I have learnt so much and have been able to apply everything I learned at university to treating patients at the clinic.

The Sparkle clinic treats around 200 patients a week with various conditions such as Malaria and Sepsis; no one day is the same. In Malawi, the ratio of doctors to patients is around 0.019:1000, one of the lowest in the world and under the WHO recommended ratio of 1:1000. This makes the job we do at Sparkle so much more critical, as one of the only medical clinics in the area.


There are definitely challenges to working in such a stressful field because we deal with many different kinds of patients. One of the hardest parts is the diagnosis of patients who already have an idea of their treatment; it makes them feel not adequately assisted. Some patients even feel like they have not been treated properly if they are not prescribed medication. There is a general stigma that if you go to the hospital, you will come back with medication, but the truth to the matter is that not all diseases require medications; sometimes, behaviour and diet changes can be the right course of treatment.


Working in a new environment has been challenging, but I am coping by leaning on my colleagues and knowing that our work is changing lives. I love helping others, and I wouldn’t change what I do.

The Sparkle Foundation named a finalist in the 2026 .ORG Impact Awards

By Talhia Le Berre • August 11, 2026
The Sparkle Foundation has been named a finalist in the Community Building category of the 2026 .ORG Impact Awards, a global programme run by Public Interest Registry (PIR), the nonprofit steward of the .ORG domain. The awards celebrate mission driven organisations from across the world for the meaningful, measurable change they create in their communities, and we are proud to be recognised among this year's finalists. For The Sparkle Foundation, this nomination reflects more than a decade of work in Zomba, Malawi, where we have built an integrated model of education, healthcare, nutrition and livelihoods support designed to break the cycle of poverty at its roots. 
What Britain's Aid Cut to Malawi Means for Charities on the Ground

What Britain's Aid Cut to Malawi Means for Charities on the Ground

By Talhia Le Berre • August 4, 2026
UK government funding to Malawi is on track to drop by around 90 per cent within two years, from K117.9 billion down to K11.7 billion by 2028. The figures emerged in Parliament last week, where Finance Minister Joseph Mwanamvekha faced questions from MP Francis Belekanyama on how such a steep reduction would affect budget delivery. The Minister's position was that the national budget itself is not at risk, since the reduction had already been built into government planning.  Where he was less reassuring was on who absorbs the impact. Per the report, it is Malawi's NGOs, not the state, that are expected to feel this most, given how many rely on UK funding to run health, education and social protection work.

Job Readiness Programme Launches at The Sparkle Foundation

By Talhia Le Berre • July 24, 2026
This June, The Sparkle Foundation began a new chapter in its work with women and youth in Malawi. The Job Readiness Programme launched with its first cohort of participants, marking the start of a six-week course designed to build the practical, financial and personal skills needed to earn a sustainable living.