Chauncy Maples

The Chauncy Maples Project

Bringing health care to some of the poorest communities in the world by renovating Africa’s oldest motor ship, the Chauncy Maples.

Malawi in Central Africa is a quiet, peaceful country of immense beauty. However, it is one of the ten poorest nations in the world, with a life expectancy of only 50 years. For much of the thousand miles of shoreline of Lake Malawi, there are no roads and no access to health services. The only means of travel is by dug-out canoe, risking the dangerous currents, storms and crocodiles.

The Chauncy Maples project on Lake Malawi combines:

  • health service delivery
  • preservation of Malawi's marine heritage
  • green engineering by recycling a 19th century vessel
  • marine and engineering training
  • national symbol of pride for Malawi

Why does Lake Malawi need a clinic?

More than 78% of Malawi's 16.3 million people live in poverty, with an income of less than US$1.25 per day. The under-five death rate is 178 per 1,000 live births – 30 times worse than that in Europe or America. There is only one doctor in Malawi for every 52,000 people.

Malawians who live along the lake have little or no access to medical care. Sick people can’t work; sick children can’t attend school.

Moored on Lake Malawi is the steamer Chauncy Maples which was built in Glasgow in 1899. Designed as a clinic ship, she has not sailed for a decade. This project is renovating the MV Chauncy Maples as mobile healthcare clinic. The on-board nursing team will provide treatment for diseases such as malaria, tuberculosis, measles and HIV/AIDS. Other vital services will include ante-natal and maternity care, simple procedures, dental care, child immunisation, family-planning and advice on safe sex.

How will the project be funded?

Since the Chauncy Maples Malawi Trust was registered in 2009, we have raised over £1 million, much of this through the generosity of our sponsor Thomas Miller and its community. We still need to raise another £1 million. The quicker we raise the money, the sooner we can improve the lives of lakeside Malawians.