Larissa Neumann has big plans. The 34-year-old will be going to Malawi for three years starting in June. There, she wants to establish a physiotherapy unit at the Madisi Mission Hospital. We, the Salzkotten Franciscan Sisters, are her partners in this. Another partner is the AGIAMONDO e.V. association, which for more than 60 years has been placing specialists, primarily based on the Development Aid Act, to work with church and civil society organizations worldwide.

For Larissa Neumann, this is a dream come true. From 2010 to 2011, she spent a year in Malawi as a volunteer in the “Temporary Missionary” (MaZ) program. There, she also helped in a hospital. Since then, the country and its people have never left her. In recent years, she has traveled to the “warm heart of Africa,” as the locals like to call Malawi, eight times. In Germany, Larissa Neumann gained experience in physiotherapy practices as well as inpatient and outpatient rehabilitation clinics. She also completed a bachelor’s degree in physiotherapy and was also a lecturer at a physiotherapy school.

In February, she resigned from her position at a practice to devote herself fully to her new responsibilities. These are based on the motto “With Heart and Hand – Physiotherapy that Improves Quality of Life.” Her goal is to use her knowledge and skills to improve the quality of life of people in the very poor country of Malawi. Her goal is also to recruit, train, and further educate local physiotherapy professionals. In the catchment area of ​​the Madisi Mission Hospital, there is an urgent and growing need for physiotherapy care. “Despite increasing demand, there has never been a supply available, and the nearest hospital or physiotherapy practice is 85 kilometers away in the capital, Lilongwe, which represents an insurmountable hurdle for the villagers,” explains Larissa Neumann. She plans to offer a wide range of physiotherapy treatments there, including visits to villages and training for family members.

Before that happens, however, Larissa Neumann still has a lot to do. This includes not only the travel formalities, including obtaining a work permit, but also collecting donations of money and goods to set up the physiotherapy station. The list ranges from therapy bands, exercise mats, and balls to wheelchairs, bandages, and orthotics, as well as soccer jerseys and soccer shoes for children and adults. The latter is due to her other passion, soccer. As a women’s soccer player, she also wants to take her sport to Malawi and introduce it to the people there.

Since all of these things no longer fit in her flight luggage, Larissa Neumann plans to fill a shipping container and send it on its journey. At the same time, she is asking medical supply stores and other companies for donations of goods and discarded equipment.

Written by Michael Bodin