Micaiah Hackshaw

Fundraiser

Micaiah Hackshaw

Hi good day, my name is Micaiah Hackshaw, a Trinidadian and first-year medical student at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI). I am honoured to have been selected to take part in the RCSI Global Health Initiative Malawi Programme (June 24th – July 22nd, 2026).

This programme places students in the Mangochi district, where access to healthcare and HIV prevention services has recently declined. During my time in Malawi, I will be working alongside local hospitals, universities, and community leaders to support clinical care, and contribute to public health initiatives. This includes supporting Paediatric clinics for children under five, participating in health education, and assisting projects addressing malnutrition and HIV prevention.

In addition to gaining experience in global health and ethical medical practice, our team will also be raising funds to support local healthcare needs such as essential medical supplies, medications, nutritional supplements, and menstrual hygiene products.

The total cost of participation in this programme is €3,700, which covers travel, accommodation, and programme expenses.

As a student, I am seeking sponsorship to help make this opportunity possible and to support the work we will be carrying out in Malawi.

Any contribution, no matter the sum, would be greatly appreciated and will directly support my participation and the wider impact of this initiative. I would be happy to provide any further information if needed.

Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

Background

In the southern lakeside district of Mangochi, Malawi, access to health care and HIV prevention is taking a hard hit.

Following a recent freeze of USAID funding, Malawi, a country where USAID previously covered ~13% of the national budget (1), is facing a public health crisis. Clinics are understaffed, supplies have run dry, and vital HIV prevention programs like PrEP have been abruptly halted. For communities like Mangochi, this will have devastating consequences. As it stands children are diagnosed with HIV without proper support, teenagers go without proper medication and most community members must travel all the way to the capital just to learn basic sexual health information.

In the words of Mona Lisa, a resident of Malawi:

"Just a few days ago, I had a conversation with a 7-year-old girl who lives down the road. She has HIV, but she doesn’t want to take her HIV medications anymore. I didn’t know how to tell her she needs to keep taking her medications."

This is where you can help us make a difference.

Citations:

1)https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/feb/09/malawi-left-in-dire-straits-by-trump-decision-to-freeze-aid

Our Vision

We are a group of passionate student leaders at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI), working to establish RCSI’s first-ever student-led global health initiative. This work is supported by Ann Piercy, a native of Malawi, in addition to global health experts Dr. Pittalis and Dr. Gajewski, who have experience leading groups such as SURG-Africa, COST-Africa, kidSURG and Akazi. Together we aim to support communities in Malawi while empowering students with ethical and immersive experiences in global health.

With your support, we will launch this initiative after a needs assessment conducted in 2025. Twelve students (medical and pharmacy), will travel to Malawi and work closely with local hospitals, universities and community leaders. They will work to support some of Malawi's most urgent public health challenges and learn how students can continue long-term collaboration.

Why This Matters For Malawi?

RCSI students will contribute to local health universities near Blantyre, Malawi. This may include RCSI students...

Cultural exchange

Research collaboration

Knowledge exchange

Students will assist operations at Mulibwanji Hospital by:

Supporting clinical tasks

Reducing staff workload

Assisting with hospital maintenance

Engaging in community outreach efforts

Students may support projects including

Under-five clinics, providing preventative and curative care for children under the age of five.

Sustainable nutrition financing, targeting Malawi's triple burden of malnutrition (2)

Stunting affects 36% of children under five in Malawi

Micronutrient deficiencies, especially anaemia, affect 30–33% of children, adolescents and women

Over nutrition and nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are rising and increasing mortality

Students will raise funds to support local medical needs, including:

General hospital supplies

Medications such as HIV PreP

Menstrual hygiene kits

Nutritional supplements (e.g., oral rehydration solutions)

Students may assist Dr. Jakub Gajewski and Dr. Chiara Pittalis with future iterations of the project, by collecting data to support public health efforts in Malawi.

Citations:

2)https://www.unicef.org/malawi/media/11916/file/Nutrition_Budget_Brief_2024-25.pdf

Why This Matters For Students?