Before the flight Karen and I have time to go for a walk into Lilongwe, round the central market (just as busy, noisy and chaotic as London's Petticoat Lane market and selling the same hotch potch of goods) and do some shopping. I buy wooden bowls, pottery made in Dedza, some wooden trinkets, postcards and a bottle of Malawian gin.....

Before the flight Karen and I have time to go for a walk into Lilongwe, round the central market (just as busy, noisy and chaotic as London's Petticoat Lane market and selling the same hotch potch of goods) and do some shopping. I buy wooden bowls, pottery made in Dedza, some wooden trinkets, postcards and a bottle of Malawian gin.....

We both have very mixed feelings about our time in Malawi..

The pitiful state of Malawian healthcare - particularly the way women and children suffer - and the suffering of those with HIV not in receipt of care at places such as the Lighthouse project is heart rending. A maternal mortality rate that is the third worst in the world, behind countries that until recently were or still are war zones, is frankly disgusting........

After meeting some of the unions I had been starting to feel more positive about this country's future. Its democracy is only 13 years old and its people so positive in the face of such adversity. So tragically unusual for Africa, it has never had a war and the population live together peacefully.

But it is difficult to feel too hopeful when the economy is in such a poor state and the workforce is being eroded by HIV/AIDS, the blight of which is not being curtailed while poverty and ignorance still have a stranglehold.

Even tourism does not seem to be taking off, presumably because of poor planning and competitive neighbours; South Africa has beaches, wildlife and better infrastructure, Tanzania and Zambia have more wildlife and even beleaguered Mozambique has stunning beaches.......

Having said that there is attractive countryside, country parks and hills crying out to be hiked here, not to mention the stunning Lake Malawi, so fingers crossed. The wonderful, polite, peaceable and all round lovely people of this delightful little country deserve it.....

The article that I will write for HSJ aside, I wish I could do more for and about Malawi. I almost wish I were a trained healthcare worker, so I put my skills to more practical use..

In the meantime, it is time to go home. After a 17-hour journey with some of the most annoying people I have had the misfortune to share a plane with (overnight! again!). we land in a wet and grey London.........

Emma Dent's feature on the trip to Malawi will be published in HSJ on 7 June.