M3 is so pleased to welcome Dr. Anne Alaniz to the conference as a speaker. Dr. Alaniz is a Gynecologic Oncologist who has been working for Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, Texas, since 2012. She is also the Co-Founder of Pothawira (Safe Haven) Christian Mission Organization in her home village around Salima, Malawi. Pothawira was founded in 2009 and has been in full operation since 2011. Pothawira has an outpatient clinic that sees over 5000 patients a month and will soon open a birthing center which will provide a safe facility for childbirth with skilled medical personnel to continue to combat the high rates of maternal and neonatal deaths in Malawi. In addition, Pothawira is home to 126 orphaned children with 12 widows who care for them. Pothawira provides a Christian centered education for the children in the orphanage, as well as over 300 children from the surrounding villages who wouldn’t have access to a good education. She truly believes that the future of developing countries, like Malawi, lies in the hands of their people. Developing countries are made up of entrepreneurs, visionaries, and innovative leaders who, if given equity and social justice, have the capacity to be part of developing the economic futures of their country. This is what drives Dr. Alaniz to continue to find ways to empower and provide opportunities for children, women, and men, who like her, if given the opportunity, have the capacity to be part of the change they want to see in Malawi. Come hear Dr. Alaniz tell her story, “What’s in YOUR hands? A Journey Out of the Village” and visit the Pothawira Booth in the Exhibit Hall.Houston MethodistM3 is also grateful to Houston Methodist Hospital for being a 2019 Mobilizing Medical Missions Bronze Sponsor.