Malawi Against Polio was conceived in a village in the hills behind Mangochi, in July 1977, when a 16 year old boy came crawling on his hands and knees to be confirmed. Feeling angry about the whole situation Bishop Arden contacted Dr. Jan Borgstein to investigate the extent of the problem in the district. It was thought that about fifty people would be found. Letters were written to a handful of schools and clinics, asking them to send any crippled youngsters for identification. 
At the first stop, St. Luke’s Hospital, they found fifty. At Liwonde there were sixty; at Balaka one hundred and eighty. By the end of the day, five hundred and twenty had been seen - some crawling, some were carried, some on the back of bicycles, some hopping on poles. 

‘I do not remember ever seeing so much unnecessary suffering in one day’  
Bishop Arden remarked.