Notes from Zambia

Dec 11-Dec 16
IN TRANSIT MODE..
Everything in Nairobi was wonderful. We had such a great time there (see blog before). And then Kenyan Airways spoiled it during our departure to Lusaka. Usually, I love flying on international airlines. You receive at least one meal per flight, drinks (including alcoholic), free movies, and friendly staff. But we barely made it on the flight. We had our tickets. We had our passports. We just had too many bags, which some of you might think this is normal for me, but this had not been an issue during our other flights from MSP to Amsterdam to Nairobi. For some reason, we were charged $6/extra kilo. We were fuming. And then, when we were filling out our departure forms for customs, this woman comes and tells me I cannot proceed because I had two carry-ons (again, my same exact carry-ons since MSP). She didn’t understand that my backpack was considered my personal bag. We argued for about 30mins, but instead of missing our flight (or being thrown into jail!), we sucked it up, paid the extra and off we were to a waiting room, where everyone else had two carry-ons, and a plane where half the seats were empty. Go figure. Needless to say, I was not a happy flyer.

On a lighter note, this was the view from the plane while going over the border of Kenya and Tanzania (and it must be noted- Lizz Hutchinson and Sarah Sevcik climbed to the top of this while in Tanzania over the summer!)

ARRIVAL IN FAMILIAR TERRITORY…

It felt so great to be back in Lusaka, especially with what happened in Nairobi airport. Phridae, Tiny Tim and Friends (TTF) project manager, and Moses, a friend of TTF, greeted us at the airport. Everything was so familiar except the foliage. During the rainy season (and Zambian summer), everything is so green! The landscape is much more appealing than when I was here last. There are other differences too between my stay four months ago and now. We are staying at the Lusaka Health Institute, School of Nursing. It is a small campus with one building for the admin and classrooms, and a few apartments for third year nursing students. We have two bedrooms, a sitting room, a kitchen, and a bathroom with hot water. There is no shower, only a tub and no laundry facility. And occasionally there are a few roaches in the kitchen and some little lizards in the sitting room.

Front entrance of Lusaka Health Institute

Steph as a critter killer!

Its extremely hot and humid here, which can be difficult when walking long distances. But as Stephanie says- this is what the rest of the world does. To get into town, we have to walk about 25mins to the bus stop, with a leg of it along the Great East Road. This road is heavily trafficked and the exhaust fumes from trucks and buses are horrendous.

Us trying to protect ourselves- public health would be proud!

On Sunday night we joined Dr. Tim, Tiny Tim, and the rest of the family at the farm. Every Sunday they make homemade pizzas, and they are delicious! We also discussed our project in more detail so it could get underway.

Steph and I with Tiny TIm at the Farm

Projects are going extremely well for only being in Lusaka for 6 days. We have visited a Women’s Group at Rev. Zimba’s Transit Home in an area called John Laing. Here, HIV+ women from Tiny Tim and Friends, come together and make beaded bracelets, knit handbags with plastic bags, and paint notecards.

In action...

Yesterday I was able to interview one child and one guardian for my project. On Tuesday and Thursday, patients come in to TTF for check-ups, medication re-fill, and follow-ups. I was thrilled with the way the interviews were going until during one, the audio machine just stopped. The batteries had failed me. Ah, the first mishap of my project. But I problem-solved and all will be okay. Keep your fingers crossed.

On Dec 16, we visited Our Lady’s Hospice in Kalingalinga. I was expecting a place like Mother Teresa’s Hospice, but that was not the case. Instead, Our Lady’s Hospice has a well-kept landscape, complete with grass, flowers, and tress, an out-patient clinic, five buildings for where all 30 in-patient persons stay, and a laundry facility. They are well staffed with 6 nurses, 25 caregivers (equivalent to a nursing assistant), and one doctor. Many patients are chronically ill with cancer and HIV/AIDS who need rehabilitation or intravenous treatment. We visited with three patients- talked about family, hardships, courage, and things of that they enjoy doing.

The grounds

Makeshift wheelchair at Our Lady’s Hospice

And last but not least, In both Kenya and Zambia, everyone asks about Obama. They love him. This is a pin from Election Day...

Stay tuned for more!