Adventures in Zambia

I have just returned from spending the week in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. I had a great time. I spent time with the director and my supervisor from Canada. I also traveled with them to a place called Siavonga which is about 3 hours outside of Lusaka. We went to visit remote remote remote villages where there are mobile clinics. We traveled through dirt roads as there is are no infrastructure in this area to support cars. The villages were about 40 km from town, without the mobile clinics located in these remote areas many people would die without health care. Most have to walk this distance to see a doctor and many do not make it back home. I witnessed these mobile clinics and saw the great work that they are doing. At one of the clinics i took some pictures of children which you will see in this post.

We stayed at a place called Sandy Beach...it is located right on Lake Kariba. Lake Kariba is the largest man made lake in the world. It is so beautiful but i would never swim in it because there are crocodiles and hippos YIKES!!!!...i have some pictures from outside my room...ENJOY!!!

As well we went to the Kariba Dam which is right in between Zimbabwe and Zambia so i was in two places at the same time....he he he!!!

Annoying

Ok so one would think that spiders, cockroaches, scorpions would be the insects that would annoy people...actually i am most annoyed at ANTS...they are everywhere...i hate them so much....even when i clean they are there...looking for food, i think i take the most joy in killing them. I know in my posts i often speak of insects but they are a big part of my life here in Zambia (even though i think i make it that way..he he he)

I have been sick a few times since i have been here i think it was some chicken that i had. It is from this place called Hungry Lion...which is basically a chicken and chips place...i feel like this is all they sell in Zambia not sure if it is that way in other African countries. Anyway, i have not eaten the chicken and i seem to be better.

Zambia Updates

Since i don't think i have told you all what my job here is let me break it down for ya'll...

i am a monitoring and evaluating intern with Crossroads Christian Communications for those who don't know they are the umbrella organization for 100 Huntley Street (on channel 9, i think?) This job is an internship that is a requirement for me to graduate from grad school which i completed in June 2008. My job here in Zambia is to do reporting on HIV/AIDS mitigation projects and street children projects. So far i have been to several Home Base Care Projects in Kabwe where they took me into villages to visit many people, those living with HIV/AIDS, malaria and TB. These projects are CIDA funded and i need to report back to Crossroads to advise if the activities being done are done properly according to donor requirements.

Every month in these Home Base Care projects, there are mobile clinics...these mobile clinics are put in place to allow those who are sick to access medicine and counselling if needed. The line up for those to see the mobile clinic nurses is a long cue around the whole building about 300 people come. However, a mobile clinic once a month is not enough as many people need medicine alot more often than once a month. As well alot of people in the villages are bed ridden and cannot access the mobile clinic when it comes into the project. As well there are VCT (voluntary counselling testing) this is where people from the project and those in the surrounding community can test if they have HIV. Their results are given to them in about 10 minutes. Whether they are found to be positive or negative they are given counselling by a trained counsellor. I had a chance to visit one of the mobile clinics, on Sept 18, 2008, i met the counsellor from the VCT she was explaining to me about how the test is done and how she counsels those who are found to be HIV positive. She told me out of every 5 people that come into the VCT, 3 people are found to be HIV positive. When she told me that i felt a big weight on my chest, i was overcome with emotion. I am truly blessed to be here in beautiful Zambia and this visit to the mobile clinic and VCT has pushed me to do a great job while here, because it will benefit so many people. The prevalance rate of HIV/AIDS in Zambia is very high leaving many orphans and a very youthful population.

I am now in Lusaka the capital of Zambia, where i am going through reports from mobile clinics from the last quarter. I have to make a report on my findings, however the gentelman that i am supposed to contact has contracted Malaria and is very sick. But i gotta roll with it because this is very common in Zambia.

Ryan=)

Electricity!!!!

We really do not know how lucky we are in North America. Here in Zambia, Electricity is a luxury that MOST people do not get on a regular basis. Honestly, i think i am doing ok with everything else i am dealing with the bugs ok...i saw my first cockroach two days ago and i took great joy in killing it. But having no electricity is probably the worst part of being here. When you are trying to eat, cook, do work, shower the lights always go off. It is actually quite annoying. I found out that our area having so much power outages is political. Our area in Kabwe does not have "big shots", or political leaders so we are not on the priority list to receive power. However i have read two and a half novels because of the lack of electricity...i have lots of candles and flashlights. I don't think i have read a single novel since university that was like 4 years ago..its sad i know=(

Anyway i just felt i needed to vent about that to you all

Ryan=)

Not too much to say but here are some pictures!!!

Hi all,

I am pretty much settled in now in my place and i am getting to know the town very well. Not sure if you all know but i am not a big fan of bugs...but i have to live with them...i have decided to accept them in my life...ha ha ha...and deal with the spiders (about the size of a silver dollar)...but that is neither here nor there!!! ha ha ha...please all of you continue to pray for my safety and strength as i go through this journey...

Here some pictures with the staff, beneficiaries and I in Kabwe, Zambia

Love Ry=)

Work has started!!!

I have now started work in Zambia. I have been visiting Home Based Care Projects Kabwe, Zambia. I had the privilege of visiting a few patients from the project in their homes. I visited a lot of HIV/AIDS patients ranging from an elderly woman to a 5-month-old baby. I spoke to them about their lives and how they are feeling after receiving treatment. The majority of staff in the Home Based Care projects are volunteers. They are often not given a lot of incentives to continue working, as the work they do is selfless, dangerous and courageous. I spent quite a bit of time with the volunteers hearing their stories about their experiences with the patients and about their home lives. The volunteers and the patients have definitely touched me. Makes me think that the lack of continuous electricity and running water in my guesthouse is nothing compared to what most Zambians have to go through on a day-to-day basis.

I am getting used to living on my own…I have been gone for a month now…I can’t believe it!!!! But I still have 3 more months to go. However, it is nice to know that I will be home for the holidays and most of January.

Here are some pictures of the projects I have been visiting
Love Ry=)