Life's Little Miracles.....

Did I ever think I would see her again? Never in a million years!

It has been almost 3 years now since I started working in Zambia. In 2008 Jessica and I arrived in Zambia with no idea that our passion for international development would guide us to where we are today. Three years later and we are now board members of a growing non-governmental organization that has thick roots in the heart of Mongu. If you asked me back then if I would be dedicating a large part of my life to this type of work, I don’t know if I could have imagined what we have become today. I am extremely proud of the hard work and energy that we have created as group and this next story is the reality of the outcomes of our love and passion.

In 2008 Jessica and I taught at Lewanika School of Nursing for 7 months. During that time I focused my lectures and clinical practice in Maternity and Pediatrics. Whilst on the labor ward my students notified me of a baby that had been born at 28 weeks gestation...This beautiful child had been dealt an unfavorable hand of cards. She was premature at 28 weeks (normal is 40), she weighed only 900 grams (about 2 lbs), her mother had passed away during labor of a post partum hemorrhage, and she was born near a hospital that didn’t have the equipment needed to sustain such a fragile life.

When I first spotted this little child all I felt was gut rotting guilt knowing that the chances of survival were next to none. I told myself to create space; don’t become attached because the outcome of the situation had a poor prognosis. The baby’s survival rates in a first world country would be slim let alone a hospital where almost no interventions took place.

It is obvious as to where this story is going. With daily visits to the maternity ward and creating an action plan with the maternity nurses the baby, my baby, ended up surviving and thriving. I would come to the ward with the students and Bertha the friendly midwife would say, “Limpo how is your baby today?” As my 7 months came to an end in Mongu it was time to say goodbye to baby Limpo as we called her. By this time she was over 2000 grams and feeding quite well. I often wondered what would come of her and what fate had in store for her down the road.

Since 2007 Jessica and I have both been back to work in Mongu 5 times! Cumulative we have spent over a year in Zambia....which goes to show you how passionate we are aboue our second home! Together with members of OkaZHI we have taught over 3 nursing courses, 3 surgical courses, 1 medical course and a handful of seminars, medical rounds, and mentorships. As well, we have helped UBCO bring nursing students to Mongu as part of their 4th year practical placement. This was a vision that Jess and I had when we first went to Zambia and she made it happen in 2009! Currently Jessica has accepted a position at UBCO working as a clinical instructor and would love to see UBCO nursing students in Mongu for the 3rd year in a row! I am extremely proud of all the hard work and dedication she has put into this project.

In July of this year (2011) I went to Zambia as part of an Evaluation team. The team consisted of Dr. Bill Nelems and Cameron Jones. We traveled to all the rural communities surround Mongu in Western Province to visit our Zambian medical and nursing colleagues who took part in OkaZHI courses since 2007. It was such a privilege and honor to be welcomed by so many into their communities and places of work. The entire trip was a huge success and illustrated our dedication to have Zambian voices have a say as to how our organization should operate within Western Province.

The most rewarding experience in the entire 3 years I have worked in Zambia occurred on the 2^nd day of that trip. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about the rush of emotion that overtook me. The three of us had traveled via Shalom Bus to Kaoma about 2 hours East of Mongu. We were planning on meeting Dr. Silumesii there and conduct a few interviews. While staying with the Chesire Home Sisters I found a few children who stuck to me like glue…Before I knew it I had 5 curious faces in my room looking at pictures and listening to music on my bed. I showed them a picture of Baby Limpo and asked if she was at the orphanage that was attached to our lodging. I grabbed Bill and Cam and we went to talk to the Sister in charge. She looked at the picture I had and I explained her story. A few shared words in Lozi between the Sister and a younger girl occurred then the Sister looked at me and said, “her name is Masualeti.” I felt this surge of energy and joy but also a sense of despair and sadness. The small girl comes over to me and hands me Masualeti who was sleeping at the time. She grabbed my arms and continued to sleep in my grasp. Tears start to pour down my cheeks as I was holding this little miracle that I had the privilege to take part in her care in her most fragile state.

Above: a group from the orphanage look at the picture of Masualeti as an infant

Masualeti sleeping, I'm a bit teary!

That day I thought over and over to myself how our actions, however minute they may be, can have a larger impact than we may ever know. I would like to think that I helped Masualeti become the beautiful 3 year old child she is today. In all likelihood, I think it is more probably that Masualeti is the one who has impacted and helped me become the woman I want to be.

Lianne

Evaluation Trip 2011

To Find out more about our latest evaluation trip have a peek at Bill's blog!! His words are inspiring and well constructed in this beautiful piece!

http://billnelems.hubpages.com/hub/-Do-you-mean-that-you-came-all-the-way-from-Canada-to-do-this-evaluation-in-Kalabo-Justin-Theatre-Nurse

Lianne

OkaZHI - A Friend In Deed!

Dr. Andrew Silumesii, Executive Director of Lewanika Hospital shares his experience working with OkaZI….

A common adage goes ‘a friend in need is a friend indeed’. The wis

dom therein underscores the gratitude we owe the people that come our way to give a helping hand in times when we need help the most (and perhaps when we least expect it). Such is our gratitude to the Okanagan-Zambia Health Initiative (Oka

ZHI)!

It goes without saying that the health care system in Zambia, l

ike in many other countries in Africa, faces many challenges. Prominent among these are shortages of human resources, inadequate financial resources and infrastructure and an increasing disease burden. Granted, human resources constraints are alarming and have reached crisis proportions in terms of the staf

f-patient ratios, but there is also growing recognition of the need to build capacity in the current health workforce, that is, enhancing their knowledge and skills so that they are able to provide health care more efficiently, effectively, safely, competently and confidently. This is what OkaZHI is already helping to achieve in Western Province, Zambia.

Here is how it all started:

One morning in April 2008, a tall and slender gentleman, presumably in his mid-60s walked into my office unannounced. Aside his strikingly smart looks – clad in a navy blue tie, white shirt with a variegated neck-tie and neat grey trousers – I was intrigued by his warm personality; his sense of humour was conta

gious. His name was Bill Nelems, a thoracic surgeon from Canada. ‘What on earth has brought him here?’ I wondered.

Bill began his discourse by tracing his roots back to Africa, his birthplace, and e

xplained that he spent part of his childhood in Zambia where his father worked in the mines. He went on to say that Profesor Chifumbe Chintu (fondly known as the ‘father of Paediatrics in Zambia’ by the Zambian medical fraternity), was an old classmate of his at the University of Toronto’s School of Medicine.

This time Bill was back in Africa, because he and his colleagues back in Canada felt the need to contribute to the improvement of healthcare in Zambia. And I came to learn that Bill was directed to Western Province by Dr Margaret Maimbolwa, assistant dean at the University of Zambia’s School of Medicine, because she felt the need was greatest there.

That first encounter with Dr Nelems set the stage for the collaboration that was to develop between us and our Canadian counterparts. This is a partnership that we have come to cherish greatly, and one that has added so much value to our work as we strive to provide health care to the people of Western Province. Space may fail me to chronicle all that has so far transpired in our collaboration, but I must hasten to state that the main story really begins a little later in 2008 with the coming to Lewanika School of Nursing of two registered nurses, Jessica and Lianne, to come to teach there for six months. Accompanying them was Cameron, a science graduate who came to help the stud

ents with computers. Jessica and Lianne made a great contribution to the training of our nurses during that time, but more importantly they established the strong bonds of friendship between us and our Canadian counterparts that will last a lifetime.

Another major milestone in our collaboration was the bringing to W

Dr. Andrew Silumesii with Bill Nelems and Gary O'Connor from OkaZHI

Western Province of the Essential Surgical Skills (ESS) course in October 2009, in partnership with the Canadian Network for International Surgery (CNIS). This was a program in which over 20 health staff from around Western Province comprising mainly of doctors, Medical Licentiates and Clinical Officers were trained. Alongside the surgical training, a nursing component was also offered to our nursing staff.

The ESS course proved to be of great benefit to our doctors and Clinical Officers serving in some of the remotest parts of the province. In this light, we envision Lewanika General Hospital becoming an epicentre of continuing medical education in Western Province. All these courses have been based on the locally identified needs.

In March 2010, OkaZHI facilitated the placement of nine nursing students from the University of British Columbia-Okanagan School of Nursing at Lewanika General Hospital, where they worked alongside our staff for 4 weeks during which there was a rich exchange of knowledge, skills and experiences. Their time at Lewanika was very positive and it is hoped that each year we will continue to have a placement of students for several years to come. During this visit, a Collective Review of Practice at Lewanika General Hospital and Lewanika School of Nursing was undertaken and its recommendations have formally been adopted as a plan of action aimed at improving clinical practice and standards of care.

Our experiences with OkaZHI have been very positive. We see great opportunities for the improvement of health care in Western province through this partnership. We value the unwavering commitment of OkaZHI to this cause and the mutual trust and respect exhibited in this collaboration. OkaZHI is proving to be a friend indeed!

By: Dr. Andrew Silumesii

Team Work on So Many Levels!

After reading Jessica’s last blog I got a little teary. It is so true; we are travel mates for life! As in any dynamic duo we have our ups and downs our quarrels and our successes. When it comes down to it, we have a beautiful relationship that I am so grateful....it’s hard to find a good friend, travel partner, and business colleague in one!

This summer I worked in Inuvik, NWT right near Santa’s house in the Arctic Circle. While I was there I did a few road trips and travels. My friends that I traveled with were a lot of fun, but they weren’t Jessica. They were patient, but they weren’t Jessica. They let me have my music loud, but they weren’t Jessica. Finding a good travel partner is like having a great dancing partner....they flow and bend together, and that’s the great relationship that we have! I am so very thankful for you Black Mamba! (Jessica’s snake name....we all need a snake name right?).

Last night was an OkaZHI fundraiser and social event at UBCO. I have to give my team so much credit for pulling it off and it was a great success! Currently we are planning our next trip to Zambia which is in approximately 2 weeks....The amount of planning, preparation, and course development that is going on right now is enough for everyone to be working full time just on OkaZHI work alone! In spite of this we were able to pull off a very successful event with over 100 participants. I am so grateful for our braai’ing team, our fantastic servers and volunteers from UBCO nursing school, and our OkaZHI members for their incredible social skills!

It was neat for me to have 2 special members in the audience. My Mom and Dad came from Prince George and were able to attend their first OkaZHI event. I have to admit that I was a little nervous to present in front of them, even though I have presented many times before. I was glad they were finally able to meet members of our team that have been such a huge support!

On that note, let me talk about the OkaZHI team. How is it that we have found a group that works so well together? We all have a very strong work ethic that is paired quite nicely with our sense of laughter. I love that we are able to work together to brain storm solutions to a problem...I love that we are able to meet 5, 6, 7 times a month and not be sick of each other....I love that we are able to exuberate that same sense of laughter that I see in our Zambian colleagues. I love our passion. We have all given so much of ourselves in so many ways but all for a common goal. Can you imagine if the rest of the world had the same sense of collegiality; it would be a different world!

Two weeks....Can you believe we are back at it again? I cannot wait to see our friends and family in Lusaka, Mongu, and surrounding areas. We have been blessed to have a fantastic hardworking team on the ground in Zambia as well! This will be our biggest team to go to Mongu which means 15 times the fun....So watch out Mongu here we come!

Reflections from Home...

The Dynamic Duo enjoying life out on the road

Now that I have had some down time at home in Canada, I have been able to take the time to read through our old blogs. WOW have we ever come a long way, and WOW have we ever been on a wild ride. Coming back home gives me the chance to take a step back and truly reflect on the affects that my African journey has had on my life. Just to think it was only two short years ago we began our work in Zambia. And it was really only just over 3 years ago that I touched down on African soil for the very first time.

There is just something about being on the road and experiencing new things that charges me on life. I’ve been able to experience history, soak up the culture, and see some of the most beautiful places in the world. I’ve have had to nurse and teach in some of the most extreme conditions and push myself to my so called ‘limits’. Through those times I have experienced my own personal lows, yet also have felt my own personal highs. When I get home and it comes time to describe my latest trip to family and friends, I can never quite seem to explain everything I saw, the people I met, or how I felt at the time. I know all my travels are something I won't ever properly be able to explain. There are words and then there are life experiences, and sometimes those words can never quite do justice to the feeling you had inside while you were there experiencing it for yourself.

With each trip back I feel myself growing further and further away from my old life. Traveling really is all about finding yourself and gaining new perspectives. Personally I’ve grown as much in the past 3 years than I did in my first 24 years on this planet. Sometimes it is hard for people to understand why I travel and choose to work abroad. In my travels I’ve had amazing experiences with people and landscapes. This is what keeps me motivated to travel and nurse abroad, and it is what keeps me out on the road. I miss the road, and I constantly miss the adventure. I need this continuous new outlook on life that traveling brings.

With one of our mentors Fay Karp

I know I won’t be able to keep up this pace for the rest of my life. But for now this means seizing whatever opportunity comes my way and altering my decisions so that I can be out on the road a few months of the year. If fully believe if you really want something bad enough, you will make the proper sacrifices to get there. Lianne and I are the perfect example. For this traveling duo ‘sacrifices’ have meant giving up houses, cars, an income, and potential long-term relationships. While we are away everyone’s life back home still moves forward and we do miss out on our friends and family members’ own life changing events…babies don’t seem to wait for Auntie Jessica and Auntie Lianne to get home! We have been continuously supported by our colleagues, families and friends, and without them would never have been able to achieve a quarter of what we have already.

As our adventures continue, I count myself very lucky to have found the perfect travel mate. Being out on the road with Lianne just makes my trips that much better. When it comes down to it we couldn't be more opposite, but do we ever work well together. In the end we really do balance each other out. I don't know how many times we have been lost, stuck on the side of the road, or huddled in our near flooded tent… in these situations she always has the ability to make me laugh. Life out on the road can be stressful at times....say when you are lost driving around the streets of Maputo!...or say after the chain has fallen off your bike 10 times in one day! We most certainly have taken that frustration out on each other. But the best part is always about thirty minutes later we laugh at how silly that was and how sorry we are to have let it get to us. Now that is an important quality in a travel partner.

Stuck on the side of the road with a flat in Botswana

After 4X4ing (in a rental car) through the mud in Mozambique

Really these past couple of years have only been a launchpad for the future, just prepping us for what is to come. Our organization, Okanagan –Zambia Health Initiative is growing fast, and I have never been more proud of the work we are doing in Western Province. I count my Zambian colleagues as some of my closest friends, and I can’t wait to head back ‘home’ to see them in October. Together we will improve health for the people of Western Province, I have no doubt.

Home Sweet Home in Mongu

With our good friend-Dr. Francis Liywalii

Our greatest challenge will always be how do we top this? How is it that each adventure just keeps getting better and better? One day I know I will probably be tired of the road, but one thing is for certain..I haven’t had that feeling yet. Traveling isn't like a light switch that you can just flick off, it's in you..it becomes part of you. One day I hope to say that ‘I’ve seen the world’, but that day isn’t here yet. In fact, I think it is only just beginning.

Just another African sunset...

“Adventure is a path. Real adventure – self-determined, self-motivated, often risky – forces you to have firsthand encounters with the world. The world the way it is, not the way you imagine it. Your body will collide with the earth and you will bear witness. In this way you will be compelled to grapple with the limitless kindness and bottomless cruelty of humankind – and perhaps realize that you yourself are capable of both. This will change you. Nothing will ever again be black-and-white.” – Mark Jenkins

Thank-you Africa for opening my eyes and shaping me into the person I am today.

-JESSICA

Why I Heart ZAMBIA (April 16th, 2010)

We have spent the last two weeks navigating our way through Zambia, and biking my way through has given me a whole new appreciation for this country. Although I have in the past driven all of the roads we have biked across, doing this trip has allowed me to see, hear and feel the heart of Zambia just that much more. Biking allows you the freedom to stop along the way and to integrate with the people. Again, I find myself continually appreciating how friendly the Zambians are…they are the reason why I am here. I have also been able to appreciate the different terrain this country has to offer. In Mongu we are immersed by the Zambezi flood plain and the sand of Western Province…in Eastern Province we got to see the lush, forest filled hills, and in the south it is the farms and sugar plantations that line the route where we cycled. What a beautiful place. Now ok back to cycling those hills of eastern province, they are really hilly! Most times the muscles in my legs sure didn’t appreciate those hills, but sure was a great way to train!

I have enjoyed my time with the other 60 riders on the Tour D’Afrique. Even though we have only been with them 2 weeks it already feels like we are one big family. There is nothing like 60 people all camping together in a bush camp…on the side of the road in Africa…with no running water…no bathrooms…to unite us together! The TDA riders are an eclectic bunch, from many different countries and all walks of life. But it doesn’t matter who you are, or where you come from because ALL of our bike shorts smell bad. If that doesn’t bring you together, than what does in life..right?!

I will never forget our last day of riding as we cruised into Livingstone. We had just spent the last 20 kms on pretty terrible gravel roads. I was having a hard time trying to navigate the dirt and gravel with my small road bike tires. My arms were sore from trying to keep myself stable on my bike, and my hands were cramping from clutching my handle bars so tight and trying not to fall off my bike. I kept thinking to myself ‘Why haven’t paved this road already! Then we came to the crest of the hill, and all of a sudden we are overlooking the town of Livingstone. I look up to see the beautiful mist of Victoria Falls, my motivation to just keep going! There is a reason why Vic Falls is called in the local language ‘The Smoke That Thunders’…the smoke is really thundering right now. Right now in Zambia the rainy season has just peaked, which means the waters of Vic Falls are the highest they are going to be all year. What a perfect way to finish off our bike trip, I will never forget that sight. Also yet another bonus was we hit the smooth pavement, no more gravel roads to navigate through!

Overall I am so proud of myself and my other two musketeers, Lianne and Bill. We have biked long and hard, and done better than we all could have ever expected. (especially after not having been on a bike until last year). Overall my personal lesson learned is that I can really do whatever I put my mind to. Out there on the road I had a few down times when I didn’t think my legs muscles could push myself along anymore. I just kept telling myself to keep going…and I did! The other, more overlying motivation to do this bike ride was for one thing, the Lozi people of Western Province. The more time I spend in Mongu and in Western Province, the more I feel at home. I love being able to nurse in a hospital filled with doctors and nurses with whom I respect. Nothing makes me more proud than to do this bike ride for them. In honour of our tribe living in Western Province, I wore my white Lozi bracelet the whole time while biking. Whenever I had a tough time out on the road, I looked down at my Lozi bracelet and said to myself ‘this is the reason why I am here, these are the people for why I am riding my bike across Zambia..keep pedaling!’ And I did.

Jessica

Oh The Places You'll Go (April 16th, 2010)

I think our experience as a part of Tour D’Afrique has been described by my two friends who have a beautiful vernacular, and therefore I will try to describe the experience from a humorous standpoint.

Firstly I would like to ask who thought I would be able to ride over 1000km in the African Sun??? Exactly…I didn’t either! But we all did it, and we did it gracefully. This time in Africa I have learned many things, but one of the most inspirational being the power of believing in oneself. The three of us really really wanted this bike ride and we trained and we rode hard….and the payout was the completion of a very difficult event. It goes to show that you really can do anything if you put your mind to it.

Secondly, I would love to express my passion for nursing. How we linked nursing with riding your bike across an African country is still mind boggling, but it has been done! I’ve enjoyed spending my time with the two nurses on the tour and learning the art of fluid replacement, rash management, and sadle soreology…..which I may or may not have been a patient of the later ailment.

Looking back it is hard to believe it is over. What is even more surprising is how much I am going to miss it. Who in their right mind would miss waking up at 5 am, packing up the tent again, and applying cream to a very sore bottom only to get on your bicycle to ride over 150km in the hot African sun? I do…and it makes me want to do it over again!

One of the finer memories from this trip was the noises you would hear at night…they were pretty much the typical African sounds, dogs barking, people dancing and playing music, and those darn roosters crowing all night. But wait….don’t those roosters belong to the tour staff?? On a few occasions the local staff who drove the support vehicles bought roosters to eat. However, they often took a few days to prepare the meals and riders patience would slowly be pushed as the roosters kept us up at all hours of the night.

Another favorite memory of mine was day 3 without running water…Not that bad, I know. But 3 days of riding your bike and producing more sweat than you ever have in your life and knowing you have to share a tent, that is a little more challenging. We were quite good at using the sun to “sterilize” your clothes and baby wipes to shower with. But on day 3 we stayed at a camp with a water pump. I will never forget the sheer joy on peoples face as people took turns inching themselves under the water pump for a shot of fresh skin sans salt!

On a serious note, I will truly miss the amazing food. Who would not love 4 solid meals a day with the portion sizes enough to feed a mother pregnant with triplets? The best part was the guilt free feeling that was accompanied by a hard day of riding. I am currently working on shrinking my stomach back down for my return home.

So in closing I want to express how much I have enjoyed the members of Tour D’Afrique, my fellow riders, and my two closest friends Bill and Jessica. I feel quite sad to know that this trip has come to an end, but on the positive side I am left with new outdoor enthusiast friends, stronger relations with my existing colleagues, and a deeper love for Zambia and it’s beautiful people.

I love biking. I love Zambia. I love these times of my life!

Kilimanjaro next year team?

Lianne