Jessica's Random Thoughts: One month before Zam

So one month till I return back to Africa! I find it interesting to think of where I was just one year ago. I had just returned from nursing in Ghana, West Africa. I remember the exact moment that I left Ghana, and as we were flying over Accra (the capital)..I said to myself ‘I just know I will come back to Africa’ So many people who have been to Africa talk about the impression the continent leaves on you..and it’s so true. Among many things, it is stunning, with so many neat places to explore and travel. The best part though..has to be the people! I have never met people so happy, so beautiful and so gracious and grateful for everything they have...even if they have very little. We have so much to learn from them.

Nursing in Ghana was definitely the beginning of something special. It gave me the courage to try other international nursing opportunities. When the opportunity arose this year to head off to Nicaragua, Central America with a surgical team from KGH, I jumped at it knowing it would be yet another life changing experience. And yes it does seem like I have the travel bug- baaaaaad! But it is just so perfect that I get to combine two things that are important to me – travel and nursing. I get to meet the most amazing people everywhere I go, and the best part of it all is how much I learn. Not only do I learn about other cultures and nursing in their environments, but I sure do learn a lot about myself.

Now it is time for Zambia. Lianne and I have been working towards this goal ever since we graduated. Why? Because as soon as we came back fom Ghana, we needed to find a way to nurse back in Africa. As it stands now, we will be teaching at Lewanika Nursing College in the rural town of Mongu, Zambia. But really without a couple key people none of this would have happened…..

The first is Gene Krupa, an professor within UBCO. Gene went to Zambia last year to initiate a partnership between our city Kelowna and a town in Zambia called Senanga. He was also there to begin a partnership between UBCO and the University of Zambia (UNZA). Once we found out Gene was going to Zambia we added another mission to his list..find nursing projects for Jessica and Lianne!! It is interesting because Gene was our instructor a few years ago..and he even taught us the Community Development piece to our nursing degree. The neat thing is now we are applying everything that he taught us in lecture. At the time I don’t think he ever thought we would be collaborating with us on these kind of projects!! And now look where we are….:)

Another important person with whom we have been working closely is Dr. Bill Nelems, a thoracic surgeon at KGH. His heart also lies in Africa, as he lived in Zambia as a boy. He was also very influential in establishing the connection between UBCO and UNZA. His vision is to improve the health of the Zambian people and has created a plan with his ‘Zambian Health Initiatives’. Me and Lianne teaching in Mongu is one of the first of these initiatives. The next will involve putting medical and surgical teams in North-western Zambia starting next year. Maybe we will just have to join in on that as well!

So as I see it right now..this is just the beginning of something very exciting. In the past couple of months things seem to be falling into place. There are partnerships and opportunities springing up all over the place for Zambia. I feel like we still have so much to learn. The great thing is that we have great mentors around us, all of whom can teach us so much. This really is the opportunity of a lifetime…can’t wait to see where it all leads...