People ask me, ‘Bill, why do you go to Western Province to do your work?’
As stories go, it’s a short one……..
Five years ago, reaching a point in my life where I would be free to give back to Africa, the continent of my childhood, I set out in search of my University of Toronto Medical School classmate, Chifumbe Chintu.
He was easy to find. The Professor of Paediatrics from the day he returned to Zambia, then the only trained Paediatrician in the country, he’s now an international icon in terms of his multiple and diverse contributions to health care in Africa.
In the bowels of the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka, there was my graduation class picture on the wall of his office.
At different times, most of my family members have been to Zambia with me, Rebeccah, Bev, Sarah, Mary Ellen and Rachel. I attended a Freeman Patterson photo workshop in Namaqaland in the Western Cape with Martha. Mar, you are next to come with me to Zambia.
Chifumbe directed me to Dean Mulla, who asked if I could help to develop Thoracic Surgery in Zambia. It did not take long for me to realize that Thoracic Surgery development in Zambia wasn’t going to happen any time soon. In Canada, and other first world countries, we cantilever Thoracic Surgery off a sophisticated General Surgery platform. Here in Zambia, surgical development is still quite basic, especially in rural areas.
Over the next three years, I met with several Surgery types in Lusaka but never gained any traction. I arranged to spend a month with one surgeon one year. When I arrived, he was away. He had forgotten my offer to work with him, and so I began looking elsewhere.
Along the way, I met with Dr Margaret Maimbolwa, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Medicine – and it was here that we began to make headway.
Through Margaret we saw a Memorandum of Understanding between UBC Okanagan and University of Zambia come to fruition. The long-term outcome for this MoU will likely be in the field of Nursing education and simulation lab teaching.
Through Margaret we were directed to support health activities in Western Province, sometimes known as the ‘neglected province.’
Lianne and Jessica, then recent graduates from UBC Okanagan School of Nursing, had volunteered to go to Mongu, Capital of Western Province to teach at the local two-year diploma Nursing School there.
Knowing nothing about Mongu, the needs, the suitability of such a venture, safety issues, housing options and a raft of other issues, I took it upon myself to go to Mongu in person to check it out.
It was in Mongu that I met Dr Andrew Silumesii, CEO of the Lewanika General Hospital, and with nursing school-teachers Mumbuwa Silumbu and Pelina Chibanje. Administratively, the School of Nursing also comes under Dr Silumesii’s purview.
This was just the beginning of what would develop into wonderful friendships with these colleagues and with many others.
Jessica and Lianne taught at the Nursing School for six months. They stayed with Sister Christina at one of the Catholic Orders. They built relationships with all and sundry. In doing so, not only did the citizens of Mongu take them into their collective hearts, but also they returned their affections in equal part.
They became known fondly as our ‘makuwa Lozi girls’; white women trying to learn their local language.
And then, like in Malcolm Gladwell’s ‘The Tipping Point’, as if like gifts from the gods, others signed up to join our Zambian mission; Gary O’Connor – Orthopaedic Surgeon, Linda Hawker – Family Physician, Cameron O’Connor – then UofA Science graduate, now medical student, Kim Lefevre – Neurosurgeon, Tim Murphy and Ken McKenzie - Family Physicians, Felour Berlouzi and Nicole Arnt – Registered Nurses, Glynn Jones – Hospitalist, Joan Basset-Smith, Fay Karp, Joan Bottorff, Carole Robinson and Muriel Kranabetter – all Faculty members at UBC Okanagan, Tom Kinahan – Urologist, and my daughter Rebeccah – a very experienced consultant in international development.
We teamed up with the Canadian Network for International Surgery. In October 2009 we took an Essential Surgical Skills course to train 24 local physicians, medical licentiates, clinical officers and one Nurse Practitioner. Of course, Jessica and Lianne came with us to develop the nursing components to the ESS course, something CNIS had yet to do. We stayed at a new 12 bed house run by Sister Kathy of the Presentation Sisters.
In February 2010, Fay Jess and Lianne lead a successful 7-week student elective to Mongu for 10 UBC Okanagan fourth year nursing students.
We founded the Okanagan Zambia Health Initiative as a registered structure in Canada. Check us out at
http://www.okazhi.org
Then, Jessica Lianne and I joined up with the Tour d’Afrique to raise awareness of our work.
You can see the rest of the story at
http://cyclingforzambia.blogspot.com
The media event in Lusaka on April 12, 2010, was most satisfying for all of us. As you will see from our photos, posted at the blogspot, all of our most valuable and trusted colleagues and advisors were there; Dr Margaret Maimbolwa, Professor Chifumbe Chintu, Dr Andrew Silumesii and Dr Chayza Sikambale.
This year, as a group, we were awarded the ‘Volunteer of the Year’ award by the Canadian Network for International Surgery for our work in Western province. We were humbled and honoured.
We will return again to Western province this October.
I’ll post another blog sometime soon on our philosophy of medical health care support – the model that is defining our work.
For now, I’ve got to get my beauty sleep – at 06.30 hours tomorrow we ride out of Zambia, crossing the Zambezi river by ferry, entering Botswana - another one of my favourite countries…………
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Jessica's second Victoria Falls blog - Why I love Zambia.
Why I Love Zambia
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.
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's first Victoria Falls blog - the Beginning.......
The Beginning……
Sometimes I have to ask myself why I decide to do the things I do. In the months and weeks spent getting ready for this bike ride, I most certainly have had the ‘What was I thinking?!!” thought more than just a few times. Probably one of the main reasons for this thought is because until a year ago, I had not been on a bike in over 15 years. Now here we are riding over 1000 kms in just only 8 days, across Zambia. Although we were training in Mongu during the two months leading up to this bike ride, I don’t think anything can really prepare you for a bike ride like this. The days of riding are long, averaging about 150 kms/day, this is a pretty intimidating number for someone like me who has never ridden more than 30-40 kms in one day. (Never mind 5 consecutive days in a row!) Also yet another challenge is the fact that we are after all in Africa, which just in itself can be a challenging experience.
To decide to ride your bike across Zambia is certainly not something I would ever have guessed that I would be doing in my life! But here I am. It is certainly not something that I would ever have done on my own, so thank goodness for my other halves in this, Lianne and Bill. Over the past couple years I have been so proud of all the accomplishments we have been able to achieve with our work in Zambia. I am also amazed at all the things I have been able to do and see all over this continent. There is no way that I would have been able to achieve these wonderful things without Lianne and Bill, we really are like the ‘Three Musketeers’. I couldn’t ask for any two better people to be embarking on such a challenging journey. The best part about the three of us is that you just never know what we are going to do next….and now here we are at it again, with the ‘Three Musketeers’ riding our bikes across Zambia!
In the days leading up to joining the Tour D’Afrique in Malawi my feelings of nervousness and apprehension began to increase as the reality set in that I would soon be riding my bike across Zambia. The same thought just kept rolling in my head…. ‘Can I really can do this?!’ As we hopped on our bikes the first morning and rode out of Lilongwe, I was excited and feeling positive. Then we hit the first hill just outside of town, and my legs were already hurting! That was just the beginning of the mental game I had to play with myself on this trip. I just kept telling myself over and over to push it, and keep pedalling. Positive thoughts and words of wisdom from family and friends back home also helped too!
It didn’t take us long to get into the biking routine out on the road. By this time the Tour D’Afrique and all the riders (who have been here since Cairo, Egypt) are a well oiled machine. The day starts early at 0500, waking up and getting yourself and your tent all packed up. The sun is still not up at that point, so as you look across to the fields, schools, or churches where we are camping along the way, all you see is a dance of headlamps as everyone is packing up for the day. I call them the Tour D’Afrique fireflies! Now normally I am not a morning person, but being on the TDA makes you a morning person. The faster you get out on your bike, the faster you get to the next camp. It also means you get to escape the burning afternoon African sun.
There is no better way to experience a country by riding your bike through it. The TDA offers that chance, and has been the best part to joining this tour. Ok to tell you the truth some of my favourite memories have come from the times when take a rest on the road during our day of cycling. The ‘Three Musketeers’ have been known to stop once or twice at a ‘coke stop’. A coke stop is a TDA created term, by definition it is a local pub or rest stop in one of the villages along the way. Sometimes the cokes are cold, other times not so much…but this is Africa right?! Sometimes it just feels like I am just trying to pedal myself from one coke stop to the other….but I’m ok with it! We have even been known to take a few minutes on the side of the road for an afternoon nap. Together we share our energy bars, and remind each other to keep up on our H2O intake. We take off our sweaty helmets, lie down in the grass and give our bums much needed rest. (those saddle sores don’t take long to develop!) Although I do enjoy the days on the bike, nothing is more satisfying than seeing the orange flagging tape that signifies we have reached the next camp. Another of cycling done! The routine continues when we reach camp, and out comes the tent to be set-up…again. Dinner comes courtesy of our wonderful cook, James and then it is off to bed. Our early mornings mean that when the day of riding is done, we are all in bed at 7pm. I fall asleep so fast, barely even noticing the fact that I have no pillow. This is the time when I reminded how I don’t need much more than a backpack, a tent, and a bike to be happy in this world!
Sometimes I have to ask myself why I decide to do the things I do. In the months and weeks spent getting ready for this bike ride, I most certainly have had the ‘What was I thinking?!!” thought more than just a few times. Probably one of the main reasons for this thought is because until a year ago, I had not been on a bike in over 15 years. Now here we are riding over 1000 kms in just only 8 days, across Zambia. Although we were training in Mongu during the two months leading up to this bike ride, I don’t think anything can really prepare you for a bike ride like this. The days of riding are long, averaging about 150 kms/day, this is a pretty intimidating number for someone like me who has never ridden more than 30-40 kms in one day. (Never mind 5 consecutive days in a row!) Also yet another challenge is the fact that we are after all in Africa, which just in itself can be a challenging experience.
To decide to ride your bike across Zambia is certainly not something I would ever have guessed that I would be doing in my life! But here I am. It is certainly not something that I would ever have done on my own, so thank goodness for my other halves in this, Lianne and Bill. Over the past couple years I have been so proud of all the accomplishments we have been able to achieve with our work in Zambia. I am also amazed at all the things I have been able to do and see all over this continent. There is no way that I would have been able to achieve these wonderful things without Lianne and Bill, we really are like the ‘Three Musketeers’. I couldn’t ask for any two better people to be embarking on such a challenging journey. The best part about the three of us is that you just never know what we are going to do next….and now here we are at it again, with the ‘Three Musketeers’ riding our bikes across Zambia!
In the days leading up to joining the Tour D’Afrique in Malawi my feelings of nervousness and apprehension began to increase as the reality set in that I would soon be riding my bike across Zambia. The same thought just kept rolling in my head…. ‘Can I really can do this?!’ As we hopped on our bikes the first morning and rode out of Lilongwe, I was excited and feeling positive. Then we hit the first hill just outside of town, and my legs were already hurting! That was just the beginning of the mental game I had to play with myself on this trip. I just kept telling myself over and over to push it, and keep pedalling. Positive thoughts and words of wisdom from family and friends back home also helped too!
It didn’t take us long to get into the biking routine out on the road. By this time the Tour D’Afrique and all the riders (who have been here since Cairo, Egypt) are a well oiled machine. The day starts early at 0500, waking up and getting yourself and your tent all packed up. The sun is still not up at that point, so as you look across to the fields, schools, or churches where we are camping along the way, all you see is a dance of headlamps as everyone is packing up for the day. I call them the Tour D’Afrique fireflies! Now normally I am not a morning person, but being on the TDA makes you a morning person. The faster you get out on your bike, the faster you get to the next camp. It also means you get to escape the burning afternoon African sun.
There is no better way to experience a country by riding your bike through it. The TDA offers that chance, and has been the best part to joining this tour. Ok to tell you the truth some of my favourite memories have come from the times when take a rest on the road during our day of cycling. The ‘Three Musketeers’ have been known to stop once or twice at a ‘coke stop’. A coke stop is a TDA created term, by definition it is a local pub or rest stop in one of the villages along the way. Sometimes the cokes are cold, other times not so much…but this is Africa right?! Sometimes it just feels like I am just trying to pedal myself from one coke stop to the other….but I’m ok with it! We have even been known to take a few minutes on the side of the road for an afternoon nap. Together we share our energy bars, and remind each other to keep up on our H2O intake. We take off our sweaty helmets, lie down in the grass and give our bums much needed rest. (those saddle sores don’t take long to develop!) Although I do enjoy the days on the bike, nothing is more satisfying than seeing the orange flagging tape that signifies we have reached the next camp. Another of cycling done! The routine continues when we reach camp, and out comes the tent to be set-up…again. Dinner comes courtesy of our wonderful cook, James and then it is off to bed. Our early mornings mean that when the day of riding is done, we are all in bed at 7pm. I fall asleep so fast, barely even noticing the fact that I have no pillow. This is the time when I reminded how I don’t need much more than a backpack, a tent, and a bike to be happy in this world!
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