Most of the week so far has been working on homebased care in the mornings and the orphanage in the afternoons.
Home based care was with the Maramba team Monday and Tuesday. Both these days were spent in different zones. Monday was in an area called Zekko and Maramba extension. Here i bathed a lady in her home (a very different experience to giving a bed bath) and met a few of the other patients. Tuesday i went into zone B, this consists of Maramba compound and Malota. These areas are very busy and noisy, lots of markets, music and crowded. Malota has a high rate of HIV and TB and this is often a result of the Shabings (illegal beer houses).
Wednesday i spent the morning at Libuyu clinic and with the homebased care team. The clinic was really busy and was a bit confused as there was no clinical medical officer to be seen, just two nurses and there was a really poorly man and a baby that came in. Libuye is quite different to Maramba and Malota, its quite quiet.
The orphanage is good fun, we have been teaching the children how to read. Tuesday i was listening to two girls (Dolly and Chambwa) read. They were actually very good but seemed a bit obsessed with my hair. Anyway once the reading was finished they started to braid my hair, three of them at once, I wouldn't mind but it hurts, they are so heavy handed for 8 year olds. They do it tight as well takes a while to remove it.
The rest of the week is mainly work really, have a few things planned at the weekend, Zambezi sun, Victoria falls, another cruise down the Zambezi river, watching the sunset at the Royal Livingstone and lots of other fun and games. All this prior to my transfer to Zimbabwe on Monday 5th February. I will probably do another blog entry before.
Take care
Love
Andreaxx
Wednesday 31 January 2007
Saturday 27 January 2007
Home Based Care and a bit of Painting
Hello hope everyone is well!!
I am fine, most of the week i have been working on home based care in the Maramba area, but different zones. The man i was telling you about we managed to get him to hospital but had to pay for the truck, it cost 50,000 kwacha and 10,000 for him to register, this is roughly about 8 pounds, i know its not a lot but to the Zambians here it is a lot of money and the family would never have been able to get him in to hospital. Anyway he is in hospital now and is doing well and as volunteers we are the talk of the town for helping him-or so i have been told. It is quite upsetting really that in the UK getting some one to hospital is only a phone call away but here it needs planning . Thursday i went on homebased care but stayed in the grounds and helped the manager formulate her monthly report for Zambian International. In the afternoons this week i have bee either on the farm or painting one of the schools in Dambwa, an area in Livingstone, good fun but hard work in the heat.
In the evenings it is quite a social event, there is a bar that reminds me of Thornberries and we just go in there and chat with other volunteers. Next week is my fourth week, i cross over to Zimbabwe on the 5th February. I will miss Zambia as i love it, but if the rest of the trip is as good as the first part i will love the rest of it too.
Keep your comments and emails coming, its great to here from everybody.
Love
Andreaxx
I am fine, most of the week i have been working on home based care in the Maramba area, but different zones. The man i was telling you about we managed to get him to hospital but had to pay for the truck, it cost 50,000 kwacha and 10,000 for him to register, this is roughly about 8 pounds, i know its not a lot but to the Zambians here it is a lot of money and the family would never have been able to get him in to hospital. Anyway he is in hospital now and is doing well and as volunteers we are the talk of the town for helping him-or so i have been told. It is quite upsetting really that in the UK getting some one to hospital is only a phone call away but here it needs planning . Thursday i went on homebased care but stayed in the grounds and helped the manager formulate her monthly report for Zambian International. In the afternoons this week i have bee either on the farm or painting one of the schools in Dambwa, an area in Livingstone, good fun but hard work in the heat.
In the evenings it is quite a social event, there is a bar that reminds me of Thornberries and we just go in there and chat with other volunteers. Next week is my fourth week, i cross over to Zimbabwe on the 5th February. I will miss Zambia as i love it, but if the rest of the trip is as good as the first part i will love the rest of it too.
Keep your comments and emails coming, its great to here from everybody.
Love
Andreaxx
Saturday 20 January 2007
Home based care and a bit of farming!
Hello
how is everyone?
Today has been really interesting, i have been working on a project called Home based care, this is where a volunteer goes with local volunteers into the villages to see sick people and give them advice or recommend measures to improve their symptoms. Its fascinating all these little communities which are hidden, it takes a while to reach them and the walk in the heat is quite hard work but its worth it, although some of the alleyways smell of human waste (strong stomach needed). I saw a lady with HIV but here it is called chronically ill as it is extremely taboo and do not like it mentioned, she had malaria but also had TB, but had lapsed with her medication on numerous times, so it was just advising her that once she had finished her tablets for malaria to go back to the clinic for her TB drugs. Then we saw a few more people but i won't go through each one but dealth with various inquiries such as TB related, one man had a stroke. There was also one man who really needed to go to hospital and we were going to take him in a taxi, but when i assessed him he could not walk, bend and was in a lot of pain. So we decided to go back to the clinic to get the stretcher and an ambulance. As there is only one ambulance in Livingstone we were not allowed to use it so i asked one of the local volunteers if we could get a van- you know what he said- " how much are you willing to pay?" Honestly, here there is no such thing as charity, everyone is out to make money. Its so unfair on these people.
In the afternoon, i went to work down on the farm it was so hot, hard work but satisfying, i wouldn't mind being a farmer.
Speak to you all soon
Andreaxxxx
how is everyone?
Today has been really interesting, i have been working on a project called Home based care, this is where a volunteer goes with local volunteers into the villages to see sick people and give them advice or recommend measures to improve their symptoms. Its fascinating all these little communities which are hidden, it takes a while to reach them and the walk in the heat is quite hard work but its worth it, although some of the alleyways smell of human waste (strong stomach needed). I saw a lady with HIV but here it is called chronically ill as it is extremely taboo and do not like it mentioned, she had malaria but also had TB, but had lapsed with her medication on numerous times, so it was just advising her that once she had finished her tablets for malaria to go back to the clinic for her TB drugs. Then we saw a few more people but i won't go through each one but dealth with various inquiries such as TB related, one man had a stroke. There was also one man who really needed to go to hospital and we were going to take him in a taxi, but when i assessed him he could not walk, bend and was in a lot of pain. So we decided to go back to the clinic to get the stretcher and an ambulance. As there is only one ambulance in Livingstone we were not allowed to use it so i asked one of the local volunteers if we could get a van- you know what he said- " how much are you willing to pay?" Honestly, here there is no such thing as charity, everyone is out to make money. Its so unfair on these people.
In the afternoon, i went to work down on the farm it was so hot, hard work but satisfying, i wouldn't mind being a farmer.
Speak to you all soon
Andreaxxxx
Mwauka Bwangi (Good Morning)
Mulibwangi (How are you)?
Can not believe a week has gone by since i wrote in the blog properly. This week has been my first full week of working in the clinics and on the projects although it turned out that i did not work a full week.
Monday and Tuesday i worked at a clinic called Libuyu clinic in the LIbuyu area of livingstone. This is one of the poorest areas of livingstone, here i took temperatures, blood pressures and weight prior to them seeing the Clinical Medical Officer. I can not remember if i told you but in Zambia they have nurses that are given a certificate of Clinical Medicial Officer, it can not be used any where else, this is to encourage nurses to stay in Zambia. A lot of medical staff and nursing staff leave Zambia to work else where , where the pay is better. Unfortunately this leaves Zambia short of medical workers and the need for volunteers. In the afternoon i spent time at the orphanage playng with the children, which is always good fun. I have got used to the children insisting on calling me Anti now.
Wedensday i went to Maramba clinic again, baby weighing, and i even spent time in the Laboratory preparing sputum for smear testing. In the afternoon i went down on the farm preparing a crop for plantation with the others. The peacefulness was really good a change from the orphanage where its a wonder i don't wear ear muffs.
From Wedensday evening onwards i started to feel Sinili Bwino (Not fine). My throat was incredibly sore and found eating quite painful. So i took Thursday off, by Friday morning it was worse and i was sick, so off to the local hospital i went. Had quite a nasty infection in my throat and they offered my injections but i politely declined and thought no matter how painful swallowing is i WILL swallow those pills. So now i have medical records in Zambia and the pills are free, you just have to pay 10,000 kwacha to register (about 1 pound 60). Any way after lots of sleep and a day of antibiotics i am Nili bwino (feeling good).
Can not believe i am about to go into my third week, how quick has that gone! Oh i meant to say the man that drank the Zinc oxide is getting better, still in hospital but recovering.
Keep in touch
Love
Andrea
Can not believe a week has gone by since i wrote in the blog properly. This week has been my first full week of working in the clinics and on the projects although it turned out that i did not work a full week.
Monday and Tuesday i worked at a clinic called Libuyu clinic in the LIbuyu area of livingstone. This is one of the poorest areas of livingstone, here i took temperatures, blood pressures and weight prior to them seeing the Clinical Medical Officer. I can not remember if i told you but in Zambia they have nurses that are given a certificate of Clinical Medicial Officer, it can not be used any where else, this is to encourage nurses to stay in Zambia. A lot of medical staff and nursing staff leave Zambia to work else where , where the pay is better. Unfortunately this leaves Zambia short of medical workers and the need for volunteers. In the afternoon i spent time at the orphanage playng with the children, which is always good fun. I have got used to the children insisting on calling me Anti now.
Wedensday i went to Maramba clinic again, baby weighing, and i even spent time in the Laboratory preparing sputum for smear testing. In the afternoon i went down on the farm preparing a crop for plantation with the others. The peacefulness was really good a change from the orphanage where its a wonder i don't wear ear muffs.
From Wedensday evening onwards i started to feel Sinili Bwino (Not fine). My throat was incredibly sore and found eating quite painful. So i took Thursday off, by Friday morning it was worse and i was sick, so off to the local hospital i went. Had quite a nasty infection in my throat and they offered my injections but i politely declined and thought no matter how painful swallowing is i WILL swallow those pills. So now i have medical records in Zambia and the pills are free, you just have to pay 10,000 kwacha to register (about 1 pound 60). Any way after lots of sleep and a day of antibiotics i am Nili bwino (feeling good).
Can not believe i am about to go into my third week, how quick has that gone! Oh i meant to say the man that drank the Zinc oxide is getting better, still in hospital but recovering.
Keep in touch
Love
Andrea
Monday 15 January 2007
i can't email
hello
just a quick one, we are having trouble using hotmail out here, so i am sorry for the lack of emails. Once i can get back on i will be sending lots xxxx Andrea
just a quick one, we are having trouble using hotmail out here, so i am sorry for the lack of emails. Once i can get back on i will be sending lots xxxx Andrea
Sunday 14 January 2007
It's amazing!!!
hello
i am really sorry i haven't been using this as much as what i thought but i have been a bit busy, just settling in and all the other stuff thats going on, but as promised i am about to fill you in! Monday involved a tour of Livingstone village, it is a typical African village, lots of red coloured roads and lots of green, it really is an amazing view. I am staying at a house with 9 other girls and we are roughly all around the same age and everyone is really friendly. There are also two other houses, one which contains about 10 others, younger though and a new one with a nice pool. No one stays there yet but we can use the pool.
Tuesday- we had our induction, we talked about the clinics and what projects we would like to be involved in. In the morning you either do a morning of teaching, medical or home based care (bit like community nursing but with unpaid locals doing all the work). In the afternoon you get involved in a variety of projects, 1) farming peppers which are used to discourage elephants from destroying the crops but they also sell them to buy medical supplies. 2) orphage where you either play with the children or help building a new sleeping place for the children, or 3) do sports with the children. In the afternoon we went to the orphanage to have a look around and introduce ourselves to the children.
Wednesday- went to maramba clinic, this is one of the largest clinics in LIvingstone town, they have baby weighing clinics, vaccinations, so you help there and then once finished you can go and help in the pharmacy, general clinics, ante natal or in the laboratory. In the afternoon we went to the orphange, i had 3 children braiding my hair, think i might get dreads (joke). In the evening we had some tea and the went to a bar called raphsodys for a cocktail or two (happy hour two for the price of one), very nice.
Thursday- we got up at 5am and went to one of the National parks called Mose-o-Tuny, this was fantastic, i saw zebras, giraffes, Impalas (kind of Gisele) and vervet monkeys, that have blue testicles, oh and a few baboons. In the afternoon we had a language lesson, the local language is Chinyanja. So when i am confident i will try a few words out. After this we had lunch and then went to a local village calledKahundi village which has been in place since 1300s. Our tour guide was the chiefs son. I have some really good pictures of this village so hopefully i will be able to post them on the blog soon. Again it is a typical African village, lots of little huts, we even tasted the beer (just looked like cement to me but it did taste like beer. Ten years ago the Japanese, German, British and US embasseys paid for the village to have water pumps, before this they had to walk 4km to get water. In the evening we went to the new house with the pool and had a barbecue. When got back to our house we looke in to the sky and clearer than clear was orion just above the house, very beautiful, this was the most amazing day.
Friday- probably the toughest day i have had yet, i was working at Maramaba clinic weighing babies when we were asked to assist with a man that had been brought in by a taxi, he had taken an overdose of zinc oxide (rat poison). He was in such a mess, the stuff smelt awful, but there was no Doctor at the clinic so we had to take him to the local hospital in another taxi practically unconscious, it was not nice at all. I don't think he will live but even if he does he will be put in jail and scentenced as suicide is illeagal here. Will find out on MOnday what happens to him.
Saturday-did some somebathing at a local hotel resort called the Zambezi sun (very posh) it has a lovely pool and because it is part of the national park vervet monkeys and sometimes zebras come up to you and say hello while you are sunbathing, it is amazing. In the evening we went on a cruise up the zambezi river, took a great picture of the elephants in the water, i tried to get the hippos to but every time i got the camera out they kept diasppearing, amazing experience though.
Sunday, just emailing then going back to Zambezi sun. As i keep saying it is amazing here, everyone says it, you can't help it but it truly is amazing. Keep in touch and i will email soon.
AndreaX
i am really sorry i haven't been using this as much as what i thought but i have been a bit busy, just settling in and all the other stuff thats going on, but as promised i am about to fill you in! Monday involved a tour of Livingstone village, it is a typical African village, lots of red coloured roads and lots of green, it really is an amazing view. I am staying at a house with 9 other girls and we are roughly all around the same age and everyone is really friendly. There are also two other houses, one which contains about 10 others, younger though and a new one with a nice pool. No one stays there yet but we can use the pool.
Tuesday- we had our induction, we talked about the clinics and what projects we would like to be involved in. In the morning you either do a morning of teaching, medical or home based care (bit like community nursing but with unpaid locals doing all the work). In the afternoon you get involved in a variety of projects, 1) farming peppers which are used to discourage elephants from destroying the crops but they also sell them to buy medical supplies. 2) orphage where you either play with the children or help building a new sleeping place for the children, or 3) do sports with the children. In the afternoon we went to the orphanage to have a look around and introduce ourselves to the children.
Wednesday- went to maramba clinic, this is one of the largest clinics in LIvingstone town, they have baby weighing clinics, vaccinations, so you help there and then once finished you can go and help in the pharmacy, general clinics, ante natal or in the laboratory. In the afternoon we went to the orphange, i had 3 children braiding my hair, think i might get dreads (joke). In the evening we had some tea and the went to a bar called raphsodys for a cocktail or two (happy hour two for the price of one), very nice.
Thursday- we got up at 5am and went to one of the National parks called Mose-o-Tuny, this was fantastic, i saw zebras, giraffes, Impalas (kind of Gisele) and vervet monkeys, that have blue testicles, oh and a few baboons. In the afternoon we had a language lesson, the local language is Chinyanja. So when i am confident i will try a few words out. After this we had lunch and then went to a local village calledKahundi village which has been in place since 1300s. Our tour guide was the chiefs son. I have some really good pictures of this village so hopefully i will be able to post them on the blog soon. Again it is a typical African village, lots of little huts, we even tasted the beer (just looked like cement to me but it did taste like beer. Ten years ago the Japanese, German, British and US embasseys paid for the village to have water pumps, before this they had to walk 4km to get water. In the evening we went to the new house with the pool and had a barbecue. When got back to our house we looke in to the sky and clearer than clear was orion just above the house, very beautiful, this was the most amazing day.
Friday- probably the toughest day i have had yet, i was working at Maramaba clinic weighing babies when we were asked to assist with a man that had been brought in by a taxi, he had taken an overdose of zinc oxide (rat poison). He was in such a mess, the stuff smelt awful, but there was no Doctor at the clinic so we had to take him to the local hospital in another taxi practically unconscious, it was not nice at all. I don't think he will live but even if he does he will be put in jail and scentenced as suicide is illeagal here. Will find out on MOnday what happens to him.
Saturday-did some somebathing at a local hotel resort called the Zambezi sun (very posh) it has a lovely pool and because it is part of the national park vervet monkeys and sometimes zebras come up to you and say hello while you are sunbathing, it is amazing. In the evening we went on a cruise up the zambezi river, took a great picture of the elephants in the water, i tried to get the hippos to but every time i got the camera out they kept diasppearing, amazing experience though.
Sunday, just emailing then going back to Zambezi sun. As i keep saying it is amazing here, everyone says it, you can't help it but it truly is amazing. Keep in touch and i will email soon.
AndreaX
Tuesday 9 January 2007
i am in Zambia
hello, misssing everbody all ready. Finally arrived in Zambia yesterday after three flights, did not feel fresh at all. House is nice where i am staying and have net some nice people all ready. At Johannesburg airport i had a conversation with an Environmental scientist and an embassador from Naimibia.
Livingstone is very hot but i am enjoyng it so far. This week is more of an induction week really, but going to start getting into the projects tomorrow more.
thanks for your email and comments. I had some problems emailing people , so will try again. Sorry if i send duplicate emails to people.
Andrea
Livingstone is very hot but i am enjoyng it so far. This week is more of an induction week really, but going to start getting into the projects tomorrow more.
thanks for your email and comments. I had some problems emailing people , so will try again. Sorry if i send duplicate emails to people.
Andrea
Saturday 6 January 2007
Shattered
hello
just about finished off my packing, did not think for one minute it would take me so long, but basically i had far too much stuff! Going to have a soak in the tub and then chill for tomorrow. I will be up at 7am to get ready, flying from Manchester to Heathrow at 1115. I am meeting my brother at heathrow as my flight to Johannesburg is not until 1750. I will probably arrive in Zambia early afternoon Monday 8th, so quite abit of travelling ahead.
Thanks again to everyone who gave me pressies and cards wishing me luck, you have all given me a real good send off. Speak to you all soon.
Andreaxxx
just about finished off my packing, did not think for one minute it would take me so long, but basically i had far too much stuff! Going to have a soak in the tub and then chill for tomorrow. I will be up at 7am to get ready, flying from Manchester to Heathrow at 1115. I am meeting my brother at heathrow as my flight to Johannesburg is not until 1750. I will probably arrive in Zambia early afternoon Monday 8th, so quite abit of travelling ahead.
Thanks again to everyone who gave me pressies and cards wishing me luck, you have all given me a real good send off. Speak to you all soon.
Andreaxxx
Thursday 4 January 2007
Three Days To Go
I thought i would be writing in this thing everyday, but i just haven't had the time, i have been getting all my jobs done before i go. I managed to get my essays in which was a big relief, no more studying for a while now. I have had a few sleepless nights as the nerves are really starting to kick in, i feel like i am about to present to a group of students, nervous, not really sure I want to do it, but its coming anyway and there is nothing I can do about it apart from get on with it (just nervous though).
I have really tried hard to travel light (not taking a hairdryer) but i still seem to have loads of stuff to put in my ruck sack, hope i can carry it Sorted some accomodation out for my first week in Sydney, booked three nights in a hostel and three nights in a nice hotel, for a treat. Then i have one night alredy booked prior to the 6 week tour in Australia. It is all coming together now quite nicely.
love
Andrea
I have really tried hard to travel light (not taking a hairdryer) but i still seem to have loads of stuff to put in my ruck sack, hope i can carry it Sorted some accomodation out for my first week in Sydney, booked three nights in a hostel and three nights in a nice hotel, for a treat. Then i have one night alredy booked prior to the 6 week tour in Australia. It is all coming together now quite nicely.
love
Andrea
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