bajmission.com
50 Days in
Zambia 2009
...the Summed Up version
by Chris
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The trip I took to the Copperbelt region of the African nation of Zambia in early fall was a
‘baby step’ towards working in extremely low-resource countries that desperately lack basic
healthcare and things such as safe water, shelter and sufficient food. The expensive ‘two days
of travel each way’ led to the decision to make it a longer trip than usual… so, 50 days in
Zambia!
The group I went to work with in Zambia, ‘Seeds of Hope Int’l Partnerships’ (SHIP) has
been working in the region for over 5 years ( www.sohip.org ). They have brought safe water
to over a quarter million people, and hygiene-sanitation training to thousands in the
Copperbelt region of this central-southern African country. The pre-flight plan was for me to
augment the hygiene-sanitation education with a kid’s health educational component for use
in community education.
However, once on the ground, SHIP asked me to change focus and look at ways that the
group could begin working in HIV/AIDS prevention and education. Given the prevalence of
HIV infection is 14.3% of the Zambian population (source: UNICEF, 2009), I welcomed the
chance to help in the efforts.
One solid month of time was spent conducting a comprehensive “HIV/AIDS Community
Resource” survey of greater Ndola, a city of 1.5 million people in northern Zambia. This is
the area where SHIP works, and included dozens of actual site visits and face-to-face
meetings with the people directly involved in HIV/AIDS-related services there. A
comprehensive guide was developed, and the results presented to the partnering agencies
working with SHIP. I also spent considerable time with SHIP’s hygiene-sanitation team to
begin formulating HIV/AIDS lesson plans for the community that can augment their water-
related training. As well, a number of HIV/AIDS prevention/educational materials were
examined and gathered together for potential use by a future HIV/AIDS community
educational department. A significant amount of resources were written and left with the
SHIP team for this future work.
Community HIV/AIDS workers in
Kanyala, outside of Ndola
Driving thru the better cowpaths
of Ndola to our next site visit...
bumpity-bump!
There were some special things that happened along the way of doing the HIV/AIDS
program development. These included meeting the Zambian Ambassador Her Excellency
Inonge Mbikusita Lewanika , a day at the Arthur Davidson Children’s Hospital with the
Head Matron Beatrice and a full day of patient rounds on the wards, a spontaneous meeting
with 4 nursing leaders of Ndola, a meeting with the UNICEF nurse responsible for mother-
to-child-HIV prevention in Zambia, and a generous meeting with the head of Catholic Relief
for Copperbelt.
I also site-visited a number of villages on the perimeter of the cities of Ndola and Lusaka.
These visits resulted in a couple of spontaneous group teaching sessions on reducing
diarrheal deaths using oral rehydration solutions with young children.
In addition, I was able to connect with a private nursing school, the Copperbelt Nursing
Polytechnic in Ndola. I met with Stephanie, the founder/dean, who is a wonderful woman of
faith and desires to see the Copperbelt Province impacted with many well-prepared nurses
who have found faith in Christ. It was an honor to lecture one afternoon there, teaching on
‘the community as your client’, and road-testing our HIV/AIDS survey findings on this group
of 35 students, many of whom are already practicing nurses. I hope to help this school in the
future by acquiring nursing textbooks and resources to send their way.
Site-visit a community
school outside the capital
Lusaka, and their cholera
prevention work
Meeting the
Zambian
Ambassador
Student nurses at Copperbelt
Nursing Polytechnic in Ndola...
Dedicating a pit
latrine... a great day
for this community!
Reviewing the current curriculum with Miss Stephanie,
Dean at Copperbelt Nursing Polytechnic
Music is one of my life-long passions, and the Lord opened up opportunity for me to spend
time with a young Zambian worship leader, Peter, and help out on his worship recording. All
my jazz-funk background came to good use in a fantastic track called Mwampela Amapalo
(Bemba for ‘You Give Me Blessings’).
Taking off from Ndola and flying back to the USA, I was grateful for all that the Lord had
done over 2 months. The Zambians warmly welcomed me, patiently taught me, then
sincerely pressed me to come back. The American staff with SHIP was also very kind and
accommodating.
Hopefully, a way will open up for me to return to Africa in 2010…
I hope that everyone who can access the Internet can take a look at my Blog, which is filled
with pictures and ‘the whole story’ of the 50-day outreach trip.
( CLICK HERE TO GO TO BAJMISSION BLOG )
Thanks to everyone who prayed for me during the trip... I experienced Great Grace from the
Lord during many points on the tough journey!
your brother, Chris
The Seeds of Hope Zambian staff...
natotela! (Thank you!)
Making a joyful noise!!
Safe water for a village,
thanks to SHIP!!
