Final Reflections - Zambia
Official grade posted to the registrar's office, the course is complete. I will have memories to last a lifetime. This will now be my last post on my January 2013 trip to a new continent, and country that I now hold a special place for in my heart. My hope that this is just one of many trips that I have to places far and wide. This trip provided an opportunity to grow personally and have a deeper and fuller understanding of the world and the people in it.
During my first week in Lusaka, I had the opportunity to volunteer and spend time at the Maluba House where I met some very strong women, and a strong girl fighting for her life. They recently lost funding for the adult wing of the hospice and only had a clinic and hospice home for children up and running. Unfortunately while I was there only one child was using the hospice home, it was between busy times for some reason. I was touched by the hard work and resilience that the women had that were working to provide care in this facility and how much love they had for the people of Zambia, many whom have been struck with AIDS/ HIV. The most significant relationship I made was with Hari a volunteer medical administrator from India who committed to a 2-year contract to work as the primary medical administrator for this site. I hope we will be able to reconnect at some point again.
(Left: Hari & I; Right: one of the rooms at the Maluba House - girls wing)
Another touching experience we had was visiting the organization Chikumbuso visit their facebook page here, and their website here.
For some reason blogger is not letting me upload a video which makes me really sad, because these women sung for us between a few of them telling their journey and story in relation to Chikumbuso. It was beautiful. The organization is beautiful, and I'm glad that these women have found hope in a future, community to depend on, and a place that is safe for the children to go to school and get one solid meal a day. I encourage you to visit their website and see more of what they are all about, and you can purchase their hand-crafted products state side or donate to their organization.
There are many more stories to tell, and things I learned from this trip even now two months later that I can reflect on, but none that can be totally articulated through this blog. I am blessed and thankful for the opportunity to travel and spend time there, and next time I go abroad; I will be very happy it will not be for class!
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