CHIKUNI - 16 October 2006 - 1,060 words
XVP
report from Zambia - 1
Robert Parkinson
So the day had finally arrived.
I said my goodbyes to Fr Dave and John who had come to see us
off at Heathrow and after finishing my last pint on English soil
for a long time, Dermot and I passed through to the gates, Dermot
about to head off to Tanzania and me to Zambia. All the fund raising
and planning of the past months was going to be put into action
and yet I still couldn't quite believe what was about to happen
and now here I am a month in to my project writing my first report
and I still have to pinch myself from time to time. Sat here writing
my first report it has also hit me just how quickly the next few
months are likely to pass.
After a long and uneventful flight I landed and passed through
immigration and thankfully Fr. Andrew was waiting to meet me -
so far so good! We set off on the 250km drive south to Chikuni,
stopping at various places along the way to pick up and deliver
various pieces of equipment, then at about 4.30 we arrived at
my new home for the next 6 months. I was shown to my room which
looked surprisingly comfortable and had all the essentials. Without
even realising it I found myself in a situation completely alien
to me on a new continent with people I didn't know and I had no
idea what to expect from the next few weeks. I was in Africa,
alone, and if someone would have told me a year ago that this
was where I would be in a year's time I wouldn't have believed
them.
Having completed a BSc in Biomedical Science it was decided prior
to my departure that I could contribute most to Home Based Care
(HBC). HBC is responsible for the care and support of over 550
patients throughout Chikuni Parish who live in nearby villages
within an area of roughly 10'000 Km2.
The first month has been very much a learning experience. I spent
most of the first couple of weeks observing the various outreach
programmes that they have in place here. I've been working with
the local villagers, with the drama groups and the video show
team that show educational videos in the villages.
Over the rest of the month I settled into more of a structured
working routine. Three times a week I go out with Helen (the home
based care nurse) who has shown me the ropes about what the work
involves when they go out to the villages. She has already demonstrated
what a caring women she is and the work she puts in for the people
under her care on a daily basis is nothing short of remarkable.
The work mainly involves raising awareness about HIV/AIDS, educating
the clients at each clinic about healthy and positive living,
distributing medication and taking blood samples and offering
counselling to the people that come for Voluntary Counselling
and Testing (VCT). The work has been challenging so far and going
to some of the home visits when the patients are too sick or weak
to walk to the clinics makes you realise how much the people in
this parish and numerous others in Africa need programmes like
HBC in Chikuni. I've found it a real test at times seeing the
conditions of some of the places here but it has served as motivation
to make the most of the time I have here and try and make as big
a difference as I can.
The reception I have received from everyone both at the HBC centre
and the villages I have visited so far has been incredible. Smiles
have greeted me and I have been welcomed to the villages by a
traditional dance and a song from the people we have visited.
It has certainly made settling in so much easier than I was expecting
it to be! Zambia is a truly beautiful country. Every time I go
out with the team I'm treated to the most spectacular scenery
on the drive out to the villages. It is so different to what I
have been used to seeing. Some of the places are so stricken with
poverty. Yet due to their location and possibly the reception
I received they can still take your breath away.
All the villages have some shared qualities. Basic buildings with
thatched roofs; goats, chickens and pigs moving around foraging
or taking shelter in the shade from the blistering heat, and some
villages have the odd bricked building which have either been
the "clinics" that HBC use, or churches.
The roads here are something else! It can take over an hour to
get to a village no more than 25Km away which I hope gives you
some sort of indication about the condition of the "roads".
As I'm going out with the HBC team at least three times a week
I cannot imagine what the days were like with the old truck which,
I have reliably heard, was far from health and safety conscious!
I am, I hardly need to say, very grateful that I arrived here
after the donation of a new Land Cruiser, which was made by my
former school Mount St. Mary's. It is in very safe hands with
Patrick the driver, who is responsible for getting the HBC team
to the people who need them the most.
With Fr Tadeusz running things at HBC and Fr. Andrew in charge
at Chikuni radio which works closely with HBC they have a very
well established set-up. I must admit I was surprised to see how
well the projects are working here and I feel very privileged
to be contributing to the work that they are doing. Everyone in
the community shares a knowledge about the goal of the work being
done here (self sufficiency) and they all have the drive to make
it a reality. I cannot wait to see what the next five months have
in store!
Rob, a former pupil of Mount St Mary's College (SJ) is an XVP
volunteer serving in Chikuni Mission and parish in Monze, Zambia.
For more information or to contact him, or to make a donation
to the work of Chikuni, see www.xvp.org.uk or
e- mail volunteers@xvp.org.uk.
© Independent Catholic
News 2006
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