Somehow we're almost done our adventures here in Zambia. The past month has been a bit of a whirlwind of emotions. Getting used to Zambia wasn't as difficult as I thought it might be. One of the hardest parts for me was accepting the bugs. More specifically, the spiders and cockroaches. Massive spiders. Those of you who know me know that I don't handle spiders very well. So just take a minute to picture me dealing with the largest spiders I've ever seen... not my bravest moments. My saving grace has definitely been my mosquito net. That thing is tucked in on all edges 24/7. Too bad spiders, no cuddles for you.
I also found the heat to be a bit of an adjustment. I of course knew it would be hot, like we're in Africa after all. But the humidity took me by surprise. I learned very quickly that nothing will ever be completely dry again, including myself. The longest I actually feel clean after a shower is about 5 minutes. Then the sweat so kindly returns. Yummm.
I've also found that being white women (some of us very white), means that we always stand out. Always. Blending in is not a possibility for us. People stare, call out, and sometimes come right over and strike up a conversation. They don't mean it in a bad way at all, we're just new and exciting for them. It definitely makes me wonder if this is how other nationalities feel when they come to Canada. Do we stare that much..?
The kids in particular like to come right up and say hi. Imagine a group of 10 kids running at you yelling "Makuwa! Makuwa! (this means white person) How are you?!" For some of them, I don't think they really even understand what they're saying, they just know that they're saying some English words. One thing I've learned about the kids here is that they LOVE getting their pictures taken. If you pull your phone out and point it, they will come over with the biggest and most genuine smiles I've ever seen. My heart has definitely been stolen by the kids here on more than one occasion.
The hospital is also a whole new ball game. Unfortunately, the lack of supplies is the biggest barrier they seem to face on the wards. The simple task of hanging a bag of normal saline can turn into quite the adventure. No saline? Okay, how about ringers? Nope, okay.. so what exactly do we have? Although being low on supplies is extremely hard and frustrating, it's amazing to see how creative the doctors and nurses have become. I'll be standing there completely stumped and looking helpless and they'll come over and solve the problem within 30 seconds. Smooth move Steph. On top of that, everyone is so willing to take the time to teach us. The doctors and nurses on the children's ward were particularly amazing. We spent hours with them some days just going around and seeing all of the patients. This was some of the best learning for me. Plus I got to spend my time looking after the cutest little munchkins. Big bonus.
Unfortunately, Western Province (the province where Mongu lies), has some of the highest rates of HIV in all of Zambia. I found this interesting as Western Province has some of the lowest numbers of people. So why is the prevalence of HIV so high here? My best guess is that the many social determinants of health are playing a big role. When looking at all of the provinces in Zambia, Western Province has one of the highest rates of poverty. Interesting how that seems to have such an impact.
Of all the different diseases, HIV seems to be one of the most feared. For me, this is difficult to understand. There are countless other diseases that are much more painful and even fatal. With the treatments available today, HIV is no longer a death sentence. We as health care providers know that you can live a long and normal life as long as you're careful and take your meds correctly. Unfortunately, the people living here don't seem to have that same knowledge. The negative stigma that HIV carried in the past seems to still be stuck in this part of the world. With more time and education this will improve, but from what I've seen we still have a long way to go until HIV is actually understood and accepted.
Anyway, that's all the time we have for tonight folks. Stay tuned for more thrilling and probably slightly repetitive blog posts! We love and miss you all back home.
-Steph
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