Where to start and where to end...

I am in London now waiting for my flight home to Naramata. Marijke is in Beijing to support her sister Anna Marie de Zwager row in the Olympics. She rows for the heavy weight Canadian rowing team if anyone wants to watch on TV.

My day in Chipata was successful although long. We didn't return to St Francis until 18:00 that night! We were able to get over 1200 feet of good quality materials to make sheets for the beds in the maternity ward. The next morning, Marijke went to find Thomas (the driver) to haul all the rolls of sheets to stores where they would be added to the inventory. Shortly after, the hospital tailor begun sewing sheets. Mr Chulu had decided that a darker coloured sheet for labour would be better so the new sheets are orange. The sheets for theatre are dark green and blue and are always returned to theatre. Now labour ward would have its own sheets so the women will not go without. The material also made a good supply of small sheets for the SCBU (special care baby unit) as well as sheets for the entire hospital. We bought some thick material that was made into transfer sheets for the women when they need to be transferred to a table to move them to theatre. The entire project was successful and many people expressed their gratitude at the difference this would make for the patients at the hospital.

Marijke and I were surprised to find that our last two weeks were spent with nursing students on the ward. These students were doing their first clinical rotations and had never seen a baby born. In the end, we spent our shifts teaching the students. Wait a minute we are students as well! But, it was fun and I really enjoyed my time with them. I found that by teaching I became acutely aware of what I knew and what I needed more experience with. I know a lot. To date I have attended over 60 women during my program and I suppose I should feel comfortable with most things related to childbirth. It was teaching that helped me to recognize that I do have a certain skill level. The students were eager and we had a really good time together. On our last day they brought in their ancient looking film cameras to snap our pictures.

One student in particular became a friend of ours, Sarah. She is in her first year of nursing but loves midwifery and wants to become a midwife. She is passionate and good at what she does. It was apparent she loves to work with the women and newborns. We brought a Varney's text book with us that we gave to her when we were parting. It felt important to give it to someone who would obviously use it well. An interesting thing happened that night when she came to say goodbye; she asked if we could find someone to sponser her to finish her schooling. Marijke and I felt sad. One of the British instructors at the school had said she read a book that questioned whether a foreigner could have a real friendship with a person from a developing country. It occured to us then that perhaps Sarah wasn't a friend in the same way that we have relationships in Canada because we hold some sort of power. This is a topic Marijke and I discussed a lot when we were in Zambia because no matter how hard you try it is not possible to make your privilage disappear when you have white skin. I still consider Sarah my friend but our friendship is different.

Our last week was hard. It was hard to be finishing. Hard to say goodbye to all our new friends and teachers. Our stay didn't feel long enough. Our last day was spent running all around the hospital saying goodbye and giving a few little gifts that we had brought for the midwives that had spent so much time with us. We gave everyone cards that my mom, Lone Jones, had made with her photography of the Okanagan. We shared hugs and well wishes.

That night we went for a farewell dinner at Tikondane. The food was incredible! Maria (a friend of ours) taught Marijke how to make nshima (the local maize mash) and even gave us some to bring home to make for our parents. The best part (i think) is eating with your hands which is the way to eat nshima and I think it makes the food taste better. Even though I love having access to fresh vegetables and making my own food I have to confess I miss nshima and rebb!