Friends of Chitambo SCIO: registered charity number SCO44337 Our primary aims are to support health projects, including the hospital, ambulance and nurse training school. However, we also hope to be able to provide some support to other community oranisations such as the orphanage, schools, and the church, where possible.
Wednesday, 21 January 2015
Chitambo School of Nursing: The final results are out!
The reuslts of Chitambo School of Nursing's first student intake's final exams are out. Mr. Levi Chifwaila, Senior Nurse Tutor, explains:
“24 students sat for exam. The exam was in three parts. Paper 1, that is medicine and medical nursing and paediatrics (that 's the course I teach and all students passed paper 1); paper 2 is surgery and reproductive health. 3 students failed that one and the last one is practical. 3 students failed. 6 failed in total and 18 passed.”
This is pretty good going for two very over-stretched Nurse Tutors, particularly given that 7 of the 27 students who enrolled in the first intake were described as particulraly under privileged.
Zambia votes in the presidential elections
Following the death of President Michael Sata, in October 2013, Zambian's went to the polls yesterday to vote for a successor:http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-30891239
Chitambo Friends have been in touch to say that they have voted 'wisely and well'. Other Friends of Chitambo, in Lusaka, have told of heavy rains affecting voter turn out.
Despite this, let's hope that whoever comes to power will continue to have Zambia's (and Chitambo's) best health interests at heart. We are waiting the news with bated breath.
Thursday, 15 January 2015
Chitambo health staff need quality education for their children
A major consideration for skilled health staff and other community members in rural areas, like Chitambo, is how to educate their children. Local government schools can be under resourced and distance alternatives are costly or unavailable.
Chitambo contacts are keen to establish a small, high quality school where they can be sure that their children are getting a quality education whilst living in this rural area. This is not a luxury but a serious priority. Well qualified health staff make a big sacrifice in opting for rural experience. However dedicated they are, they are taking risks both in terms of their children's exposure to serious diseases such as malaria and the quality of their education. Helping them overcome these problems could contribute to their long term retention in the area. They have already established a small pre-school for younger Chitambo children and are seeking the means to extend this to primary school education. There are good models to be seen elsewhere in Zambia, such MICS primary school at Macahworks, Southern Province: http://www.machaworks.org/en/projectwizard.html/project/6/thema/2/locatie/alles/bedrag/alles/budgettype/alles
Chitambo needs help to develop a similar model. Please, if you are a secret millionaire and/or have expertise in the field of education, we would love to hear from you!
Chitambo contacts are keen to establish a small, high quality school where they can be sure that their children are getting a quality education whilst living in this rural area. This is not a luxury but a serious priority. Well qualified health staff make a big sacrifice in opting for rural experience. However dedicated they are, they are taking risks both in terms of their children's exposure to serious diseases such as malaria and the quality of their education. Helping them overcome these problems could contribute to their long term retention in the area. They have already established a small pre-school for younger Chitambo children and are seeking the means to extend this to primary school education. There are good models to be seen elsewhere in Zambia, such MICS primary school at Macahworks, Southern Province: http://www.machaworks.org/en/projectwizard.html/project/6/thema/2/locatie/alles/bedrag/alles/budgettype/alles
Chitambo needs help to develop a similar model. Please, if you are a secret millionaire and/or have expertise in the field of education, we would love to hear from you!
Wednesday, 14 January 2015
News just in from Chitambo
60 new student students have commenced their Registered Nurse training at the Chitambo School of Nursing. They comprise the school's second intake. New building undertaken by the Zambian Government, including a second student hostel,has enabled these expanded student numbers.
Very best wishes to the new recruits and their teachers for a very successful start to the training. This will make a big difference to healthcare at Chitambo and in rural Zambia generally.
Some wonderful news!
The icing on the Christmas fundraising cake came when Jo's colleague, Heather, at NHS Education for Scotland (NES: http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/) announced that she wished to sponsor 2 nurse training scholarships at Chitambo, for particularly needy student nurses!
Following the Christmas Street Fair, Jo had brought remaining items (jars of festive plum and orange jam)to work and left them in the kitchen, along with leaflets about Friends of Chitambo. This attracted a little small change, which was welcome. However, it seems that Heather had read the leaflet in detail and explored our blogsite. She and her husband, John, are keen to support a grassroots charity with genuine, local connections. That way, they will know where their donations are going.
Being a nurse by background, Heather was particularly drawn to the idea of supporting nurse training. She is now a leading light in Postgraduate Medical Education for Primary Care, in Scotland. There is potential for picking her brains over educational matters in support of Chitambo School of Nursing and Mr. Kasoka, Principal Tutor, has welcomed this idea. Meantime, a very big thank you to Heather and John for their enormous generosity. It will make a big difference to nurse training at Chitambo.
Following the Christmas Street Fair, Jo had brought remaining items (jars of festive plum and orange jam)to work and left them in the kitchen, along with leaflets about Friends of Chitambo. This attracted a little small change, which was welcome. However, it seems that Heather had read the leaflet in detail and explored our blogsite. She and her husband, John, are keen to support a grassroots charity with genuine, local connections. That way, they will know where their donations are going.
Being a nurse by background, Heather was particularly drawn to the idea of supporting nurse training. She is now a leading light in Postgraduate Medical Education for Primary Care, in Scotland. There is potential for picking her brains over educational matters in support of Chitambo School of Nursing and Mr. Kasoka, Principal Tutor, has welcomed this idea. Meantime, a very big thank you to Heather and John for their enormous generosity. It will make a big difference to nurse training at Chitambo.
December fundraisers
The first weekend in December was hectic for Scottish Trustees, with 2 fundraising events. On Saturday 6th, 'stalwarts' Margaret, Gilian and Jo, helped by 'new blood' members Charlotte and Hilary, ran 3 stalls at the Penicuik Street Fair. Charlotte and Hilary proved themselves natural fundraisers, including dab hands at running the Tombola stall, selling raffle tickets, and presiding over the children's Lucky Dip.
We had masses of raffle prizes, including a giant Christmas hamper and a wonderful CD by celebrity singer Emeli Sande.
Did you know she is part Zambian, part Scottish? Emeli was born in Glasgow, to a Scottish mother and Zambian father. She grew up in rural Aberdeenshire and studied medicine before finding her niche as a singer. We would love her to become a Patron of our organisation. Her new album,Our Version of Events, was one of our raffle prizes and it was won by our Trustee, Hilary (pictured below, 3rd photo down)! Our emphasis was on fundraising for 2 further Nurse Training Scholarships (around £500/5,000 Zambia Kwachas each). A generous donor has sponsored one whole Scholarship. Scottish Friends are fundraising for the other.
A second event, highlighted by our Trustee Nicola, was a sponsored Christmas walk/run in central Edinburgh. Nicola (young and fit!) ran the 6K course. Jo (pictured below) walked it with her Dutch walking friend Toos, who has recently holidayed in Malawi and Zambia. She really enjoyed Zambia and was thrilled with South Luangwa national park. After the walk, Jo and Toos wandered in Edinburgh's beautiful Botanic Gardens and, on a giant map of the world, Jo pointed out where Chitambo is in relation to Luangwa Valley. What a small world!
Sponsorship came pouring in. Thanks to Nicola for the bright sponsorship idea and to all our other Trustees for their hard work in supporting these events.
Street Fair and sponsored walk photos:
Did you know she is part Zambian, part Scottish? Emeli was born in Glasgow, to a Scottish mother and Zambian father. She grew up in rural Aberdeenshire and studied medicine before finding her niche as a singer. We would love her to become a Patron of our organisation. Her new album,Our Version of Events, was one of our raffle prizes and it was won by our Trustee, Hilary (pictured below, 3rd photo down)! Our emphasis was on fundraising for 2 further Nurse Training Scholarships (around £500/5,000 Zambia Kwachas each). A generous donor has sponsored one whole Scholarship. Scottish Friends are fundraising for the other.
A second event, highlighted by our Trustee Nicola, was a sponsored Christmas walk/run in central Edinburgh. Nicola (young and fit!) ran the 6K course. Jo (pictured below) walked it with her Dutch walking friend Toos, who has recently holidayed in Malawi and Zambia. She really enjoyed Zambia and was thrilled with South Luangwa national park. After the walk, Jo and Toos wandered in Edinburgh's beautiful Botanic Gardens and, on a giant map of the world, Jo pointed out where Chitambo is in relation to Luangwa Valley. What a small world!
Sponsorship came pouring in. Thanks to Nicola for the bright sponsorship idea and to all our other Trustees for their hard work in supporting these events.
Street Fair and sponsored walk photos:
Saturday, 29 November 2014
The party must go on!
Despite the lack of electricity following yesterday's severe storms, the farewell party for Chitambo School of Nursing's first intake went ahead by torchlight. Please see these touching photos supplied by Dr.Siame, Medical Officer in charge. Such typical Zambian resilience in the face of adversity!
Friday, 28 November 2014
Freak winds and rain leave Chitambo roofless
Mickey Bailley, Agape Village Orpahange Founder, has shared this alarming news just in from Chitambo:
"After the heavy rains today around 15: 00hrs, some infrastructure at the hospital had roofs blown off. About 5 Chitambo hospital staff houses roofs have been blown off, 1 mother shelter, 2 toilets and the IRT clinic's roofs have been blown off. The DC is still working to see if they can find them alternative places while waiting for their structures to be roofed."
Such freak weather is surely unusual at Chitambo? We understand, from Levi Chifwaila, Senior Nurse Tutor, that it could have been a whirlwind which did it. He managed to say, before his mobile phone died, that there was no electricity and that they were holding a party for the Finalist Students Nurses by candle light.
We wish them all very well. Indeed, our hearts go out to everyone at Chitambo and we hope that they are safe and no one is hurt. We hope that the structural damage will soon be repaired and that people are not too inconvenienced. At least it is good to hear that the rains have come on schedule? Isn't technology amazing that we can hear this news almost immediately, half way around the world? If only it would also enable us to 'teleport' practical help as quickly!
"After the heavy rains today around 15: 00hrs, some infrastructure at the hospital had roofs blown off. About 5 Chitambo hospital staff houses roofs have been blown off, 1 mother shelter, 2 toilets and the IRT clinic's roofs have been blown off. The DC is still working to see if they can find them alternative places while waiting for their structures to be roofed."
Such freak weather is surely unusual at Chitambo? We understand, from Levi Chifwaila, Senior Nurse Tutor, that it could have been a whirlwind which did it. He managed to say, before his mobile phone died, that there was no electricity and that they were holding a party for the Finalist Students Nurses by candle light.
We wish them all very well. Indeed, our hearts go out to everyone at Chitambo and we hope that they are safe and no one is hurt. We hope that the structural damage will soon be repaired and that people are not too inconvenienced. At least it is good to hear that the rains have come on schedule? Isn't technology amazing that we can hear this news almost immediately, half way around the world? If only it would also enable us to 'teleport' practical help as quickly!
Thursday, 27 November 2014
Walking in aid of a Chitambo Nurse Training Sholarship
Please help us to raise £500 for another Nurse Training Scholarship at Chitambo School of Nursing, central Zambia.
We supported two such scholarships in 2014, for particularly needy student nurses, and we wish to support another two in 2015. With a fresh intake of 47 new students in January, there is plenty of scope.
An anonymous donor has already pledged to cover one whole scholarship. Thank you so much to them for their generosity!
Here in Scotland, we are fundraising for the second, and our Friends of Chitambo Trustee, Nicola (a former volunteer in western Zambia) has highlighted this brilliant opportunity, a sponsored Christmas run/walk:
http://www.challengescotland.com/
She, being young and fit, is running it. Others (less fit) will walk it here in Edinburgh, Scotland, on Sunday 7th December, 2014.
We are, therefore, approaching you to please sponsor us whatever you can manage.
Please see our 'Support Us ' link opposite for payment details or pass the funds to Jo Vallis (Friends of Chitambo Coordinator if you live locally in Penicuik or Edinburgh, Scotland.
If you are in Zambia, perhaps you could pass your contributions direct to the Chitambo School of Nursing, or give them to contacts when next you meet?
Thank you very much in anticipation of your help. You will be making a big difference. Please kindly pass on this message to anyone you know who could to help.
Chitambo School of Nursing's First Finalists!
It has been all go at Chitambo School of Nursing in recent weeks as First Intake sit their Final Exams! They sat their theory papers on Tuesday and Wednesday 18th and 19th of November and are sitting their practicals this week. We wish them all the very, very best with their exams and results and are hopeful that the Chitambo District, and Zambia as a whole, will soon benefit from this new wave of well qualified Chitambo graduates. Congratualtions to staff and students alike for reaching this historic milestone. We are so proud of you all.
A particular thanks to Mr. Levi Chifwaila, Senior Nurse Tutor, for supplying some photos of the students before and after their theory exams. Did you ever see such a smart group of nursing students anywhere?
That the school takes its responsibilities very seriously, is apparent in the good-natured checking of students before entering the exam room. Not that anyone would cheat of course but, with youth unemployment high in Zambia, the stakes are certainly very high for everyone concerned.
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