FoCH greetings cards

See these wonderful cards produced by Paul Vallis, from his photos taken in Etosha National Park, Namibia: See here
They'll be on sale at his photo exhibition 'Namibia Wild and Free', Saturday 24th November 2018, 12 to 2 pm , Haigs Bar/Restaurant, Penicuik, Scotland.  More information to follow.

Talk: Studying Africa by Numbers

This talk, on Tuesday 6th November, may be of interest to those local to Edinburgh, Scotland? Click here

Africa in Motion

Scotland's annual African Film Festival: Click here for the programme

Belated independence day wishes

Happy 54th Anniversary of Zambian Independence to all Zambians and Friends of Zambia, on 24th October 2018.  May it be the best year yet.

FoCH is re-branding

Thanks to Edinburgh designer Helen Davies, Langarth .com, FoCH has a new logo.   This simple shape represents the heart of David Livingstone buried under an mpundu tree at Chipundu, in Chitambo District, and the joined heart of Zambian and Scottish FoCH members, as depicted in the colours of our respective national flags.

Helen has also designed FoCH letterhead, powerpoint template, and business cards for us.  These brandings will be applied to our new website which is being designed by Edinburgh software engineer, Paul Vallis.   Watch this space!

Welcoming new Chitambo charity brothers

Huge congratulations to our charity brothers Ron and Andrew Swanson, on the launch of their new Chitambo-based charity: See here for information

We look forward to collaborating with them. United we stand!

Central Province Medical Lead visits UK

Such an honour and privileged to talk direct with Dr Charles Msiska, Provincial Health Director, Central Province, Zambia, last night. Dr Msiska is in UK to attend the Wales for Africa Annual Conference:
See here for more information

Although unable to come to Scotland this time, we talked by phone. He endorses our trauma training plans for Chitambo and is lending his support and guidance. Twatotela saana mukwai.....sincere thanks Dr. Msiska. Next time you will be our honoured guest in Scotland.

Chitambo receives a gift from the United Church of Zambia (UCZ)

When UCZ Health Secretary, Mrs Ida Waddell, passed through Chitambo recently, on route for Lubwa Mission (Northern Province), she left a gift of 5 large sacks of vegetable soup mix (pictured) for the Chitambo nutrition centre.  What a thoughtful and generous gift thank you Ida.

Dr Bridget Innes will be speaking with Mr Brian Mwense, Head Nutritionist at Chitambo, during her Monitoring/Evaluation visit (4-8th November), as a basis for an under-5 nutrition project, in collaboration with the new Swanson Family SCIO: See here

FoCH's inaugural fundraising seminar

Our inaugural fundraising seminar, at the University of Edinburgh, was a great success. Huge thanks to Professor Liz Grant, Director of the Global Health Academy/ Zambia UK Health Workforce Alliance (ZUKHWA), for hosting us in the Chrystal Macmillan Building, a great central space . Also for linking us with Divinity PhD student, Jessie, from Nigeria, and young master Geoffrey, an undergrad Chemistry student from the Zambian Coppetbelt. Both were extremely helpful in enabling the overhead projector and ensuring the smooth running of the talk .

Our major thanks to our speaker, Mr Callum Christie for providing this first in a series of fundraising talks on Zambia. Callum's talk focused on his experiences as a District
Officer/ District Commissioner in feudal Barotseland (1959 to 1964). He had a great affinity with the local people and is very generous to our cause, puting all his book sales the day towards Friends of Chitambo.

Thanks to everyone who helped with arrangements, particularly our Trustee Heather Emond, who drove the publicity, and young Geofrey Njovu, undergraduate Chemistry student from the Zambian Copperbelt ,and Jessie, a Divinity PhD student from Nigeria, both of whom helped with the smooth running of the event.  And, of course, to our audience which included a number of Scottish Zambians, including some who grew up at Chitambo and Luapula Province.  We will keep you posted about future such events.

Callum talks

Trustees Heather and Chris (R) with university students Geofrey and Jessie (L) 

A few items for sale

Chitambo has a trained Knowledge Broker Champion

History was made when Chitambo Hospital Information Officer. Mr Samuel Mubanga, received his certificate of completion of the challenging 14 week Knowledge Broker Champion training sponsored by our Scottish Government Small Grant project. The course prepared African medical librarians and information scientists to help frontline emergency care staff to make best use of knowledge from books and computers in practice.  In 4 modules, the course began began with a 3 day face to face workshop in Lusaka (pictured) followed by an online blended learning course.

Congratulations Ba Sam, and all the other successful candidates, on your great achievement, Your valuable new skills will help frontline emergency care staff in Chitambo District and elsewhere to translate knowledge into practice for emergency care decision-making. This could save lives.

Chitambo Information Officer is certificated

Erudite African Medical Librarians and Information Scientists meeting in Lusaka 

Group photo

Team Zimbabwe with FoCH Trustee, Mr Consider Mudenda (R) 

Farewell team Zimbabwe

Consider with Mrs Mercy Moyo, course Tutor from South Afirca

FoCH AGM

We had a very successful AGM with a great turnout from our dedicated trustees and members, including Ba Chola and Ba Agnes joining remotely by telecon voice link. Sadly technology failed us this time,when it came to linking with Levi and Consider in Zambia.
Particular thanks to our Treasurer, Monika, for an excellent Treasury report, despite technological hitches with PowerPoint, and to our Secretary, Mudenda, for taking the minutes and all your other valued help and support. Also to Trustee, Heather for her great photography  We are blessed with a great team.
We also had some very welcome additional visitors including the little 2 year old daughter of Trustee Ian; the tall handsome son of Trustee Suzgo, and the Jeffrey family who have longstanding links with Malawi. Thanks to all for turning out on the wettest day of the year. And also huge thanks to Haigs restaurant for your ongoing help and support. You really make a difference and your scones are legendary. They disappeared in no time!
Twatotela sana mukwai (thanks) 
to all and mwende bwino (safe home).
More pictures to follow.

Meet some of the wonderful team

L to R Tili and Mudenda

Monika, our Treasurer

Work being done

Presentation to outgoing Trustee/Founder Member, Gillian (R)

Scottish investment in Chitambo District?

So who is this Scottish investor coming to build a 5 star hotel at the Livingstone Monument in Chitambo District, to honour the memory of Dr. David Livingstone?: See here

Will they also honour Chitambo Hospital, the living memorial to David Livingstone? Founded in his memory, by his nephew Malcolm Moffat (1908), this hospital was staffed by Scottish doctors and nurses for many years. However, in recent years it has been all but neglected by Scotland and remains grossly under resourced. 

Whereas recent funding for solar panels is very welcome, much more is needed. In Livingstone's own words 'Who will be found to carry on the work which I have started?'

Chitambo boasts a number of historical artifacts, including an old stool which is said to have been used by Livingstone.

Mr Levi Chfwaila demonstrates Livingston'es Chair

The Chair said to be used by Livingstone in his dying days

Hopefully the investment will benefit the impoverished fishing communities of the Bangwelu swamps, who suffer some of Zambia's highest levels of severe under-5 malnutrition and malaria, amongst other health issues.

FoCH meeting with Scotland's Head Paramedic

A historic meeting took place, on Wednesday 3rd October, at Scottish Government, between Friends of Chitambo Trustees Dr. Jo Vallis, Chair; Dr Bridget Innes, Edinburgh GP; Ms Eunice Sinyemu, Country Director, THET-Zambia; and Mr. Paul Gowens, Head Consultant Paramedic, Scottish Ambulance Service. Mr. Gowens has been appointed by Scottish Government to work with Zambian partners on conducting an emergency care needs assessment for Central Province. It was a privileged to meet Paul and we look forward to further collaboration on behalf of Chitambo .

First Aid refresher workshop at Chitambo

More exceedingly proud moments direct from Chitambo. Mr Levison Chifwaila, Senior Nurse Lecturer, Kabwe School of Nursing, and Mr. John Mununga, Senior Clinical Officer, Chitambo Hospital, ran a 2-day first aid refresher workshop for Chitambo ambulance drivers. Levi and John are both highly experienced health professionals and first aid trainers. Chitambo's 5 ambulance drivers are all highly experienced and keen to learn some life saving skills as they are often first on the scene at any medical emergency.
Congratulations all for your hard work for the benefit of the Chitambo community.  Participants rated the training highly and requested that it be re-run annually,

Mr. John Mununga, Senior Clinical Officer, Leads the workshop with Mr. Levi Chifwaila, Senior Nurse Lecturer

Attentive audience of ambulance drivers

Sling

Lifting and handling

Transporting victims

Group photo

FoCH has a presence at several high profile conferences

Apart from the Ministerial visit to Zambia, FoCH Trustees are having a presence at several high profile international development and global health conferences, including:

• Scotland's International Development Alliance Annual Conference, 'Tomorrow's World', Edinburgh, Scotland, 25th September 2018: See here 
• THET Annual Conference, 'From Competition to Collaboration', London, 26/27 September 2018:  See here

Thanks to FoCH Trustee Dr. Bridget Innes for representing FoCH at both the above conferences.  The first was attended by Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon (pictured), 

Scotland's First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, addresses the Alliance conference

Scotland had a good profile at the THET Conference and Bridget reported that Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Catherine Calderwood's presentation went down very well.

FoCH Chair, Dr Jo Vallis, and Dr. Bridget Innes, both signed up Global Health Champions, are booked to attend Scotland's Inaguaral Global Health Citizenship conference in Glasgow, 2nd November 2018:Click here for information

This conference will be attended by Honorable Minister Ben Macpherson and we will be presenting a poster on our Scottish Government sponsored Small Grant project on 'Strengthening Emergency Care Communications in Chitambo District'.  

Dr. Bridget Innes flies out to Zambia the next day to take part in the project Monitoring and Evaluation visit to Chitambo.  She is expecting to meet Dr. Charles Msiska, Provincial Health Director, Central Province, and hopefully also Dr. Kennedy Malama, to talk over further plan for emergency care provision in Chitambo District.

2nd Scottish Government Ministerial visit to Zambia

FoCH is very proud of our Zambian team, (Consider Mudenda, Emma Theo, and Ida Waddell), who presented our work to Ben Macpherson, Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) at the Scottish Government Symposium in Lusaka, Zambia (24th September 2018). Mr. Macpherson is the new Scottish Minister for International Development.  He wasted no time in paying a Ministerial visit to Zambia, including announcing funding for solar power for Chitambo Hospital: 

Consider greets Honorable Minister Ben Macpherson

Presenting Chitambo work to Mr. Macpherson

Our proud representative

L to R Ida Waddell,Emma Theo, Honorable Ben Macpherson MSP, Consider Mudenda

Emma and Consider

With poster

The team with poster

FoCH poster and information 

https://www.theedinburghreporter.co.uk/2018/09/minister-announces-funding-for-solar-panels-on-livingstones-hospital/?fbclid=IwAR0_CGchWoux-3WpELY1Ux4D1DWb-OVvf9wE2ENupbHT158MXVLPQl9whRQ

Congratulations to our team, for your representation, and thank you to Scottish Government for the great opportunity and contributions to Chitambo.

Professor Sir Geoff Palmer: Penicuik's hidden treasure

We are extremely proud to have Professor Sir Geoff Palmer living in the town of Penicuik, Friends of Chitambo's Scottish base. We support his struggle for justice surrounding the unforgivable atrocity that was the trans Atlantic slave trade. Thanks to our Trustee Richard Vallis for spotting this important link:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6198111/Scotlands-black-professor-calls-amends-report-University-benefited-slavery.html