Tag: nurisng-volunteer

Another half way mark.

Sep 6th, 2025

So I am now halfway through my six months in Uganda. Not sure if I can say it has gone fast but a lot has definitely happened! In my three months there have been a lot of students come and go and all the other volunteers have left, so I’m currently the only one here from the UK. It is hard to keep making friends and then having to say goodbye to them but I have met some great people and some I will hopefully meet up with in the UK. Also there are more students and volunteers coming in October.

Since my last post it has definitely been a rollercoaster of emotions. Things started to improve in the house. One of the volunteers left so I moved into her room which is so much better and I even have an en suite! I got friendly with the volunteer couple here and we did some good work at the hospital and did some fun things at the weekend such as swimming in a crater lake! Sadly they left about a month ago so I’ve been on my own at the hospital and at home. Home is ok though as I’m used to living alone and I also had a big deep clean of the house and moved things around so it’s more homely.

Things at the hospital got quite difficult. Sadly quite a few babies were dying, having problems that could have been prevented and it took its toll on me. Also I was struggling to get the staff to work with me in improving the care of these babies and mothers. Seeing these sad things can be so distressing but when you have people working with you who want to make a difference it brings some comfort, but when they don’t want to change or make a difference it’s just too much to handle. I had to have a word with myself, I need to remember as one person I can’t fix everything so I have to focus on things I can change. So that’s what I have done and since then things have improved. Still sad things are happening but I’m seeing things that can be changed and people that want to make that change. This makes me happy and excited for what is to come. I also have to say how grateful I am for some of my friends back in the UK and my sister for being my rocks, listening to me, drying my tears and supporting me no matter what. They are the real reason I can make it through the difficult times.

I have joined a walking group so every Saturday we go for a hike and I’m making some great friends which is obviously helping my mood and stress release!!! I’m so grateful that I get to see so much of the city and doing exercise at the same time! As for the food, that’s not improving much! I treat myself to one of my favourite restaurants once a week or so but they are expensive, so most of the time I’m on rice and peas and super noodles! I’m very excited for food back in the UK!

I’ve been doing more research work and learning a lot along the way. I think this is definitely a potential for a new career path. I’m getting a lot of support with it, so I’m very lucky. I’ve also started teaching English online again ( I used to do it when I lived in Mexico) to make some extra money. I’m actually really enjoying it and gives me something to do in the evenings!
The end of a project!

Nov 22nd, 2024

October was one year since I moved to Zambia for my 6 month project placement. I can’t believe how quick that year has gone. I was missing Zambia and even though I have been on a few holidays this year, I couldn’t believe I was still living in England. I thought I would have been back in Africa on another project by now. So it was nice to be able to go back in October this year, even if for only 10 days.

I was asked to go back to Zambia as they were finalising the project I had been involved in and they wanted me to present my findings. I was very happy they had asked me to go back and I couldn’t wait. It was all very last minute but I got there and was so happy to be back. The meeting was only for two days but I stayed on a little longer so that I could meet up with friends and eat all the Zambian food I had missed. Funnily everyone kept saying, oh you will lose weight in Africa with there being less options of food, not in Zambia!! As soon as I got there I went straight to my favourite place, Hungry Lion, which is like KFC, but if I dare say, better!! Throughout the days I had my favourite pizza, chicken shawarma, favourite crisps and chocolate, my favourite cereal bars and even my favourite drink there. So definitely came back a few pounds heavier!

The meetings were very interesting, hearing from all different participants of the project and seeing how much had improved since the beginning. It was clear there is still a lot of improvements needed and I hope that I can be a part of that in the future, when other projects are introduced. During my presentation, I spoke about positive improvements that I had seen but most importantly the areas that still needed improvement and how this could be supported. Not all of my points were taken positively and some ignored but overall there were some good discussions that came out of it. When working in developing countries like Zambia, the relationships that you build are so important. It takes time to gain peoples trust and for them to understand you are there to work with them and support them in improving their healthcare system. At times constructive criticism can be taken negatively, so it can take time for things to change, but with patience and time, it can happen.

There were some very positive outcomes from the meetings, including the appreciation of the project in general and specific points made about my input that stayed with them. This made me feel really happy and quite emotional, as at times during my 6 months, I wasn’t sure whether I was actually going to make a difference. I have learnt a lot form my time in Zambia, personally and professionally and I hope that I can go forward with this knowledge and expertise to continue to make a difference.

Whilst at the meetings I was also asked to be interviewed and filmed for Kings Global Health Partnership in relation to the project. I felt like I was really being heard and people did actually care about what I had seen and my opinions on moving forward. What a great end to a great project.