Well, after the longest trip ever coming home…I am back. I am not quite in the right time zone yet (even after a week), but I am back and hit the ground running. One objective I had while in Malawi was to plan the Study Away trip for Health Care Professionals and others for August 2015. (http://www.uab.edu/students/academics/study-away). If you read my first blog, this is what has been in my heart from the beginning. I am extremely excited about the people that I met this trip and opportunities that are before me for this group. I am still working out the details, but here is a glimpse at the possibilities:
- Stay at an orphanage and provide simple health activities.
- Visit and assist in the local clinic and Blessings Hospital that is located near the orphanage.
- Work with Kamuzu College of Nursing (KCN) faculty and students at the hospital and district clinics.
- Work in a nurse developed and run clinic in one of the areas that was affected by the recent flooding.
- Work with a group that serves food to more than 600 vulnerable children and women.
- Explore two amazing cities in Malawi – Lilongwe and Blantyre.
And that is just the beginning…I can’t wait to lead the team, Malawi is truly my heart. I hope YOU will join me! Contact me for more details – dkwalker@uab.edu
During my trip I also worked with KCN during their OSCE (or validation) for their undergraduate students. I was a runner for supplies because my Chichewa is not even close to being good enough to evaluate a student fairly. But it was a great experience to watch how the faculty worked together and how the students took care of their “patients” with what they were provided, which sometimes was not a lot of supplies.
On another note, I thought I would provide you with a glimpse at the rains that I experienced every day…the clouds would roll in and dump a ton of water in a matter of minutes. These pictures were taken within minutes of each other. You can see how flooding can be an issue.
A few more pictures around town and across the country…so you can see what you can experience during the Study Away Program in August 2015!