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After receiving a Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, I left for ...
The three months I spent working as the doctor for the Luangwa Safari Association Medical Fund were an amazing experience. My work with tourist and camp staff was remarkably similar to taking care of visitors to Orcas in my past life – just a wee bit more remote. On the other hand, caring for the villagers at Kakumbi Rural Health Center reminded me of my time in India as a medical student and my brief stint in Bangladesh with my friend, Kris Prenger. I wrote perhaps more about my encounters with the creatures of Mfuwe because those stories were more accessible and less difficult. The clinic in Mfuwe was the first place I truly saved lives almost every day yet at the same time saw patients die for lack of “cures” that exist but which I was completely unable to access. The roller coaster of emotions between daily witnessing the miracles of modern medicine and the tragedies resulting from lack of the proper tools was deeply troubling. Ah, but living where an elephant could be behind every bush and hippos groaned and snorted in the river … where the thump on the roof meant a monkey was visiting and every trip into the bathroom was filled with spine tingling wonder of the wildlife that lay in wait … all that was wondrous. I wrote these little vignettes as a series of emails sent from Zambia to family and friends to share the wonder of my life there. Because of the persuasive powers of my friend, Laurie Miller, a few of my emails (all embarrassingly in need of a bit of editing I’m afraid) landed in The Islands’ Sounder, the local Orcas paper, to my astonishment that they were actually printed. I’m still awaiting a big fat check for my foreign correspondent’s pay! I hope that you enjoy these pages and that they inspire you to an adventure or two of your own. I am busily planning our next one! Diane P.S. Don't forget to click on the pictures to see a larger image. |
This page was last updated 07/21/07
