Lesley is back in Lusaka - planning!

Having spent the last few months in the UK  taking stock of our work so far, having our AGM, meeting up with other ZUKHWA (Zambia UK Health Workforce Alliance) members and generating enthusiasm and support from several  quarters, we are now in the process of planning our next steps for the Zambia  Therapeutic Art training programme.
As an NGO we are very keen always to learn from our Zambian  partners to ensure that our development plans can be both practical and sustainable. (Too often we hear of  programmes biting the dust  because of a lack of really addressing what is needed and what is possible).

Hence the reason for my (Lesley's) current 3 week visit to Lusaka  to explore the best ways forward. Finding the best and cheapest route to get to Lusaka  is the first task. In the past direct flights to Lusaka from London with BA or direct flights from Amsterdam with KLM were possible, but these have been cut, meaning that a change is always needed somewhere en route. Emirates turned out to be the best option this time. This was a new experience for me flying via Dubai  - very interesting to see from the air;  but not a place I felt inspired to visit.

Lusaka in June is also a new experience. This is the 'cold' season -  and Zambians are shivering with the contrast from the norm.  Indeed at night it gets cold enough to put on a fleece, but otherwise its mostly sunny and warm through the day  20 C  at least - so  coming from Scotland its on the par with pretty good summer weather - and with no chance of rain. June is  also avocado season so the thump of falling avocados on the tin roof overnight, guarantees breakfast - delicious and unlike the  under-ripe  efforts in supermarkets at home. 

Zambians are  due to go to the polls on August the 11th so there is much political activity in Lusaka and despite the occasional loud  throng getting a bit over heated, Zambia is keeping to its  excellent reputation of peaceful elections.
Linking up with our partners  at the hospitals  has been very straightforward and  all have been most welcoming  and immediately  recount  both how useful the training has been and that they are using art in their everyday practice with patients and clients. In one interaction I was shown a picture done that morning by a boy  whose drawing clearly showed that  his  sense of insecurity was derived from multiple changes of care givers, and that his  best friend  at school was his most consistent  in his life. This information helped the doctor guide the family in  the need for consistent care from now on and also the importance of keeping him at the same school as his friend. 

I have been able to set up a number of meetings for  the planning discussions. A key element of  the discussions is our wish to 'train trainers' so that the Therapeutic Art course can be delivered by Zambian mental health professionals and be rolled out more widely. Already it is looking that we can start training trainers  on our next  training visit which will be in January 2017.  So far so good.... 

​Author: Lesley