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Today was our first Sunday in Zambia as a team. As many of us on this TPM Zambia 2024 team have experienced here before, we were immediately welcomed and enveloped into the life of people as completely as in years past. We were invited to a community church service and afterword set up for vision and blood pressure screening clinic with distribution of eyeglasses where needed and education for improving blood pressure management for those with hypertensive disease in the community. Most of our pictures from today are from that ancillary work after the service. A special thank you to all of you that have donated and supported the team in various ways to make that good work possible. Often we focus on the hardships and challenges in developing countries, indeed the TPM team is here for another 10 days or so to equip and re-train and encourage our Zambian colleagues who experience newborn and infant mortality in ways we have not for several generations in the US. Even the study and message of the church service today reminded and wrestled with the perception that hardships and trouble are experienced as a rule of life, even or especially “problems” that may create physical, emotional, and spiritual hardship or disappointment. Today we hope that you will be encouraged, as we were, by the smiling faces and apparent joy of life that we witnessed and documented. For some of the team this is the first time experiencing this magnitude and juxtaposition of hardship and joy that we saw today. It is hard to describe, and can be cognitively and emotionally overwhelming. For most of us it evokes a sense that something is missing at home - why do so many here seem so happy when they don’t have ____ (fill in the blank). Download the files below to see more videos!
We didn’t answer all the questions or solve all the problems today (and we won’t this trip). In fact there were some people that needed glasses who we could not take care of, and some that needed levels of blood pressure management and medical treatment that we could not provide today. In a few situations we had to say “no we can’t” and “no we don’t”, hoping needs will be met in ways we could not on this day. It never feels good to disappoint. Just another reminder that we have limitations - we are human. However, we witnessed that despite our limitations, joy may win the day through mutual encouragement, the fomenting of hope, and the things we choose to focus on. We were overwhelmed and encouraged by what happened and what we saw today, and in some small way through the photos and videos posted we hope you are too! We are well, we are rested, we are ready for Monday - our warmest greetings to you and yours from Ndola from the Tiny People Matter Zambia 2024 team. Dr. Matthew Heckman MD, PhD Check out more of our clinic pictures below!
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