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!
I have now been in Uganda for 3 weeks and can’t believe how quick it has gone. It has definitely been a rollercoaster of emotions so far. It’s made me realise that even though I have experience living and working in Zambia, all countries are different in their own ways. They do have their similarities which has helped me to settle in but there are new difficulties that I have come across.
It hit me as soon as I arrived on the first day. It had been a long journey with having to have 24 hours in Doha as I missed my connecting flight due to the Iran air strikes and then a 6 hour car journey from the airport to where I would be living. When I arrived at the house it was not as I was expecting and definitely made me realise I had it good in Zambia! The house wasn’t very clean and very basic.
There is no TV, no proper living area and my bedroom is so small I’m currently living out of my suitcases. The kitchen is a whole other issue with minimal cooking facilities and the cupboards are not suitable to really put food in. So definitely going to have to get used to a new way of living for the next 6 months. It was upsetting at first but now I’m accepting that it’s just another way to live and actually will be good for me to appreciate the things I do have and the way of life in the UK.
The house wasn’t the only surprise. We were taken into town to buy some food etc. I was expecting a proper supermarket like they had in Zambia and like we have in the UK but I was soon to find out that their supermarkets are just small shops and don’t have a lot of options. Also some of the food is quite expensive when I’m only receiving £300 a month. I was told this would be enough to live on in Uganda but I’m not convinced! There are a couple of restaurants but no takeaways like Hungry lion and pizza shops! Think I will struggle a bit with the food. The past 3 weeks I’ve mostly lived off rice and beans/peas, chapatis and super noodles! Not very nutritious so going to have to work something out. The meat is so bad I think I’ve turned vegetarian!
As for working at the hospital, this is going really well. My experience in Zambia has definitely prepared me well. I have seen some upsetting things but I have been able to deal with them well. I have settled into the team well and already have a new project to get stuck into so watch this space!! I’ve always been interested in research so this will be a great experience.
So overall things are good but a lot to get used to. The friends I have made so far will surely help me to settle and enjoy my time here.
Well I can’t believe it has been 4 months since I last posted. Time really does fly by, its scary really! I went to watch Bridget Jones;Mad about the boy with my sister the other day and it really got us reminiscing. How young the cast looked in the first film to how they look now. It’s like we have grown up with them and we are all aging way too fast! It really makes me think about what I have done in life and what I have yet to achieve and experience. I need to make the most of my time, and thats exactly what I have been doing the last few months.
Since my last post I have been finding new projects to work on as well as starting my own. My own project will take time but there has already been some positive communication, so thats good. Meanwhile I have joined a new charity and I will be off to Uganda for 6 months in June. I have never been to Uganda, so as much as I will miss Zambia, I am looking forward to seeing new places and new healthcare systems. So watch this space for my Uganda adventures!
I have really enjoyed my projects and I want to build a career on global health and education. So at the end of last year I started looking into a masters, however I was told that the degree modules I had done was not enough and I would have to do a whole degree! This was not what I wanted to hear and didn’t fancy spending 3 years at university. Luckily I found a top up degree on-line thats for 12 months, perfect! I started my degree top up in January and I am really enjoying it. It also makes me feel good that this will open a lot more doors for me. I haven’t done essay writing for a lot of years though, so its taking a lot of brain power!
Another exciting update is my book! The first 3 chapters are complete and the next 2 are nearly done. I have had a few meetings with my editor and publisher, so things are really moving forward. It’s so nice to have people that really believe in me. It is taking me time to write the book, as I have to think about some difficult situations from my past, which isn’t always easy, but I am really enjoying it and proud of what I have achieved so far.
I think thats everything for now. My head is like a whirlwind, but it will all be worth it. Hopefully I can get a holiday in before Uganda!
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.
2nd holiday of the year complete and what an experience it was! I went to Turkey with my friend Kizzy for my 40th birthday. I wanted to do something different so we decided to do a little road trip over 9 days. We planned to stay in 3 places and hire a car to drive along the coast. People were surprised when we said we were going to be driving around Turkey, saying how crazy they drive! Well turns out, we drive as crazy!
People that have been away with me know that I normally attract drama or adventures along the way, this started as soon as we landed in Turkey. We arrived at the airport and waited to be collected and taken to our hire car. Going smoothly until we realised that they would only accept Kizzy’s credit card as she made the booking, but only I had mine with me. After an hour or so of me arguing with a very inexperienced and rude guy, who literally just walked out of the shop and wouldn’t speak to me anymore, we managed to come up with an agreement with the manager. He wouldn’t speak to me at first, only Kizzy, but we soon made friends and were joking around. Never knew I could be so scary! So, finally 2 hours later we were on our way to the first place, or so we thought. 15 minutes into the journey, Kizzy realised she had left her passport and driving license behind, so U turn made and back to see our friends at the car hire place. Thats when the fun really began! We soon realised that it wasn’t the drivers that were the problem, it was the road layouts and the lack of lines and markings on the road. Due to this, I ended up driving on the wrong side of the road and the wrong way down a one way street. Luckily I realised before the van coming at us was too close! 30 minutes into the journey and the tyre pressure light came on in the car. We stopped at a petrol station to see if there was an air pump, the man working there came over to help, due to none of us speaking the same language I just pointed at the warning sign on the dashboard. He walked around the car, kicking all four tyres then just put his thumb up and said “OK” and that was the end of that! Luckily the light did go off eventually and we didn’t have any other problems with it.
We finally arrived at our first place and we had a great few days. The host was so lovely and really took care of us. It was up a mountain and had such lovely views and very peaceful with our own private pool. It was a good job we had a car since it was up a mountain, but the host was very lovely and drove us down in the evenings. It did get a little stressful as the host didn’t speak English and we don’t speak Turkish, so trying to explain where we wanted to go was a challenge. He didn’t have aircon and it was so hot, Kizzy had to start fanning me and the host offered me a cigarette thinking it would calm me down! I think the Turkish men think I’m a stress head! Driving up and down the mountain was interesting, I kept freaking out when I was the passenger, feeling like we were going to fall off the edge of the cliff, but I started to get used to it eventually. The language did cause us a few issues, but for me the funniest was when Kizzy ordered a Vodka and lemonade. It came and it was a funny green/yellow colour like it was homemade. She sat there drinking it for ages even though it was horrible and when the bill came we realised they hadn’t even put any vodka in it! She only drank it for the vodka and there wasn’t actually any in the glass! Got to say she wasn’t impressed.
I woke up on my birthday to find the birthday fairy had been and put up decorations etc. It was so lovely! We went and spent the day at a water park with Laura, Brian and their children. It was so lovely that we were all in Turkey at the same time. Myself and Kizzy went out in the evening for drinks and had a great time, including getting free drinks!
The next day, we drove to our next place in Kas. It was about 5 hours drive so we split it up and stopped in Side and a little place called Beldibi. We saw some of the Turkish ruins and had some great Turkish food. When we thought it was bad enough we were up a mountain in Alanya, we had no idea what we about to drive to this time. Google maps said we had 30 minutes to go, but yet we were just going up and up the mountain, the roads were so tight and windy, we were sure we must start going down soon, but it never happened! This is the thing with Air BnB, you don’t get the exact location until the day before, so all we knew was that it was in Kas. The last part of the drive up to the house was so steep that we had to abandon the car and walk the rest of the way up. We were met by an employee of the host who didn’t speak any English and kept trying to tell us to drive up the last part, but every time we tried the car was skidding. What had we let ourselves into!
After the dramatic drive and struggling up the hill with all our luggage, we arrived at our second place, and it was definitely worth the drama! The place was amazing. It was a private house with our own private pool and the views were amazing. We decided because it was half an hour of windy steep roads up and down a mountain to get to the town that we were only going to head in once and then make the most of the house and pool. So the first evening we drove down to the town to get dinner and buy some food and drinks for the next couple of days. We were under the impression that Kas was a small quiet town, we were definitely wrong! It was so busy, it took us ages to find a parking space, but it was a lovely town. We went to one of the restaurants to have dinner and ended up getting a lot of free food! We felt sick we ate so much, I think Turkish people may be feeders! Sorry, no insult intended!
The next couple of days were lovely, chilling at the house, around the pool, I was in my element! Kizzy was ready for the next and final place, where we would be a lot more sociable! The last part of the trip was only a couple of hours, so we had lunch in Kas and then drove to Oludeniz. Here, we were in a hotel, so it was a big change from having our own private pool, to sharing a pool and having to fight for sunbeds! It was so nice to have all these different experiences in one holiday. Oludeniz was our most active part of the holiday, we went out every evening, found our favourite bar and got a lot of free drinks and food! I will definitely come back to Turkey! There were so many tattoo shops around that I couldn’t resist getting a tattoo on my last night. I got a purple butterfly in memory of my Aunty Yvonne, who was like a second mother to me. I will treasure it forever.
Kizzy wanted to go paragliding, I have done it before in Switzerland, but I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to do it again. So off we went up the mountain and ready to jump off the top. It was amazing, the views and the feeling of being free, like you’re a bird flying. I did get a little motion sickness so there were no fancy tricks for me! I love making memories like this, its. a great feeling when I tell people these stories and they are so interested in what I have been up to. Which is one of the reasons I started this blog.
So sadly the last day came and we had to drive the car back to the airport and back on the plane to England. It was a great experience and memories for life, I’m very grateful to have amazing friends in my life to make these memories with!
Reading it back, I realised I used the word amazing a lot of times! All I can say is, it shows I had a great time, and maybe I need to find some new words!!
So I’ve been waiting to hear about the next few projects on the horizon but no news yet, and I am getting itchy feet. 4 continuous months in the UK is too much for someone who needs to see the world! So I decided to book myself a few days in Spain.
I have a friend who was staying in an apartment there, so more reason to make the most of free accomodation! So flights booked and off I went.
They were staying in a local town where there are hardly any tourists, people don’t speak Emglish and were living like locals, so this definitely appealed to me! I was excited to be in the middle of Spanish culture and be able to practice my Spanish.
Even though we were nowhere near a beach or swimming pool, had no air-conditioning and it was up to 40 degrees!!! I still had a great time. There’s something about seeing the way other people live and seeing a different way of life. As soon as I got in the taxi to the apartment, I felt so much happier in myself and free. People always ask me why I love being away so much and why I want to live away from the UK. As well as the obvious reasons such as the weather, all I can say is that it’s a feeling. The way I feel when I am away, I’m a different person, I’m more relaxed, happy and feel so free.
It was such a nice mini break, and I really needed it. Did some shopping, drinking and eating! What more can you need! I’m just getting myself ready for the next holiday! Turkey, here I come!
Some exciting news! I was asked to be a part of an article about Skin to Skin contact for infants in UK and Zambia. I wrote down about my experience and handed it in, and I am now a co-author of my first ever published article in the Journal of Neonatal Nursing! I feel so proud of myself and excited that things are progressing and more things on the horizon for my new career path in Neoantal nursing. The link if you would like to read the article is
drive.google.com/file/d/1WDEYuB…
As well as the article, I have been busy with my hands in a few pies as the saying goes! I have started an online course about education in adults so I can start teaching more, I’ve sent a proposal for a new project in Africa, so waiting to hear about that and a few other things up my sleeve!
Alongside this, I have really got into writing my first book. I’ve had some good guidance and support, which has really helped!
This post is very positive and exciting, but it’s not always this easy, life! I’ve had a lot of ups and downs since I got back to the UK, and my feet are already itching for the next adventure! Watch this space!!
Since I’ve been back in the UK its been very up and down. Trying to settle back into English life, but also wanting to plan my next adventure! It’s not been easy being back, for many reasons, but I’ve got some amazing friends by my side that have made it so much easier. I’ve started hiking again, got a social night life for a change and trying to do new things. I’ve got exciting things to look forward to, including my best friends wedding next year and of course holidays!
Work has been a big part of my life since I got back, but not in a sense of I’ve been at work, but more that I’m trying to decide which way I want my career to go. People that know me well will know how much I have been trying to get out of the NHS for the past few years but somehow still end up back there. It’s taken a lot of strength to actually walk away completely and find a new route. So for the past few weeks I have stopped doing bank shifts and started to focus on a career in teaching and global health. It hasn’t been easy, but I’m definitely feeling happier within myself.
I’m currently doing a course on education and have applied to start teaching resuscitation and other life skills with a couple of companies. However, the more exciting thing is that I’m in the process of putting together a proposal for a new project in Zambia, which is very exciting! Also, not to forget my book! It’s a slow progress, but I will get there.
One of my friends has really opened my eyes to the world of crystals and manifesting. She told me that this week is a new moon, and so many things have changed for me this week. So watch this space for more exciting updates! And maybe a new version of Jenny!
So after a whirlwind 6 months, I am back in the UK!!! The last month in Zambia was very busy and a lot of firsts for me. We finished at the clinics, and one of the main things that came up was that a lot of attention was needed on neonatal care. Luckily, that’s my speciality! So, I planned a week of training around caring for newborn infants as well as resuscitation and stabilisation of sick infants.
This was the first time I had ever planned more than one training session, so planning a whole week was a great experience for me. I had nurses from the children’s hospital to help me teach, and it all went really well. There were some hiccups, but mostly because of being in Zambia. I had to accept they were never going to be on British Times! Overall, it was a great week, and I was so proud of myself! Only a few years ago I would have had a panic attack if someone had asked me just to do a 15 minute presentation and here I was running and teaching a whole week!
Following the teaching week, I went for a week to Zanzibar. I had decided to treat myself to a week away at the end of the 6 months and I was definitely ready for this. I was desperate to get to a beach and a pool, somewhere I could relax and not have to do anything!! It was perfect! I had a very relaxing week, reading, writing my book and journal, as well as doing some touristy things! I went to the main town, did some sightseeing, shopping and went to an island where they used to keep the slaves. On the island there were so many giant turtles, it was amazing. I have never seen giant turtles in real life I was amazed by them. On another day I went swimming with turtles (normal sized!), which I didn’t even realise you could do. Such a great experience, even though one did bite me instead of getting the food. So overall, was a great break away.
Leaving Zambia was a range of emotions that I’m still dealing with now, but it always takes a bit of time to get back into a different way of life. I’m back in the UK, already full of a cold and ready for whatever adventure may be next.
2024 has started off very busy! It has also been quite a difficult couple of months with many emotions. However, I have gotten through it just like I always do. Its important to remember life isnt always easy, we just have to roll with it and get to where you want to be.
Ive done 6 weeks at the clinics, this is the second and final round which is quite sad to accept. It hasn’t always been easy but its such an amazing experience. We’ve had good days, laughing with the midwives, teaching and just getting to know each other. We’ve had very busy days with 2 or 3 babies being born at the same time with 1 midwife! Ive had to learn pretty fast how to help in these situations!! We’ve also had to deliver babies in taxis!! And sadly we have also had to resuscitate babies. This has really opened my eyes to how lucky we are in the UK and how we don’t seem to appreciate it. Its hard to really explain what its like, its something people need to experience for themselves and I definitely recommend it if you ever get the opportunity.
I’ve spent more time at the orphange, which is my place to escape and really feel loved and relaxed. It is hard living in a very different culture, especially when you stand out so much. The locals expect alot off you when you are a muzungu! (White person). But at the orphange I can just be myself with no expectations.
I am now off to 4 more clinics that are based in other towns. These will be my last visits. So I plan to make the most of my last 6 weeks!
Around the world as a Neonatal Nurse. 