MONEY WHERE MOUTH IS (2)

One of my favourite Zambian advertisements

So here I am, sitting at home thinking, how am I going to deal with this Bursary thing?  Where do I start?   Who should I write to?   Who should I talk to?  Where will I get the equipment?   All my questions were were interspersed with nervous squeaks, “Yikes!” and fingernail biting.

Next thing I got an e-mail from E.N.T. for Zambia announcing a trip in March.   Whew… this would be my  chance to research what best to do, a chance to talk to those on the ground because, obviously, I  needed to fit in to what was going on already.   

Alfred Mwanza, the audiologist in Lusaka, would be a good person to talk to…. but … oh rats…Alfred was going to be away.  I e-mailed him telling him about the Bursary and asked him to Skype me.  

No reply.

Evelyn and Charity

            In Zambia I spoke to everyone, Audiology staff, doctors, nurses, social workers, nuns, and priests and  administrators.   I asked everyone’s advice and came up with the idea of setting up a two-tier training programme.   Level 1 would to train volunteers to do simple screening of school children and Level 2. would train staff in local clinics to do a more detailed screening and I’d spend the 5000 Euro on equipment and incidental expenses.  

Everyone in Zambia was hoop-de-la and I was sure that when Alfred heard he’d be delighted as well.    Before I left Zambia I left messages for him and when I got home I e-mailed  an outline and asked him to Skype.

No  reply.

Surely that meant that at least he had no objection… didn’t it?

to be continued…