Meet Doris

I call her "Mpundu" which means "twin" in Bemba because we share some strong similarities:  she is born one month after me, is retired, a widow, works as a volunteer, was a teacher, and is very involved in the Catholic Church.

Doris is one of the first people I met since we share an office at the clinic.  She speaks fluent English and Bemba, being a retired school teacher.  She has recently built her own home where she is raising two grandchildren.  She also has a farm about 10 km from our village.  There, her widowed daughter-in-law lives and works. 
Early in my service, Doris let me accompany her on a home visit to one of her HIV clients who hadn't come in to the clinic for her medication.  Doris is an adherence counselor.  The bike ride was along the bush path and Doris' tire had a flat which we tried to repair but it wouldn't hold the air so we walked some of the way.  When we arrived at the home of her client, she found the reason for her not coming in--she couldn't walk due to deep open wound which wouldn't heal.  The hospital in Mpika wanted to amputate her leg but she doesn't want that.  In addition, she was experiencing diarrhea.  So I gave her some dietary tips (protein and low fat suggestions).  We also arranged for her mother to come and pick up her ART's the next day.
After leaving that home, we two old ladies limped back with the flat tire to Doris' farm.  While her grandson tried to fix her tire, we sat inside and ate caterpillars--my first.  I only ate one while she scooped up a bag full to take back with her.
I asked Doris to use her down time at the clinic to translate the antenatal classes. This will hopefully help the facilitators in their presentations given to the pregnant women.  Most materials in Zambia are printed in English which has very limited use in the village.  Doris' language and teaching skills are invaluable.  So being the hard-working person she is, she took the flip charts home to work the translations there.  Now I have submitted her work to Peace Corps so that all the health volunteers can benefit in their Bemba villages.
She is the sacristan at church so she attends the board meetings, prepares the altar, washes, sews and repairs the vestments and altar cloths.  She is also involved in the women's organizations which meet after church on Sunday.
I worry about Doris' health.  She has lost so much weight and has so many people dependent on her.  I am always reminding her to rest, to say "no" to requests to cook and sew for the church functions, etc.  We enjoy each other's company, though.  Recently she she accompanied me as we escorted Eunice, our mutual friend, to her home.  We created quite a stir with our big, floppy hats.

Before leaving my service in Mpepo, I asked her to share her life in writing for this blog.  Here is what she wrote:

My name is Doris Chitambo Chanda.  I am a Zambian woman agen 62.  Being the third and eldest in the family of eleven children, I did not go farther than secondary education.  I was married to a teacher who was working on the Copperbelt Prince.  When I had four children with him, he was sent to work in the rural area, where I found life different and difficult as a full house wife.  When my fourth born was two years old I decided to go for a teacher training college.  Leaving the smallest to be looked after by my parents and the other three by their father.  Knowingly somehow I was risking the lives of my children, by depriving them of parental love, I went to college and completed the two year course.

When I joined my husband and children for work.  I had three more children.  The year the first three children were in their secondary classes and one was plmpleting, my husband was found to have TB and was given early retirement as a teacher and he stayed a long time in hospital.  After his discharge we came to his home in the village of Mpepo.  There I taught at the Basic School and looked after the family.  After three years there my youngest child died.  Three months later my husband also died.  While a widow and still in sorrow, I thought of getting a medical check up because I was feeling ill.  It was then that I found out I was HIV positive.  It was 2003 when I became very ill and was taken to a big hospital—VTH.  There the test showed that I had TB just like my husband.  Fortunately I was treated and put on ARV’s (for HIV).  It was not easy for me because these medicines were only sold at a few hospitals in 2003.  So besides buying my medicine which was costly, I had three children to educate and three others pursuing  colleges. I was in a fix and my health was bad.  God willing, I struggled to work in this state until I retired from teaching in 2005.

I am currently a peacant farmer.  My positive HIV status makes me a role model in the community, expecially with other people living positvitly.  I am a trained counselor and facilitator for Safe Motherhood.

Now that I am a small scale farmer and only raise enough for a consumption for a family of 5. I am raising two granddaughters who are orphans. 

I do not make much money to send to my two sons in college.  I am asking for any aid from any organization which can enable me to have and reaise money to educate these  children even when I will be no more

Faithfully yours,

Dpris C. Chanda

PO Box 410685

Kasama, Northern Province-Zambia