Sunday Report

Hi Everyone,

So, I have recieved a few emails asking some good questions that I figured where worth responding to on the blog.

About my work...(I'm trying to keep names annonymous on this blog, but I'll give you a description).
I am working for a tiny 5-person NGO that does work in health policy. Specifically, we address the gap that exists between researchers and policy makers. Ideally, health policies should be based on evidence (ex. mosquito nets should be used to prevent malaria due to inimal health affects and affordability) but that's not how it seems to be working here (going back to our hypothetical example, the government would instead by spraying DDT). So, in response to this problem what my NGO does is promote a relatively new model of a tool called Knowledge Translation (KT). KT is the idea that knowledge can be organized and made available to people in a systematic fashion...so it emphasizes the role of the researcher in promoting their research to policy makers, incorporating policy makers into the research process, learning about the process of policy making, etc. So, right now in order to make this vision a reality, we're running workshops for researchers, building a database for researchers, trying to set up research-to-action groups in specific medical fields, and training some researchers in KT. Its pretty cool, and definetly different from any kind of project I've seen/heared of before. Rigt now I'm not soing much- just trying to write a project proposal that I desperately hope gets some funding. The project proposed is a resource centre for researchers, research-users and policy makers, so that they can come in and learn about research, gather evidence, participate in workshops for e-learning, ameliorate their writing skills, etc. Its hard to get funding for these kinds of projects though- funders really like 'active' projects...the kind where you have obvious, measurable results, and this is more of a seriously long-term thing.
I am working with some pretty amazing people, all of whom have been exceptionally welcoming. My boss is my hero- he's an OB/GYN (I think) and in his late sixties. He started up my NGO and although is almost 70, spends all of his time running around, meeting with people and planning the NGO's next move. He's very bright and has such an amazing knowledge of the medical community here in Zambia. My other coworkers are mostly in their late 20s, and a very interesting bunch (I'll give them pseudonyms)...Dan is our 'Knowledge Manager' and has a background in library sciences- he's quiet but talkative if you get to know him and has a motorcycle (I think he's going to take me for a spin next weekend). Nicola is hilarious and outgoing and writes the monthly newsletter. Kate is the receptionist and a force of nature (great friend, but don't cross her! She knows her stuff.) and taught me how to use the telephones here. Hopefully by next week, my NGO will have me started on a few more projects that I'll tell you all about later.
This weekend's been great. I didn't do a whole lot on Friday, but yesterday Kate invited me to her brother's wedding, which was a blast. Zambian weddings are a BIG DEAL. The bride and groom's families get together and form committees in order to organize everything. There are committees for dancing, wardrobe, drinks, food, decorations, transport, photographs, music, ushers, the service....everything. The service happens in the morning and then the bridal party gets together to relax and have lunch, and then everyone changes into evening attire and the reception starts (a lot more people show up for it too). The service was beautiful and there was a lot of singing- which I loved. People stand up in the pews, clap their hands, the whole bit.
I joined Kate when she went for lunch with the bridal party at someone's house. Everyone was really welcoming and I ate some seriously declicious Zambian food. Kate then took me to her place and got changed while I drank some wine and talked to her cousin- a Catholic Priest from the Western province. He had performed the ceremony, and we talked about medical anthropology for about 1/2 an hour, and he wants me to come and help out with the Parish in the West sometime, because they do a lot of HIV/AIDS awareness work with youth and run an orphanage. I'm interested to see how this pans out. I'd love to see the West!
The reception was massive. About 300 people showed (which everyone said was small for a Zambian wedding) plus wedding crashers (here, wedding crashing is an acceptable and common practice, and so during the meal, the wedding crashers are asked to stay away from the food until everyone has eaten). The bridesmaids do a dance for the wedding cake, a 'Knife Girl' dances into the room and brings the knife to the cake, the bride and groom have a first dance, there's a lot of toasting, some traditional dancing, the bride and groom have to ask for the blessing from both families...and an MC runs all of this stuff. Every event is usually accompanied by a song too (which I noticed tended to be a Shania Twain or Celine Dion tune). I had a really good time and even joined in on some of the dancing. I'll attach some photos for everyone.
That's all for now. Until next time!

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