Casey Marsh is part of a delegation of U.S. Fund for UNICEF staff and supporters currently visiting UNICEF's country programs in Zambia. She has been reporting on her experiences from the field this past week.
The final few days of our trip to Zambia have been incredible. On Thursday morning, our group flew from Lusaka to Ndola. As we wondered why we were delayed for about an hour, the crew announced that their vehicle had run out of gas on the way to the airport. It is a different world….
Our first stop was the Arthur Davison Children's Hospital in Ndola. This is only one of two children's hospitals in the entire country, and there is only one pediatric doctor on staff. That day, he was out of town for meetings, so there were none.
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| © US Fund for UNICEF/Casey Marsh |
| This young Zambian girl's mother died from AIDS. She is now cared for by her 80-year-old grandfather. |
We toured the facilities, including new equipment called a PCR machine that detects HIV in babies under 18 months. There are only three such machines in Zambia. And because of the device, this hospital has been able to complete about 4,200 HIV tests since 2007. Approximately 700 babies turned out to be HIV positive, and those results are just from one small region of the country.
We also visited the hospital's severe malnutrition ward, which was heartbreaking. There were about six mothers and babies crowded in a very small, shabby room. The babies eyes' looked lifeless and their faces were gaunt. The staff told us that the rainy season is the worst time for malnutrition. The rains wash away most of the crops, and the hospital becomes overcrowded.
The hospital faces many challenges such as lack of proper space and very few supplies. Something as simple as a proper space heater could help to save lives in the ward. UNICEF supports the hospital in many ways, and is in fact, the largest provider of nutritional supplies in the country. The doctors told us that UNICEF has provided essential training to doctors, nurses, counselors and therapists.
Thursday evening was an experience that I personally will never forget. Our group drove to the town of Kitwe, and we had the opportunity to take a walk with "street children" late that night. Because there are so many orphans in Zambia, hundreds of them literally live on the street in a somewhat lawless society ruled by the older kids. They beg during the day and sleep in gutters at night.
We were accompanied by two police officers as we walked through the streets and met some of the children. The first boy to greet us was Chanda. Chanda was about 11 years old, and he said they he is ready to leave the streets. As we walked, Chanda swung his head wildly in an apparent attempt to feel dizzy and high.
As soon as we approached a larger group of the kids hanging out in front of a small store, the smell of glue and gasoline overwhelmed us. They mix the concoction into plastic bottles and sniff it throughout the night to feel numb. The entire area was like an urban shantytown; it was absolutely filthy. We met two brothers, Castro and Stephen, ages 10 and 12, who recently arrived. They were terrified, and they told us that they are regularly beaten by the older boys.
A 14-year-old girl named Eunice latched on to me, and she said that she also is afraid and wants to leave. She has no place to go. She is forced to pay the older boys money for protection, and as I talked to her, three of the boys claimed her as "girlfriend." She just pushed them away and pleaded with us to take her with us.
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| © US Fund for UNICEF/Casey Marsh |
| During a night walk in Kitwe, UNICEF staff members facilitated the emergency rescue of Castro, Stephen and Eunice, arranging shelter for them at Salem Children's Village for protection from older street kids that were abusing them. |
Fortunately, we were with a pastor and the director of a nearby shelter for street children, Salem Children's Village. Although it is unusual to pluck kids off of the street immediately—typically, they arrange for pick up the next day for the kids who say that they are ready to leave—this was an emergency situation. We were able to make arrangements to open the shelter, and Lotta Sylwander, the UNICEF Country Representative in Zambia who accompanied us, asked one of the UNICEF drivers to take these three children to the shelter immediately.
Lotta went with the children herself in order to ensure their safe arrival. Eunice was in tears; she was so happy. We were able to see the kids the next day in the shelter. Castro and Stephen were having breakfast, a big plate of the Zambian version of porridge. They gave us a big hug when they saw us. Eunice was seated with the other kids who were preparing a presentation for us as their guests. She still looked shell-shocked, but she managed to smile before we left. They were all so relieved to be there. UNICEF supports the shelter with supplies and with training for the staff. The pastor and the director are on the streets every night after dark, talking with the kids and building their trust. In our eyes, they were saints.
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| © US Fund for UNICEF/Casey Marsh |
| The morning after UNICEF staff brought Castro and Stephen to saftey at the Salem Children's Village, Casey Marsh checked in on them to see how they were doing. |
We also had the chance to meet an 80-year-old grandfather who traveled by foot to the shelter to greet us. He is the caretaker of seven of his grandchildren, and four of them are HIV-positive. He told us that two of his daughters died from AIDS—and although he struggles to pay for food and medicine, he takes care of all of the children. He brought the kids with him, and they were absolutely beautiful. They are so lucky to have him. Finally, we met a boy who lived on the street for years, but was re-integrated with his elderly grandmother after living for awhile in Salem Children's Village. He told us that he loves football and he wants to be a doctor.
Our time here in Zambia has come to an end, and we all agree that it was one of the most powerful experiences that we have been through. We will never forget the children we met on this trip. And now more than ever, we are so proud to be a part of UNICEF's work.
