Meeting the Team

Friday 7th November 2008

Today was a great day! We were picked up from the hospital and driven to the Buntolo drop in centre. ‘Buntolo’ means oasis and it is the hospital’s HIV/AIDS centre. It was to be a day of introductions. We, the new VSO volunteers were being taken there to meet the ‘Home Based Care’ team. As our car pulled in to the compound, a group of about 40 Care Givers stood up and welcomed us in song. I was completely overwhelmed as I had not expected anything of the sort. A meeting was what I was prepared for and this was unlike any I had ever attended. Zambians can really sing! They have rhythm in their veins and sing their hearts out at any opportunity they get. They can also really dance! I will not be ready to leave this country till I have learned to shake my waist like these women can.

So in between much singing and dancing, a meeting was conducted in which we were all introduced to each other and briefed on our roles and yada yada. I’ll skip the boring stuff (though there was very little). All in all, I am very happy to have a chance to work with such a wonderful group of people and look forward to going out into the villages and seeing them in action.