On my travels!

I left for Zambia yesterday afternoon so I’ll not be blogging for a while.

I flew to Lusaka via Heathrow and arrived this morning. I have the rest of today and the whole of Wednesday to catch up with John Jellis (the surgeon/pilot who runs FlySpec) and Sister Egida who runs the orthopaedic workshop that 500 miles supports at the Zambian Italian Orthopaedic Hospital (“ZIOH”). There is a lot to talk about and get sorted out.

But then I am going on a three day/two night trip to Mukinge which is a few hours away - in the tiny plane in the photo! Patrick, one of the prosthestists/orthotists who works at ZIOH has already cast a number of patients from Mukinge and on this trip he’ll be bringing them the devices he has made from the casts and he will fit them. John will have his usual lengthy list of operations. I’m very squeamish but I hope to see some of that work too and to understand the conditions under which John works.

We will be back at John’s farm for Saturday night and Sunday but on Monday we go off again for one day and night in Mongu and then straight on for another day and night at Chitokoloki. This will teach me something about the relentless and gruelling pace at which John and his FlySpec partner, Goran Jovic, work – but also about the impact FlySpec is having on people’s lives. I am nervous but very happy to be going!