health – Chanters Lodge Livingstone

Whitney & Dave DeCamp

Meet Whitney and David DeCamp (above) from the USA. Whitney is a strategic planning analyst with the American Red Cross and Dave is a business system manager with the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric Aids Foundation, both based in Washington DC. Dave’s job involves the implementation of the Smartcare programme in conjunction with the Centre for Disease Control.

Whitney and Dave met about 11 years ago and in 2005 got married. They have recently been enjoying a short vacation at Chanters Lodge in Livingstone, so we took the opportunity to invite them to guest on our regular Sunday night radio show – The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild Kaufela – airing live at 20.30 hrs on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. On this occasion the ‘Milli Jam Ingredient’ was not feeling well so it was the ‘Kaufela Ingredient’ featuring Richard! Whitney and Dave were a little apprehensive but in the end happy to accept our invitation and they were great Guests!

“What have you been doing since you arrived in Livingstone?” George wondered early on in the set. Whitney and Dave explained that they had only arrived from Lusaka the day before, but had already managed to fit in a sunset cruise on Lady Livingstone, which they had loved, especially as they saw quite a lot of game during the trip. They had, they explained, that very morning been on the rhino walk with Bwaato Adventures, and considered the activity to be really good value for money. They had seen six rhino, including one of the babies as well as loads of other game, including cape buffalo, giraffe and zebra. Dave told listeners that he’d been attending a conference in Lusaka before they arrived in Livingstone, Whitney had, on this occasion, been able to join him for a holiday and had persuaded him to come and see Victoria Falls and he was delighted she had. They had seen the Falls and got soaking wet in the process! “All part of the fun!” They said.

The music on the show was good. We played tracks by Jeremy Greene featuring Usher as well as from Miley Cyrus, Roberto and Kaufela, moving on to Pitbull featuring Shakira – or was it the other way round? Newton Faulkner featured too. Our oldie of the week was by Shabba Ranks. We give away a dinner for two to the first person to text us telling us who’s the artist on our weekly oldie and this week a certain Albert win the prize. Our pick of the week was Call My Name – Florence and The Machine’s first every UK number one, featuring Calvin Harris and we closed with Taio Cruz’a latest ‘Fast Car’.

Dave told listeners that he loves country music and baseball, while Whitney likes alternative rock and American football. Their favourite teams are both from Baltimore. Asked how they had found out about Chanters Lodge Whitney explained that they had found the lodge well reviewed on TripAdvisor and that they were more than happy that they had made the lodge their choice.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in ten years’ time, this lively and loving couple expressed an interest in coming back to live in Zambia with their, as yet, unborn children. We wondered if it was hard for Whitney with Dave travelling so much in his job, but they explained that the internet, Skype and things made it much easier than it used to be! Were the guys on Facebook or Twitter? Yes both, but Dave claimed he had no followers on Twitter! We determined to do something about that!

18
JUL

activities, Africa, Chanters, entertainment, guests, health, music, radioshow, usa, victoriafalls, wildlife, Zambia

The Peace Corps and The Experience

Meet Jenni Kuker (above right) and her mum Jan who were Guests on the most recent edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild Kaufela. That’s our regular Sunday night radio show on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The programme is a relaxing mixture of music and chat. Jenni and her parents, who come from the USA, were staying at Chanters Lodge on a visit to see Victoria Falls. When Milli Jam asked Jenni “what brought you to Zambia?” She exclaimed “adventure!” And went on to tell listeners that she is a Peace Corps volunteer and that she’d been based in Zambia since July 2010, stationed 200 kms east of Lusaka in Luangwa. Her parents were on a visit to see her, as well as to do some sight seeing.

Jenni explained that she held two degrees, one in psychology and one in nursing from University of Portland in Oregon, USA. She told listeners that in Luangwa she stayed in a mud hut without electricity, and had been mostly living on a diet of village chickens and bananas. That part of Eastern Zambia is famous for the production of the latter, and Jenni told listeners she was now expert in the production of banana bread, banana fritters and banana pancakes! She was involved with health care education in a rural clinic and would finish her stint in Zambia in September this year. She was looking forward to showing her parents ‘the village’ and then taking them on Safari in the South Luangwa National Park staying at Flatdogs.

The music on the show was right up to date as usual. We opened with Rihanna’s ‘Where Have You Been’ – her upcoming single release, back to back with Conor Maynard’s ‘Can’t Say No’. Conor’s single was number two in the UK charts as the show went on air. Hailing from Brighton Conor is billed as ‘Britain’s answer to Justin Bieber’. The mind boggles – but it’s a good single. For his Zambian pick George dropped one of his own great tracks ‘Your Love’ featuring Jay Fantasy back to back with JK’s smash featuring Salma ‘Kapilipili’. Milli Jam chose the ‘oldie of the week’ Charice’s ‘Pyramid’ and my phone was hot with folks texting in to tell us the name of the artist, in order to win a dinner for two at the lodge. Jacque won. We closed with Maroon 5 ft Wiz Khalifa and ‘Payphone’.

Jan told listeners that she and husband David (listening to the show back at the lodge) had been married 43 years and were both retired. They had both worked in human resources prior to retirement. They were thoroughly enjoying their first visit to Zambia. Jenni told us that a lack of privacy in the village had been the hardest thing to accept when she arrived in Luangwa, and said she had overcome the problem by building a fence. She wanted to work in specialized surgical nursing when she returned to the USA, and mum wanted her to find a husband. ‘No need to return to the States for that’ texted one bright spark ‘plenty of eligible men in Zambia’. We laughed.

Asked where she would like to be and what she would like to be doing in ten years’ time, Jenni replied that she would like to be nursing somewhere in the world with Medecins Sans Frontiers. I’m sure it will happen!

26
APR

activities, Africa, entertainment, garden, health, radioshow, South Luangwa, tourism, usa, victoriafalls, volunteers, Zambia

The Finnish Experience

I don’t remember having Finnish guests on the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild Kaufela until last week’s show, so it was a pleasure to welcome Minttu Markannen (front left) and Susanna Mustonen (front right) who featured on the latest edition of our regular Sunday night radio programme on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s leading local radio station. The girls were accompanied to the studio by Minttu’s mum Pivy (back right) and her friend Marita, all of whom were Guests at Chanters Lodge. It was a lovely happy Easter Sunday show with lively chat, great music, and of course the prize of a dinner for two at Chanters Lodge for the first person to text us telling us who was singing our ‘oldie of the week’. Milli Jam’s selection was Ne-Yo’s ‘So Sick’ and there was an immediate deluge of messages most of whom had the right answer, but no-one was faster than Felistus who won!

The girls told listeners that they came from Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and were both student nurses. They were currently working in Lilongwe, Malawi for a few months as part of a student exchange programme between Kamuzu Hospital in Lilongwe and the University of Helsinki, where they were both studying, in the final year of a three year degree course in nursing. The girls were very much enjoying their experience and told us there were huge differences between health care in Finland and Malawi, for example in Finnish hospitals roughly 6 nurses to less than 30 patients, in Malawi 5 nurses for 200+ patients!

The music on the show was great – we opened with Carly Jae Repson’s ‘Call Me Maybe’ a former number 1 in Canada, debuting at number 1 in the UK charts that very day. The guys dropped this track back to back with Nicki Minaj’s ‘Va Va Voom’ from her latest Roman Reloaded album – number 1 in the UK album charts – we are nothing if not right up to date on ‘The Experience’! George played Judy’s ‘Chikawama’ and Roberto’s ‘Osayenda’ for his Zambian tracks. Other tracks were by Micasa, a South African, with a number called ‘Heavenly Streets’, Sean Paul, and Labrinth featuring Emeli Sande.

Milli Jam wanted to know how the group had travelled from Malawi to Livingstone and the girls explained that Kenya Airways had cancelled their flights, consequently they’d been obliged to travel the whole way by coach but they’d been determined to come and see Victoria Falls! They told us the effort had been totally worthwhile as they had now seen the magnificent sight of the Falls in full flood – and gotten very wet in the process! They had a one day safari planned to Chobe in Botswana the next day. They were not sure how many other activities they would be able to fit in as they had to be back in Lilongwe by the following Thursday, and once again would have to travel the whole way back to Malawi by coach.

Asked where they would like to be and what they would like to be doing in 10 years time, the girls who are both single, had different replies. They said they wanted to be ‘excellent nurses’ but Minttu gave the impression she would still like to be studying, while Susanna said she hoped she would be nursing, married and have children.

We thought their African experience would stand them in good stead for the future!

12
APR

activities, Botswana, Chobe, entertainment, Finland, guests, health, Malawi, music, recording, victoriafalls, Zambia

Old Folk Down Under

Some more radical suggestions from Judy in Perth as to how to sort out Australia!

Let’s put the pensioners in jail and the criminals in a nursing home.

Pensioners would:

– have access to showers, hobbies and walks.

– receive unlimited free prescriptions, dental and medical treatment, wheel chairs etc

– receive money instead of paying it out.

– have constant video monitoring, so they could be helped instantly, if they fell, or needed assistance.

– have bedding washed twice a week, and all clothing would be ironed and returned to them.

– have a guard to check on them every 20 minutes and bring their meals and snacks to their cell.

– have family visits in a suite built for that purpose.

– have access to a library, weight room, spiritual counseling, pool and education.

– have simple clothing, shoes, slippers, PJ’s and legal aid free on request.

– private, secure rooms for all, with an exercise outdoor yard, with gardens

– have a PC, TV, radio and daily phone calls

– have a board of directors to hear complaint

– the guards would have a code of conduct that would be strictly adhered to.

The criminals, on the other hand:

– would get cold food,

– be left all alone and unsupervised,

– lights off at 8pm,

– showers once a week,

– live in a tiny room,

– pay $600.00 per week,

– and have no hope of ever getting out!

19
FEB

Australia, health, infrastructure, innovation

Beit CURE Hospital, Lusaka

The Beit CURE International Hospital of Zambia was established in 2004. CURE International signed an agreement with the Zambian Ministry of Health to operate a pediatric teaching hospital specializing in the treatment and care of children living with physical disabilities.

The Beit Trust, a UK-based charity, provided $1.5 million to support construction of the hospital as a centennial gift to the people of Zambia. The Zambian government donated a 60-acre plot of land for the hospital site.

Beit CURE Zambia is one of the few hospitals of in Zambia is able to adequately address the surgical needs of the disabled children in the country. The hospital campus is comprised of six buildings, housing 45 patient beds in the children’s ward and 16 beds in the private patients ward. The hospital also houses a chapel and spiritual center, three operating theaters, an outpatient clinic, an administrative building and a general services building. Services at the hospital will be focused on pediatric orthopedics, neurosurgery and reconstructive plastic surgery.

Since opening its doors, Beit CURE Zambia has seen over 8,000 patients and performed nearly 4,000 surgeries

6
FEB

Africa, health, Lusaka

The Kay Jay Experience

We were happy we didn’t have to use his full name when Kay Jay (above) guested on The Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient last Sunday night! Why? Well he’s called Kelvin Lisbon Kangwa de Souza which is quite a mouthful! Kay Jay explained to listeners that his father was half Portuguese and half Bemba, hence his Portu-Bemba name. For the uninitiated The Chanters Lodge Experience is our regular Sunday night radio show airing between 20.30 and 21.30 hrs CAT on Zambezi 107.7 fm, Livingstone’s best loved local radio station. The show streams live on the internet too.

The programme has been running for 4 years and is popular partly because each week we give away a dinner for two with drinks at Chanters Lodge to the first person to text us telling us who’s singing our oldie of the week. This week the answer was Aliyah and Cedric, age 14, won! He came for lunch on Monday with his elder sister! Awesome! Older people tried to win as well but perhaps their age made them slower off the mark. Just a speculation!

Kay Jay is a senior producer at 107.7 fm having started with the station as a presenter earlier this year. “Meteoric rise to power” commented Milli Jam dryly, who was quick to apologize to listeners for the absence of George da Soulchild Kaufela, usually the co-host of our programme but absent attending and performing at the annual Born ‘N Bred awards show in Lusaka. Kay Jay told listeners that at 107.7 fm he was responsible for making sure that programmes ran on time, advertisements were broadcast on schedule and that all the presenters knew their schedule, reporting in good time accordingly. We wondered what was the biggest challenge of the job. “Frowning faces” he replied and we needed no further explanation. Milli Jam, one of 107.7 fms longest serving presenters, laughed!

The music on the show was right on point as usual. We opened with ‘It’s Not You (It’s Me) by T-Pain vs Chuckie featuring Pitbull back to back with ‘The Believer’ by Common ft John Legend. Milli Jam’s local selections were Orga Family with ‘Nkuku Nankanga’ coupled with ‘Wounded Buffalo’ by Afunika. We featured Nicole Scherzinger’s smash ‘Don’t Hold Your Breath’ and ‘Lottery’ by Stevie Hoang. After Aliyah’s ‘oldie of the week’ we closed with Chris Brown and ‘Thinking Out Loud’ back to back with ‘Who You Are’ – Jesse J’s latest smash.

Kay Jay was very interesting describing his life before joining 107.7 fm. Educated at all grade levels in all boys schools in Lusaka, he said he was now ‘too excited’ when he met girls and used this and ‘financial instability’ as excuses for not yet being married. “I thought it was about love” Milli Jam commented dourly and I said I was sure the Chanters Girls would agree with that! Kay Jay spent some time in Netherlands with Dance For Life – young people all over the world getting into action to stop HIV and making a move to change the future – The Dance4life platform makes all those efforts visible, encouraging even more people to join the movement, Kay Jay explained. He hosted 10 shows and was proud to be one of only 3 African presenters. He had loved the Netherlands and had visited almost all parts of the country.

As a Gunner (Arsenal supporter) Kay Jay was inordinately proud of having shaken hands with Robin van Persie when he was in Holland. We were very jealous! He also met, hugged and we suspect fell in love with Doutzen Kroes the gorgeous Dutch super model. More jealousy on our part! In 10 years time Kay Jay told listeners he wanted to have his own business, a Phd and a wife and family.

Great ambitions, great guest, great show!

14
DEC

Africa, Arsenal, Chanters, charities, communications, education, entertainment, health, Holland, Lusaka, management, medical, music, radioshow, restaurants, Zambia

Marianne Olsen plays 107.7 fm

Meet Marianne Olsen (above) from Tromsoe, Norway, guest on the most recent edition of The Chanters Lodge Experience with The Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild. That’s our regular Sunday night radio show airing weekly on Zambezi Radio 107.7 fm from 20.30-21.30 hrs. 107.7 fm is Livingstone’s most popular local radio station reaching a radius of about 70 kilometres domestically and streaming live on the internet from their site and from ours. Our show is a great mixture of local and international music plus chat – we also give away a dinner for two with drinks every week for the first person to text us the answer to a usually simple question! Keeps us popular!

Marianne told listeners she’d been coming to Zambia off and on since 1994. She’s an occupational therapist by profession and explained that this is a discipline aiming to promote health by enabling people to perform meaningful and purposeful activities. Occupational therapists work with individuals who suffer from a mentally, physically, developmentally, and/or emotionally disabling condition by utilizing treatments that develop, recover, or maintain clients’ activities of daily living. “There are very few occupational therapists in Zambia” she said.

I told our audience that Marianne was one of the first ever Clients at Chanters Lodge when we opened in July 1998. At that time she was living and working in Livingstone. This, her most recent visit, had come about as a result of attending an international congress for occupational therapists, held during the course of the past week in another Livingstone hotel. She had enjoyed the congress. We asked Marianne about the recent massacre of young people in Norway and she was emotional as she recounted to listeners what had happened and how the Norwegian people and government had reacted to the tragedy.

The music on the show was good. We opened with Vanessa Carlton’s ‘1000 Miles’ back to back with ‘Collide’ by Leona Lewis. Local tracks were ‘Come Follow Me’ by Judy featuring Cactus and Mampi’s ‘Wali lo Weleka’. Milimo featured Jay Lo and Pibull with ‘On The Floor’. Our oldie of the week was Phil Collins with ‘Against All Odds’ and we closed with Ed Sheeran’s ‘Little Bird’. Ed hit the number one spot in the UK album charts that very evening!

Asking Marianne about her family, she replied that she had two children Temba and Tawanda. “What?!” Exclaimed Milimo “but these are Zambian names!” Marianne went on to explain that she’d been married to a Zambian who had two children from a previous relationship and that she had brought up the two boys in Norway as their mum. Both were doing well, one working for a courier company and the other still in high school. Football? Arsenal though she confessed to being much more interested in winter sports than soccer! Music? Everything, but she particularly likes Danny the Zambian star.

Marianne spoke wistfully of her younger days in Livingstone sleeping nights on one of the islands in the Zambezi and enjoying a great social life while she was researching for her Phd in Medical Studies from Tromsoe University. Where would she like to be and what would she like to be doing 10 years from now? She sighed “Africa” she said “maybe I’ll be in Zambia doing something with occupational therapy”. We hope so!

21
SEP

Africa, entertainment, guests, health, music, Norway, radioshow, zambezi, Zambia

Hospice Chipata

I came across this in Architecture in Development and liked it. The building is apparently under construction.

Hospice Chipata

A hospice where terminal patients can stay and be cared for in comfortable surroundings. A comfortable stay for 24 to 48 people in a building with a CO2 footprint smaller than an average Dutch household. The building has been built around a core space where staff have an office and medication as well as supplies also having a central storage place.

Around the core a wide corridor links all the rooms together. The corridor also offers space for family and visitors. The round form makes the building not only very efficient and clearly organized but also a pleasant place in which to stay. The first phase concerns the construction of 12 units with 2 beds and shared sanitary supplies. The building has been prepared for easy extension.

The second phase offers 12 more units with supplies. Eventually the hospice will offer room for 48 people. The building will be self-sufficient, generating its own electricity and water supplies and is entirely naturally climatised.

The hospice will be built by the local community with locally available materials.

17
SEP

Africa, architecture, health, Holland, Zambia

Desiree Mzimela & Helen Mtshali

“Are you on Twitter”? I asked Desiree (left) and Helen, pictured above, as we got into the car on Sunday evening. “Oh yes”. They replied. “What are your Twitter addresses”? I continued. “Well” said Desiree “I’m @DezMzimela and I’m @helenthetruth” said Helen. “I knew it”! I said, which wasn’t quite the truth (sorry), but as the weekend had progressed, I’d had a sneaky feeling that this Helen was @helenthetruth whom I’ve been following on Twitter and whose been following me, for some time now. “Did you book to stay at Chanters Lodge because of Twitter”? I asked. “Yes” Helen replied. “Magic”! I said, and meant it. Then we were on our way to the Zambezi FM studios in Livingstone, where the girls had agreed to be our guests on the latest edition of the Chanters Lodge Experience with the Milli Jam Ingredient featuring George da Soulchild, our regular Sunday night radio show – a great mixture of music and chat airing between 20.30 and 21.30 hrs.

Helen is an investment banker in South Africa and Desiree, a trained physiotherapist, is an assistant director (rehabilitation) with the Department of Health in the Eastern Cape. The girls met at secondary school – Hunt Road School in Durban – and have been friends ever since. They were great fun, telling listeners all they’d packed into their short stay in Livingstone. Desiree had taken the sunset cruise on the African Queen on Friday evening (before Helen had flown in) and had been clubbing the same night, dancing til the small hours. On Saturday evening they’d taken the Royal Livingstone Express enjoying a fabulous six course dinner with wine, on that lovely old reconditioned steam train. On the morning of the show I’d taken the girls to Victoria Falls, they’d loved the loud rushing water and had also managed to bungee jump, fly the flying fox and ride the zip line as well! From there they’d taken the elephant safari with Mukuni Big 5 and ended up having tea at the Royal Livingstone. Great itinerary!

The music on the show was smokin’ hot as usual. Akon’s ‘Love Handles’ and Diddy Dirty Money’s ‘Your Love’ featuring Trey Songz and Rick Ross made a racy start to the show. After some chat with the girls Milli Jam dropped ‘Mailo’ by Jay featuring Petersen, back to back with ‘Palamo’ by Karasa featuring Alpha. Half way through the show we spun Adele’s world-wide smash ‘Someone Like You’ coupled with Jennifer Hudson’s ‘I Remember You’ – title track of her cracking new album. Later we played Akon’s ‘Just A Man’ and Lupe Fiasco’s ‘Stereo Sun’ – a track from Lupe’s album ‘Lasers’ which had just reached number one in the US album charts. ‘Boom’ by Snoop Dogg closed the affair.

We gave away the usual dinner for two to the first person to text us our guests’ country of origin and Ivy was the first of many to get it right – South Africa. The girls told listeners they were both Zulu by tribe, and were clearly proud of it. Helen lives in Joahnnesburg and Desiree eNgocobo. When Milli Jam popped the question, Helen told listeners she was single and Desiree just giggled! They were asked where they’d like to be and what they’d like to be doing ten years from now and they both agreed that they wanted to have lots of money, a husband and children – in that order we gathered. They both planned to pursue their careers and charmingly their care for womens’ rights in Africa. I’d bet they achieve all of that – and more! Great show!

22
MAR

activities, Africa, banks, Chanters, entertainment, guests, health, livingstone, music, radioshow, rsa, tourism, Twitter, victoriafalls, wildlife, Zambia

Umoyo Natural Health

The Umoyo Natural Health Centre in Lusaka is great! So say The Best Of Zambia and who are we to disagree?

Umoyo means ‘life!’ and the Umoyo Natural Health Centre in Lusaka, Zambia, promises its clients a healthier life, whether they have specific health issues or not. It is registered with the Medical Council of Zambia and offers friendly consultations and a range of natural health treatments and therapies. The pleasantly situated Umoyo Health Centre has four treatment rooms, each with a dedicated therapist, and six support staff. The supporting Umoyo Health Shop in Arcades Shopping Centre offers a comprehensive range of natural health products.

Umoyo invites you to have a chat with one of their therapists and sample a delicious green smoothie or a freshly juiced organic wheat grass shot! If you live out of Lusaka, Umoyo is happy to discuss developing a workable program for you.

Here’s just a small sample of their treatments and therapies

* 7-day detox program
Comprehensive non-residential program which gives clients tonnes of energy, revitalises the skin, improves concentration and reduces stress. Good for weight loss. Amazing results!

* Anti smoking program
Uses the latest in Bio-Resonance technology to drastically reducing cravings, irritability and mood swings. Advice is also given on helpful diet and supplements.

* Bio resonance
Objective and comprehensive testing using the e-Lybra 8 bio-resonance system, followed by a personally comprehensive balancing treatment.

* Electro magnetic therapy
The sophisticated BEMER 3000 shows excellent results in treating persistent pain, wound and fracture healing, arthritis, headaches and sport injuries.

7
MAR

activities, Africa, bestofzambia, health, Lusaka, Zambia

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