May 4th 2016

Good morning,

I am writing from the back of a Karanda hospital truck while we spend the morning waiting for the many steps needed to clear customs with our luggages of Medicines.  Before I explain our travels, let me first reassure my family that the kids and JF are at the Karanda guest house - exploring the grounds and seeing spiders, flowers and just running wild. We are safe, happy and healthy.

So our adventures have begun and with my first night of sleep behind us the one thing that remains clear is that travel is complicated.  We tend to to romanticize things, remember the patients, the successes and the friendships but reality is just that - reality and the last few days can be clearly characterized with one word - complicated.

Before I get to the how we got here I want to briefly answer the why we came here.

They say that Africa is like- malaria "once it's in your blood, it is there forever ". So it is my father and mother who have infected me.  They met in Niageria in ~1969 a teacher from small town Northern Ontario and a geologist from England.  As a training surgeon, it was only natural for me to explore health care and internanational surgery as a career and I travelled to Zimbabwe in 2007 (near Zambia where my father is still working).  The richness of that experience marked me forever. The lives that touched me with their ailments or there smiles and that I touched with my scalpel or gloved hands where documented in regular emails home that were shared with family and friends- even to friends that where about to be friends.

Enter JF, my semi-adventurous husband from France who (although he may not admit it) fell in love with me; the person and the surgeon in reading these letters.  Add 2 children and 9 years and you are now up to date.  We have decided to re-embark on this journey.  The medical needs are still ever- present.  Dr Thistle (a UofT trained Obstetrician / gynaecologist) continues his amazing work day in and day out and his colleague, Dr Dan (a US trained Zimbabwean) is on his sabbatical year in the US.  Grand papa is still working in Zambia and my children are anxious to see zebras and lions.

Now the how...

Leaving Ottawa was no small task; finding a locum, requesting donations, packing our lives into 3 small personal suitcases and our goods (surgical supplies, medication, soccer balls, batteries etc etc) into 6 other bags - all excess luggage  graciously donated through AirCanada and Air Emirates foundations. So I Remember my colleagues asking if I was excited? Ready? And my answer was that if I just got to the airport That i would be ok... OMG such nativity !!

Enter feminism, complicating things as usual .... My full name is Michelle Anne Labelle (my mothers maiden name) Davey. Davey as the only surname.  Well our travel agents issued the tickets for me and my boys to Labelle Davey/Michelle A , Labelle Goubet/Julien P. What do you think the cost is to fix such an innocent oversight... Well 13k to re-issue tickets at today's rate, if you are a pessimist or 2hrs + of negotiation, re-negotiations and more negotiations if you are an optimist.

So we made it to the plane in one piece, with our faulty tickets (sort of excused - all other airlines didn't even say a word). Our children were much easier than they were even a few years ago, sleeping well on the plane and not whining too much until we reached the custom lines.  So there we are at heathrow with both children sitting on there little suitcases being pulled by their parents both watching youtube on their respective iPhone /iPads.  It was quite a sight - these previous, spoiled children.

We have spend 3 full days in England, living in my lovely cousin's home; having tea, visiting family, driving on right and feeling at home.  

As soon as our departure date was upon us you could almost feel the excitement and apprehension of the 20+ hours journey ahead. The Emirates people were lovely, the flight comfortable and a big mix of people of all races on the flight to Africa.  The children kept asking if we were in Africa, over and over again. They loved watching the clouds, eating their kids meals and even using their flight pillows and sleep masks. Too cute.

Other than getting on and off the flight with teddy bears, 2 carry-on each, the left over treats and 2 worn out children - complicated only started with the question... "What do you have in your luggage?" Faced with an ethical dilemma (6 bags of supplies and meds, 3 bags of personal items) I did what I always do - I told the truth.

Oops - and so it began- medical council approval for importation of medicines, letter from the Zimbabwean ambassador to Canada, rebate letters issued by Zimra, storage fees from airport, certificate of analysis of each listed medication... All important (?) documents that needed to be produced.  So our personal bags are with us and our donation bags are still in Harare awaiting the process to unfold.  I am hopeful that after 4 stops, multiple handshakes, Shona greetings and my biggest Canadian smile - that I think things will go well and hopefully in a week, I will be able to report back that we have been able to share our gifts.

I then went to the very western grocery shop and picked up what I thought I needed for one month.  350$US with our small jar of instant coffee costing 7$.  The stores are fully stocked compared to 2007 but the ATM machines are not. Cash is hard to come by.

We picked up the rambunctious kids, who had discovered cactuses, caught a huge 15cm grasshopper and slept under a tree.  We hopped in the Karanda truck and headed north 3hrs to a very dry and arid part of the country, then turned Left for the last 7km on bumpy dirt roads.  Just before reaching the hospital gates we had to cross a river (from which they get their drinking water).  Literally, we drove through the river,  the water half way up the wheels.

Arriving exhausted, happy and a bit stiff and hungry from a very long day, we both looked up at the incredible dark sky completely lit with stars and we knew that this was the beginning of a beautiful thing.

Good night my friends, sleep well. 

Michelle