Page 60 - WilmU Spring Summer 2013

IN the spring of 2012, I
met with my advisor to
determine what I was
going to do for my master’s
of Nursing Leadership
capstone project. We threw around several
ideas until finally she asked me what really
interested me. I told her about the research that
I had been doing on nonprofit organizations that
helped oppressed people (especially women)
around the world. That one statement to my
advisor led me to a life-changing experience that
I will never forget.
My capstone started with research of many
different nonprofit organizations. In the process,
I happened to come across International
Medical Relief (IMR). I was very impressed with
this organization. A Colorado woman named
Shauna King, who had a passion for going on
medical missions to ThirdWorld countries,
started it 10 years ago. She believed organiza-
tions that made mission trips should revisit the
same areas to ensure some continuity of care for
the people. She also insisted that all members
of the team be prepared to hold small classes
to educate the local people about a health care
issue. The more I researched her organization,
the more intrigued I became. I decided in March
to go with her organization for 10 days to Kenya
in August of 2012. My community health project
that I would teach to adolescent girls would
focus on preventing the spread of HIV.
History and Reality
Before going on any medical mission, I recom-
mend researching and becoming knowledgeable
not only on the local customs but on the history
of the country. I read several books on Kenya
and was astounded by what I learned.
Kenya was se led in the late 19th century by
the British Empire, which carved the country
up with no regard to the indigenous people
or tribes. This was a common practice of the
European se lers throughout Africa. Much of
the present-day turmoil in many African nations
is a result of how the Europeans divided up
nations according to their own desires. Following
WorldWar II, when the Kikuyu tribal people who
fought bravely for the British Empire in India
returned home, they found that all of their land
had been given away. In 1952, the Kikuyu people
revolted. The British government imprisoned
thousands of local tribal people in “detention
centers.” Accounts vary on howmany thousands
of Kikuyu people were tortured and died in
these centers. The Kenyan people struggled
against the Empire for many years before finally
gaining their independence in 1963. However,
Kenya today still struggles from the residual
effect of being carved up by an outsider.
Modern-Day Kenya
How is poverty manifested in Kenya?Well,
46 percent of the population survives on less
than a dollar a day. Much of the population
lives without running water or electricity. The
mortality rate of children under 5 is close to
75 per 1,000 live births. Malnutrition affects a
significant portion of the population. People
(usually women) walk many miles daily to get
water and carry it in buckets on their heads.
Malaria continues to kill many children in some
parts of the country.
With poverty comes the oppression of
women. Boys and girls both start school
together; however, it is o en the girls who are
expected to do many of the chores around the
house (including ge ing the daily water) before
they head off to school. When they get home,
they are expected to do more chores (cooking,
cleaning and taking care of younger siblings).
O en the boys play and do homework. By the
time the girls are able to study, there is no light
le for the day. If the family has enough money,
they study by candlelight.
Many adolescent girls drop out of school
because they are unable to catch up with their
studies. They end up marrying very young,
ge ing pregnant, or being infected with HIV.
In the Kiberia slum area of Nairobi, more than
28 percent of the population is infected with
HIV. That is the reason I decided to teach HIV
prevention to young girls on this trip.
Bon Voyage
On August 3, 2012, I le Delaware to fly
halfway around the world with 35 other
American strangers to Kenya. For the next 10
days, I would live in a four-person tent with three
The Most Incredible 10 Days of My Life
Susan Chumley graduated this spring with a master’s degree in Nursing
Leadership. She embarked on a 10-day medical mission to Africa last
summer as part of her capstone project.
WILMINGTON UNIVERSIT Y MAGAZINE