(EDITOR'S NOTE: Katherine Cox, a graduate of Abilene High School, is a senior at Davidson College in North Carolina. Interested in women's reproductive health issues, she is participating in a medical mission in Mwandi, Zambia. She is the daughter of Bart and Jackie Cox.)

(From an e-mail to family and friends on Tuesday, July 18, 2006)

This morning members of our group led a symposium on HIV/AIDS for the hospital staff. There is still no doctor here since the previous one left last month, so the clinical officers (Mr. Timbu in particular) are very anxious to learn as much as they can about what other countries are doing to combat the epidemic. Although my project (empowering African women in reproductive health) was not one of the topics, I felt the discussion was very beneficial for everyone. I continue to be impressed with Mr. Timbu for his insightful questions and desire to learn. One comment of his (that men would never discuss sex with their children) made me really think about the importance of educating men as well as women in reproductive and sexual health issues. It seems, however that men in this community (besides the hospital staff) have no desire to lean how to better protect themselves and their family from HIV and STDs. There are many educational events like dramas that depict the seriousness of HIV, but men never show up to watch them.

I'm not sure what the solution to this problem would be, but I think that it is important for the hospital and other human rights groups to realize the value of educating men to respect women. I think perhaps the answer lies in reaching them early while they are still in grade school so that perceptions can be molded in a way that value women and their health. If a man learns to value his wife's health, then he would be less likely to practice promiscuity and would use condoms to prevent the transmission of AIDS. It seems that Mwandi has a fairly progressive reproductive health education for women who are taught about birth control, safe sex, and clean births. However, if the mend are not educated as well then the problem will never really be solved. This idea really surprised me because before coming here I thought that to empower women we just needed to educate them about birth control, female condoms, etc., but I am starting to realize that educating men to respect women is the only way to ensure equality and thus a healthier society.

After symposium, the other 5 girls and Dr. Case left for a rural health clinic, but I decided to stay behind and work at the Maternal Child Health (MCH) clinic. I realized that I would get to do the same things (give vaccines) and at the same time I would also be able to question the nurse more about reproductive health programs here. She said that the average age of women when they give birth to their first child is 15! This is really hard for me to imagine being 21 and knowing that I am no where near ready to have kids. Although their family planning program does seem progressive, she said that the church will still not let her distribute condoms to the women. She explained that once she had distributed female condoms (without the church's knowledge), but that the women could not figure out how to use them and they often broke.

Overall the day was very interesting being by myself at the clinic. At one point the nurse left saying she would be back in 15 minutes and didn't actually return for 3 hours. I sat in the clinic for the first hour waiting for her to return feeling so awkward around so many women and babies staring at me. I usually have the buffer of at least two other girls from our group around me at all times, so it was very isolating sitting in the room alone with them and not being able to communicate. There were so many questions I would have liked to ask, but because most of these women didn't finish school and learn English, I had no way of communicating besides smiling. I think the best way to describe it was that there was a white elephant in the room that everyone was whispering about, and that elephant was me. It gave me a true perspective on being a minority, and how we should strive to accept people who are different from us.

Sorry this is a little long winded, but it helps me to sort out my thoughts by writing them down. It is incredible to be here, and it is hard to believe we only have 2 weeks left. I am reading Tracy Kidder's "Mountains beyond Mountains" right now, and if you are all interested in liberation theology and healthcare for the poor, I really suggest you read it. The front cover says "The quest of Dr. Paul Farmer, a man who would cure the world" and I must say it is really inspiring.

Also, please keep Mwandi Mission Hospital in your prayers. They really need a doctor here to be able to keep up all the good work they are doing.