This ETSU student shares experiences in ‘the warm heart of Africa’
Mountain View in Blantyre
Every year, hundreds of ETSU students pack their bags and board planes, heading to destinations around the globe to take classes and learn about other cultures. This summer, we asked a few students studying abroad to share their experiences. Here is the first, contributed by ETSU senior Kennedy Hunt:
Hello! My name is Kennedy Hunt, and I am a rising senior at East Tennessee State University. I am from Mount Juliet and have found my interests lie within ETSU’s health science major as well as the public health, culture and health, and global citizenship minors. Through my participation with the Global Citizen Scholars program at ETSU, I have been able to explore the world more than I ever thought I would. Today, I am writing to share a bit about my latest trip across the pond to Malawi – the warm heart of Africa.
This study abroad experience was a medical mission trip to Malawi in partnership with the Butterfly Collaborative and the Southern Malawi Children’s Home Consortium. Malawi has consistently ranked as one of the poorest countries on Earth, and due to its tropical climate and lack of resources, many people residing there consistently face poor health and malnutrition. The focus of this trip was to provide primary care, nutrition/health screening and health education to the pediatric population within the children’s homes of the Consortium.
The undergraduate course I am taking (and still finishing) with this experience is “Leadership and Professional Development for Global Health,” and it applies to my culture and health minor. Its focus is to refine our leadership skills in a global setting and further develop our professional skills for our future careers. Course assignments range from managing a specific project while abroad to fulfilling a mock interview with Career Services on campus – all things directly related to our growth as leaders and professionals. A majority (but not all) of the assignments for this course were designed to be completed once the trip ended.
While not directly applicable to my major field of study, this study abroad experience intertwines well with the future I hope for in underserved pediatric medicine. It also differs from others I’ve had as the primary purpose was not to learn about Malawi while being there, but to serve Malawi while being there.
After a complication with one of our flights, the trip from Johnson City to Blantyre, Malawi, ended up taking about 55 hours, delaying our arrival by a day. This was fortunately a preparation day, so we did not miss any scheduled clinics; however, with little time to prepare or have team building, we found ourselves serving patients in less than 12 hours.
The first five days we were in Blantyre were spent in different children’s homes, utilizing the space in creative ways to simultaneously run a registration station, triage, laboratory, provider’s office and pharmacy. From the moment we started, children of all ages with varying levels of nourishment and health were flying through our stations, until the last one we could see was provided their medication. Upon completing a day’s work, we would return to our lodge, where we continued preparations for the next clinic day – prepackaging medications, completing data entry, filling prescriptions from patients earlier in the day, and restocking equipment. This was the foundation of each day.
However, after finishing our fourth clinic day earlier than expected, we were able to go to the markets, and spent some time and money supporting local artists and their works. After our fifth clinic day, we packed our things and drove two hours to Majete Wildlife Reserve – we were officially on safari!
Within minutes of arriving at the site, we drove past a dazzle of zebras, elephants coming up to the watering hole in front of the communal dining space, and more baboons than we could count. We were welcomed with a quick meal and swiftly tucked into the open-sided vehicle for our first drive out. Throughout that night and the next day, we saw a wide variety of animals. Giraffes, lions, elephants, cape buffalos, warthogs, impalas, waterbucks, nyala, hippopotamuses – multiple times. It was surreal to be surrounded by some of nature’s most fascinating wonders for as long as we were. On our final night there, as we sat around a small fire at about 11 p.m., we heard the crescendo of fast footsteps – and lots of them. More than 50 cape buffalo had come running in to the watering hole just in front of the fire, and we were able to observe as they hydrated in the dim light of the moon. The next day, we left bright and early at 4 a.m., heading to Lilongwe to depart from Malawi.
There was a lot to take away from my trip to Malawi – the experience of trying various new meals, the understanding of how a low-resources area functions, the joy and gratitude of the people, having so little but praising it all. Malawi is called the “warm heart of Africa” for a reason – its people are the epitome of kindness and graciousness. Everywhere we looked, people were smiling, waving, and sharing. Not only this, but the natural environment is an invaluable sight with endless mountains, diverse and colorful wildlife, and the perfect weather. This country is beautiful through and through. This experience in Malawi revealed to me just how much I take for granted at home. It showed me that you do not have to have anything but a good attitude to enjoy life. There are many lessons that came with me from that beautiful country, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from so many wonderful Malawians. If given the chance to return, I would do it again in a heartbeat.
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To find out more about study abroad opportunities at ETSU and to sign up to attend a required Study Abroad Interest Session, visit ETSU Education Abroad or contact Courtney Lucas at lucascp@etsu.edu or (423) 439-7734.
East Tennessee State University was founded in 1911 with a singular mission: to improve the quality of life for people in the region and beyond. Through its world-class health sciences programs and interprofessional approach to health care education, ETSU is a highly respected leader in rural health research and practices. The university also boasts nationally ranked programs in the arts, technology, computing, and media studies. ETSU serves approximately 14,000 students each year and is ranked among the top 10 percent of colleges in the nation for students graduating with the least amount of debt.
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