Friends of Chitambo Newsletter 2025

We bring you glad tidings of joy this Christmastime

2025 has been busy and eventful year for Friends of Chitambo, and includes exciting news for the year ahead.

     Mothers’ waiting shelter                 Expectant mothers inside shelter.      Commissioning the shelter

The Mothers’ Waiting Shelter -Insaka Yaba Wesa ( House of Friends / Friends’ Shelter, in Lala language) has been completed, including an outdoor cooking shelter and covered walkway to the maternity ward. It was commissioned in May, amid much rejoicing, and was even featured on national TV! The expectant mothers very much appreciate the accommodation for themselves and their carers, which includes flushable toilets and hot running water, supplied by solar heater on the roof of the shelter, installed by Engineers Without Borders (EWB)

EWB installing solar heater        Refurbished maternity ward.               Baby nest

Thanks to a donation from the city of Groningen in the Netherlands, the maternity unit has been renovated. The floors have been retiled, ceilings repaired, walls painted and new toilets and showers installed. All is very welcome to new mothers, including Mrs Diana Zulu Chabala, wife of the medical officer in charge, who recently gave birth to their second daughter, in the newly refurbished unit.

There have been various donations of equipment, including baby nests from Dr. Leah Seaman, paediatrician at Kapri Mposhi District Hospital, which are efficient and cheaper substitutes for incubators. Drs Trish O’Connor and Alberto Gregori of Flyspec, sourced various equipment from UK sources as did Pastor Mbayo, a Zambian born RAF chaplain in England, who  also organised refurbishment of the paediatric ward, and Asian Ladies Society of Lusaka have provided Paediatric measuring equipment.

Francis Zombe                                       Alex and Ben             John Swinney, Levi Chifwaila Ida Waddel

2 of our funded nurses, Ben Hamabulo and Alex Mwewa, graduated from Chitambo School of Nursing, and theatre nurse, Francis Zombe, one of the Zambian trustees, recently graduated with BSc in Nursing Studies.

The Scottish First Minister, John Swinney visited Zambia in October and two of the Zambian Friends of Chitambo Hospital board members, Mrs Ida Waddel and Levi Chifwaila were invited to a reception to meet him. A video was shown which included footage of Chitambo.

We were very pleased to be invited to apply for a Scottish Government Grant, administered by Global Health Partnerships, and after completing rigorous paperwork and an online presentation, we have been successful in reaching the third and final stage, and subject to completing a few more conditions, including reducing the budget, we hope to be awarded the grant.  The proposed project concentrates on the improvement of maternal and neonatal care in Chitambo District, mainly through staff attending specialised courses, and training voluntary health workers in Safe Motherhood Groups. Staff from NHS Lanarkshire will also be involved, thus connecting locations of the birth and death of David Livingstone. It is anticipated that the project will start at the beginning of February, with funding for 18 months, so there is much more activity in the year to come! Look out for further updates!

Chitambo staff visit to David Livingston memorial 

We would like to thank all our supporters for their ongoing help and

Wish you a Happy Christmas and All the Best for 2026.