Medical Ministry International in Zambia
Medical Ministry International's project site in Zambia is situated in the Sinazongwe District of the Gwembe Valley. The initial proposal to build the Matambo Village Clinic started with Bishop Albert Muleya. He was living in Matambo Village at the time, and his daughter was bitten by a snake. The closest clinic or medical facility was over an hour away by foot, so she did not survive. Bishop Albert Muleya started praying for a clinic in the village. He works with Harvest for Christ International Ministries and approached his partner ministry to assist in making his prayer a reality. 40/40 Africa Vision Foundation came alongside him and drew up plans for the clinic. Bishop Albert Muleya donated his family land for the building of the clinic, and 40/40 Africa Vision Foundation built the shell of the building.
Soon after, Christ Temple Church from Huntington, West Virginia, USA came on board and has assisted in completing the building – installing windows, floors, toilets, electrical wiring, and a water pump system, as well as plastering and painting. They were able to start accommodating eye surgery in 2019.
The clinic does not have full time staff yet, and Medical Ministry International has been the first medical team to consistently provide medical and dental care to Matambo Village and the surrounding area since 2013. Training of the staff of Christ Temple Church has been done by Medical Ministry International to maintain continuity of care and procedures set in place by the Medical Ministry International teams, and the church has been sending small medical teams to the clinic since 2016 to continue providing care and support for the area.
Peta-Ann Schmidt (center) from South Africa leads the MMI Zambia Team.
Peta-Ann Schmidt (pictured left) leads the MMI team. With her support, we are closer to expanding our healthcare services to the patients who are in need. Peta-Ann Schmidt also leads Medical Ministry International’s projects in Rwanda.
She is a physical therapist working in private practice in her native country, South Africa. Peta-Ann learned about Medical Ministry International through our website and participated as a volunteer on a project in Peru in 2005. She is excited about the opportunity to serve the people of southern Africa in such an effective way.
Project Site:
Zambia is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, surrounded by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia and Angola. The Sinazongwe District in the Gwembe Valley, where MMI is active, is in the Southeast of Southern Province in the Zambezi Valley. This district has a population of 107,695 people. Due to the great population numbers, and the distance to the limited number of health centres in the area, there is a huge need for accessible health care and health education within this community.
* Project Description: To provide needed visual and dental services to the village and community of Matambo in the Gwembe Valley, Zambia. This project is in collaboration with local leaders and pastors of Matambo Village and in partnership with Christ Temple Church, Huntington, West Virginia, USA.
Elevation
329 m (1,079 ft.) - 2,301 m (7,549 ft.)
Climate
The climate is tropical, hot and dry.
Travelling on a Project
Elizabeth Seunarine, MMI Director of Integrated Health Services
About Zambia
COUNTRY BACKGROUND
Zambia, in southern Africa, is a landlocked country of rugged terrain and diverse wildlife, with many parks and safari areas. On its border with Zimbabwe is famed Victoria Falls – indigenously called Mosi-oa-Tunya, or "Smoke That Thunders” – plunging a misty 108m into narrow Batoka Gorge. Spanning the Zambezi River just below the falls is Victoria Falls Bridge, a spectacular viewpoint.
The territory of Northern Rhodesia was administered by the former British South Africa Company from 1891 until it was taken over by the UK in 1923. During the 1920s and 1930s, advances in mining spurred development and immigration. The name was changed to Zambia upon independence in 1964. In the 1980s and 1990s, declining copper prices, economic mismanagement, and a prolonged drought hurt the economy. Elections in 1991 brought an end to one-party rule and propelled the Movement for Multiparty Democracy (MMD) to government. Edgar Chagwa Lungu, a Zambian politician, has been the President of Zambia since January 2015.
LOCATION:
Southern Africa, east of Angola, south of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
GEOGRAPHIC COORDINATES:
15 00 S, 30 00 E
MAP REFERENCES:
Africa
TOTAL AREA:
752,618 km²
BORDER COUNTRIES:
Angola, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Tanzania, Zimbabwe
COASTLINE:
0 km (landlocked)
MARITIME CLAIMS:
none (landlocked)
CLIMATE:
Tropical; modified by altitude; rainy season (October to April)
TERRAIN:
Mostly high plateau with some hills and mountains
ELEVATION EXTREMES
LOWEST POINT:
Zambezi river - 329 m
HIGHEST POINT:
Mafinga Hills - 2,301 m
