Manifesting leadership in Zambezi

Being in CLP, a program that has always focused on servant leadership, I thought that I had a good idea of what it is to be a leader. However, being here has given me many examples of leadership that I hadn’t expected. It really shows how much being in community and company with others can change your view on even the things you thought you knew well. There’s a leadership manifesto here in the convent that hangs on the wall that I frequently refer to as I discover leaders in this community.

For this blog post, I would really like to highlight some of the most admirable leaders here in Zambezi. Here are some examples of leaders I admire – 

This past weekend, I had the privilege of being welcomed into the home of Debby and Eucharia, two impactful community members in Zambezi. Also known as “the power couple” of Zambezi, these two individuals created a community focused on sports and life skills education for the children of Zambezi from complete scratch. This unique and creative project is quite popular and successful in this community, as it has has offered many kids and their parents important life skills and created routine and positive habits for teens who’ve battled with poor life choices. But this program didn’t arise with much ease. I was shocked to hear that Debby and Eucharia have funded most of the program with their own money! All the while, both have been working hard as a teacher and a nurse, respectively, to provide five children with the best opportunities possible. At first, Eucharia was skeptical about using their hard earned money to start a goal that seemed far fetched and unachievable. However, Eucharia and Debby had trust and faith, and continually supported each other in their vision and goal. Eight years later, ZamCity is a hit with the youth of this town. ZamCity continues to run without a sponsor, and depends very much on Debby and Eucharia’s funding, as well as the Zags’ contributions. Leadership is risky. These two individuals didn’t let the risk of failure scare them off and they gave it their all to make a difference in this community. From hearing them talk about how passionate they are for making change, the risk of inaction might have been even more detrimental than the risk of failure for these dedicated community members.

^Eucharia and one of her sons David teaching me and Will how to cook.

Dr. Mpande is a kind and brilliant doctor in the local Zambezi Hospital to whom the health group has grown close over the past weeks. Every time we walk in at 10:00 am for rounds, he greets us with a big smile and greeting. He immediately welcomes us to come front row, so that he is able to explain the pathophysiology of each patient’s condition to us in great detail. His love for teaching and patient care is evident to all of us students, and all the patients in the hospital. I additionally admire his adaptability to use such limited resources to provide the best patient care possible. Leadership must fundamentally address our most difficult challenges as a collective. Dr. Mpande embodies leadership by being able to confront challenges head on and use his flexibility, improvisation, and quick thinking to come up with innovative solutions. Another way Dr. Mpande exhibits leadership is through his relationships with the other staff at the hospital. The other day, a patient came in to the hospital with an infection due to an easy mistake during an earlier suture. Dr. Mpande respectfully confronted the healthcare professional that made the mistake and educated her on what to do in the future. Dr. Mpande’s ability to create a safe and educational environment in the hospital, all the while prioritizing patient care depicts how leadership is an activity, not a position or authority. I’ve had to do lots of reflecting on my own role as a healthcare professional, especially as I go into my final semester in the Nursing program. I must ask myself, as Dr. Mpande does every day, how to approach people and their mistakes with kindness, openness, and morals despite the obstacles.

^Dr. Mpande

Steven, a bright man in my health class is always the first one to arrive, front row and center. He always shows up with a cheeky smile on his face ready to learn and listen. Steven has been attending the health class for the past two years, and is dually enrolled in the business and leadership classes this year. As the health group has come to figure out, teaching about medical terms and health has come with its challenges. There are many cultural practices and terms that we are unfamiliar with, and that google could not have prepared us for. Whenever we struggle to answer a cultural specific question from another student, Steven promptly raises his hand to rephrase the question in a way that would help us better understand. On top of this, Steven frequently helps his fellow peers with understanding the material if he notices that they are struggling with the way we phrase things. Steven is just a student in our class. We don’t ask him to stay behind after class to help his peers. We don’t expect him to help us out in teaching the class. However, Steven sees that he can be impactful by speaking up, so he does. I admire Steven as a leader because he embodies that if anyone can lead, then everyone can lead. Although he may not have a position of ‘authority,’ officially speaking, he takes it upon himself to help and to care. He is on this journey with us and with his peers. His role as a student does not prevent him from being a leader, and it’s reminded me that leadership is always more than just a job title. 

Last, but not least, Sarah, a Zag on this journey like the rest of us. Everyone on the trip can attest to the fact that Sarah is always so engaged and present in all that we do. She’s always ready to jump in the dance circle and play sports with the children in the yard. She’s unwaveringly positive, and someone who can get a laugh out of you with her punny jokes. On top of all this, she’s a great teacher to the computer literacy group. Last week, Sarah had received some very sad, personal news from her family while on the trip. Sarah has preserved hard, completing all her chores, being impactful to the students in her lessons, and creating connections with many of the members of the group. The strength Sarah has here to persevere and to advocate for personal space for healing is something I look up to her for. Sarah reminds me of a servant leader. She works hard to prioritize the well-being and success of our team while being able to focus and advocate for her own well-being. She is courageous as she has worked to find this balance in Zambezi. It can be hard, but it’s important to remember that leadership does not require complete self-sacrifice, and it can be necessary to give to yourself as a person deserving of care.

I am so grateful to be part of this experience, as I am discovering many different ways that I wish to exhibit leadership in my future career as a nurse. I invite you to learn from these individuals, as well as find and embrace similarities from your own leadership style.

I miss you mom and dad, I am excited to share all my adventures with you soon.

Ana Gamboa, ’24