TIA –This Is Africa. They actually say that in Ethiopia. It’s not just a line from a Hollywood movie. They don’t use it as an apology, but as a statement of fact. TIA means that here things happen at their own pace and you’d better accept it because there is no changing it. TIA means that for better or worse, Africa is a place like no other. For a variety of reasons, things happen here that would never happen elsewhere – both for the bad and for the good. While my currently inadequate understanding of such an expansive, dynamic and complex continent is limited only to a small portion of a single country, it is proving enough for me to begin to understand why such a simple statement could effectively encompass such an overwhelmingly large notion.

Ethiopia is a country of 80 million people living in a space the size of Bolivia with only 120 paediatricians. It is definitely a nation facing staggering challenges. It has a lot of needs, but my experience there showed me it also has a lot to offer. Without a doubt, the success of this country lies in its people. Those I encountered were gracious and determined. The health-care workers I met at Black Lion deal with their situation with humour and resiliency. They reminded me that if I changed my perspective and abandoned my assumptions, I would ultimately get a better understanding of their everyday lives. The green line, for example, should not be mistaken for a lack of standards. The doctors and nurses at Black Lion run their wards with limited resources, but definitely with rules and principles. Without a doubt, they do the best they can with what they’ve got. And in the end, the green line and all it represented – while hard to take in at first – not only allowed me access to incredibly interesting medical procedures performed by a variety of talented professionals, but to contribute in a small way to change the lives of those being treated, which is a generous gift to give a non-medical person.

In the interviews, I asked everyone – Ethiopian and Canadian alike – what they felt they were getting out of this particular collaboration between our countries. There were the anticipated answers about knowledge transfer and capacity building, which I was certainly happy to hear. And there were also moving answers about lasting friendships and affecting change and how things are going to be a decade down the road. Ultimately though, the answers that stayed with me the longest concerned the recognition of a necessity to not only bear witness but to be seen. While incredibly important, No Boundaries and HKI’s other programs are not just about building infrastructure and nurturing sustainability. They’re also about making human connections, and acknowledging each other with respect and dignity. That certainly happened during our week in Addis. And it was my privilege to be part of it.

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Stacia Neale, Fundraising Operations for HealthyKids International (HKI), is blogging on her experiences as she accompanies the SickKids No Boundaries team to Ethiopia to oversee the filming of a documentary. Read all her posts here.

Friday was our last day at Black Lion Hospital. The Ear, Nose and Throat (ENT) and Orthopaedic teams only had a few surgeries scheduled. As things were coming to an end, we said our goodbyes to all of our new and longstanding friends, and headed up to the paediatric wards to hand out the leftover gifts and donations we brought with us from Canada.

It was hard to see all those kids, some incredibly sick and dying, in conditions that we are nowhere near used to in Canada. It was difficult to be pulled at from 10 different directions by those who wanted the socks and dolls we were handing out. But at the same time, a simple act of visiting and bringing a small token of friendship brought such joy to both our team and the patients and their families. It was humbling for me to take part.

We left the wards and went to watch Dr. Blake Papsin teach a class of ENT residents. It was an interactive session and he got asked a lot of questions. Apart from his time in class, Dr. Papsin also gave the gift of knowledge through his donation of a laptop and videos of surgeries performed at The Hospital for Sick Children. The students were anxious to access such an invaluable teaching tool and reference.

Stacia Neale, Fundraising Operations for HealthyKids International (HKI), is blogging on her experiences as she accompanies the SickKids No Boundaries team to Ethiopia to oversee the filming of a documentary. Read all her posts here.

I think for all of us, Thursday was probably the most impactful day in Addis Ababa. So many things happened that it’s hard to believe they all occurred in the same 12 hours.

While the Orthopaedic and Ear, Nose and Throat teams went off to begin their scheduled procedures, Graeme, our videographer, and I shadowed Carolyne Pehora, a registered nurse at SickKids. Addis Ababa University had requested her to teach a class on paediatric surgical care to a group of nurse educators. Interestingly, none of these educators – who were all very engaged in Carolyne’s class and asked lots of questions – have ever actually been to Black Lion Hospital, located right across the road. It was wonderful to watch the students in this class interact with Carolyne and participate in discussions. Carolyne is a new teacher and these are new students, so it was a great opportunity for everyone to learn from each other.

When Graeme and I returned to the surgical floor of the hospital after a few hours, the tempo of the day definitely picked up. Both SickKids teams were deep in their procedures and the recovery room was full. At the same time, there was an emergency developing in the OR waiting area as a man began to suffocate while waiting for help. The SickKids No Boundaries (SKNB) team worked in conjunction with the Black Lion staff to get him the help he needed in the nick of time. While this is ‘all in a day’s work’ for the medical professionals, it was the first time I have been immediately involved in a situation like this. It was incredibly stressful. I helped as much as my non-medical skills would allow and was inordinately grateful to be surrounded by those who could help him.

Members of the SKNB team ended up saving three lives that day. The first was the man who was suffocating. The second was a small child who had swallowed a watch battery that was corroding in his esophagus. The third was the removal of a large seed that had been aspirated into a young girl’s lung, causing it to collapse. In addition, the Ortho team ended their last surgery in the dark, operating by flashlight after the sun went down (Black Lion needs new OR lighting badly).

It was an extraordinary day that would have ended differently on many fronts had the SKNB team not been there. Apart from saving lives, the most amazing thing that happened was teamwork. Even while the crises were occurring, lessons were taught, questions were answered and techniques were refined. These events were amazing proof that HealthyKids International programs are making an immediate and vital difference, and the day made an indelible imprint on my life.