Sylvia's Journal

I am waiting to board my plane. It is no yet Saturday but when I land in Amsterdam it will be. The last day of the workshop was inspiring beyond belief. Nine teams who had started on their leadership journey late May reported on what had changed as a result of their taking control and responsibility for the success of their hospital or department. Our new facilitators-to-be were listening with amazement. Group after group showed us how they had taken up a challenge and improved something that had an impact on many. Some showed graphs about immunizations. I visualized the parents of children who will live because of these vaccination improvements. It is maybe a drop in the bucket, but some family tragedies are averted because of it.

Each team was proud and full of confidence. If they can change this, they can change that, they reasoned. They are unstoppable now. Something has been set in motion. And because they learned and grew as a team, when one despairs, the others can pull the despairing member up. Several people mentioned that their family life has improved as well. I wished I could peek into all those lives but I am content just to hear the stories.

My colleague Mary O’Neil flew in on Thursday night from Boston. She is on an around-the-world tour. She arrived just in time to catch the presentation from the HR team from the central ministry of health. HR is Mary’s field so the timing was perfect. The closing ceremony of our workshop was both moving and fun. And then it was time to say goodbye. Everybody was sent off with a blessing and a wish to change Kenya for the better. I checked out of the hotel and Ida drove us to the lovely lunch restaurant next to the physical therapy place. After lunch I showed up for my last PT appointment in Kenya. While I was being treated, this time by Lula from Norway who is as much a citizen of the world as her Danish colleague Karen, Ida compiled her to-do lists in the restaurant garden next door. I was picked (up) from Ida’s home by John and Carol and met at the airport by Kyeri who guided me swiftly through check-in, immigration and to the lounge where I am writing from now. It’s a good start of a journey that worried me a bit.