Thus far....
Soo one critical lesson I can tell you about 'work' (well my first three months of work) is reality of a serious 'lack of Time'. This is my first grown up job experience and from day 1 I was very quickly brought up to speed with the fact that I have less hours during the day to spend on Me, less hours during the day to Read, to Sleep, to hang out with my mom, my friends and to actually invest in other things!!!! :/
Anyway.....that, unfortunately, has had a tremendous effect on my blog which is looking rather sad and neglected at the moment BUT when you are out of time and you have to say what you want to say in very few words there is always TWITTER!!!!! Thank God for twitter :) So I have decided to use my tweets to sort of divulge what my work experience as a Research Assistant in a Pediatric HIV study at Primary Health Care Centers (Clinics) in the high density suburbs of Harare has been like.
I must say although I haven't written much about it this has been an eye opening experience deserving of an entire book really. Eye opening in soo many ways; I have seen death, suicide attempts, flus, coughs, colds, cuts, labour, phsychosis, fungal infections, diarrhoeal accidents and a whole hoard of bizarre ailments. So ya these are some of the tweets avec my personal life lessons [I believe there is a lesson to be learnt from all of life's experiences and part of my blogs primary focus is to share, learn and inspire so yes Lessons].
P.S I pray I will have more Time (or find a way to create more time...time management blah blah blah) to blog about many more of my experiences and other things in depth , I miss my blog, I love my blog :( ENJOY!!!
Tweet #1
"Day1 paClinic taught me a lot about HIV/AIDS with one critical thing being the changing face of HIV perceptions and stigmatization."
This was during post test counselling where a patient who tested HIV negative went on to explain how HIV isn't that scary anymore. So many people are healthy and living positively thanks to the advent on Antiretroviral treatment (ART) although we do have a health issue at hand when it comes to the nitty gritty of people living with the virus in our societies it really isn't as it's made to seem. With up to 100 patients coming into the clinic each day my personal perceptions on the virus, the care and treatment associated with it has changed. People often ask me if seeing all this depresses me but the truth of the matter is while we do have many sad cases there is life after HIV. With so many patients I now have semi personal relationships with the virus itself is a far off issue. My perceptions and the stigma used to carry is a thing that started melting away very soon after the initial shock of day 1. The exposure has really changed me and I suppose it's only up until you get up close and cosy (or not so cosy) with something do you see it for what it really is - the good, the bad and the ugly.
Tweet #2
"Interesting Times Ahead #i'mlearning"
Just like in the first tweet for me work has been such a tremendous learning experience. I leave each day having learnt something new about people, our national health care structures, a particular diseases or different drugs. A few days ago I met this grandmother at a pharmacy who was trying to wake up her grandchild so she could get her eye-drops administered. The child wouldn't wake up and from my days at the clinic I remembered how nurses always tell mothers to blow gently over the child's nose to wake them up. I told her this, she tried it and immediately the child woke up. She was so surprised and after thanking me asked if this is what I do with my own kids. Of course I don't have any but this is one of the many many things that #I'mlearning. I strive to edify myself every single day...I aspire to grow me and well I believe that
in every situation there is something to be learnt. Seek out those things and well you never know when they might come in handy.
Tweet #3
"Life is generally monotonous....we rarely change our usual routines."
This was clearly a dull day! hahaha. I absolutely love my job by the way but yes, after about 2 days at work (I kid you not, this was like day 3) it dawned on me that if i'm to be at this for the next 2 years, waking up Monday to Friday to deal with Pediatric HIV things are bound to get really monotonous! I guess that's what life is generally like, however, how I've sort of come to terms with this is acknowledging that i'm actually doing something I really enjoy...I meet different people everyday, I talk for a living, I work with kids and at the very root of it all I like to believe that I'm saving lives [I'm a modern day hero] so monotonous yes but not in an Oh My Gosh it's going to kill me type way. The key lesson I learnt here was that although life can actually be extremely mundane and routine always strive to look at the bright side of things, find something that keeps you running...and I suppose what makes the routine even more bearable for me is the fact that I'm doing what I love...it keeps me going. Do what you love and seek for the pros...it may be all you need to add flavor to it all.
Tweet #4
As my father always says, " Just do the right thing!"
Basically I have no supervisor on sight and the temptation to do 'the wrong thing' can creep up on you. What I realized though was that I wake up every day to go to work so that's what i'm going to do work. No cutting corners...my honesty will serve me good one day.
Tweet #5
"The value of my rest and alone time has increased significantly.... (sigh)"
So as I mentioned earlier I have less time now for anything!! The tweet above was post a moment of frustration. Time with just me has become really hard to come by. After spending time at work, then catching up with family and friends, time alone is just so inviting. I miss having whole days to just chill outside in the sun with a novel and a cup of tea :( Those where my reflective moments and well I suppose the lesson learnt here is
never take for granted the time you have with yourself, the peace and serenity that comes with it is like nothing else. Cherish those times...I'm thinking in a few years time I could be married with a husband and kids AND A JOB, God knows where I'll get time for Chido :(
Tweet #6
"Finally wrote about my Job Hunt Experience : Here it is in the form of "10 pointers from my Experience" http://myheartsimpressions.blogspot.com/2013/11/the-job-hunt-10-pointers-from-my.html "
So in the midst of it all I found time to blog about actually looking for a job. This is probably one of the most helpful posts I've written (in my opinion) and I recommend it to anyone currently on the hunt. Look at me recommending myself :D. What I got from this is despite complaining about never having any time I MADE TIME for this blog post and it turned out to be a pretty helpful ones soooo when it matters MAKE TIME!!!!
Tweet #7
"My locks are losing their hairginity today! Yikeeeees!!!!! :/"
Less time to sit and do my own hair...one of the hugest compromises I have ever had to make but I guess its also one of the things that comes with the turf. Lesson : Sometimes you've got to give up some stuff...like doing your own hair. zvakaoma!
Tweet #8
"Wishing I could crawl back into bed and curl up into a warm ball of me!!!! But anyway.....off to work it is. #Monday"
Yes, that Monday thing is real. I think there is a biological way of explaining it. Mondays aren't the best of days.
Tweet #9
"Reading about HIV testing and counseling after having shadowed on the job and realizing practical learning is so much more effective!"
So my background is in Biomedical Science and I'm working in a more specialized field with Pediatric HIV (research, testing and counselling) so I have had to learn a lot on the job. I also took it upon myself to read more into the field and discovered that my practical learning has stuck a whole lot more and more easily than studying the subject.
The value of work experience is truly significant and I now have a much better appreciation of why employers seek after it so much.
Tweet #10
"Not doing what you need to do on time will always catch up with you!! Just do It!!!"
Self explanatory -
Procrastination doesn't help anyone. Don't wait for deadlines to catch up with you.
Tweet #11
"HIV is not an emergency"This is what seems to be the general rule at clinics when it comes to HIV testing and initiating ARVs in Harare.
Yeah the general outlook from an external point of view is that HIV is this big bad monster that we need to hunt down and kill, right? But when it comes to treatment and care the approach is very different. Although people are encouraged to get tested and get on treatment, HIV is not an emergency. If a person comes to the clinic and wants to get tested it is NOT an Emergency. HIV doesn't kill anyone, its a whole host of opportunistic infections that does so we deal with that first then work with the HIV issue. At first I really didn't get this but it makes a lot of sense and works hand in hand with people having to go through counselling and ensuring treatment adherence. Once again #i'mlearning.
Tweet #12
"Automatically a "mbuya" because ndoshanda paclinic!!! Hahaha inga kukura hakutane! LOL"
Yes so now i'm used to 'mbuya status' although I'm the youngest employee at all the clinics I've been stationed at so far. I guess some things come with the turf.
Tweet #13
"Just seen a kid with a real LIVE fat breathing WORM in their foot!!!!! Amaiweeeeee... #clinicexperiences"
I have had many nasty and bizarre experiences including one incidence where a woman came with a needle in her wrist. How it got there, I don't know but this is just the tip of the ice berg. Weird things happen in this world...the stuff you read about or see on TV but never really come face to face with. I guess it's the spice of life :D
Tweet #14
"Just received news that the first ever child I recruited at work two months ago passed away this holiday...she was 11. Feeling more determined about going back to the clinic on Monday. This is the harsh reality of HIV/AIDS."
This was extremely sad for me and the self proclaimed hero status sprung from this.Since I received this news I have a reason to get up every day that goes beyond just getting a salary for myself to buy shoes. I knew this before but this was one serious reiteration.
Harsh encounters often give meaning to life.
Tweet #15
"Interesting discovery of the day : Condoms distributed (in bulk) at Primary Health Care Centers in Zimbabwe are 'made in Korea'."
Some stuff not so important but interesting all the same. This was one of my 'who knew' moments...I have these often.
Tweet #16
"I may be at the bottom of the food chain but my role is just as significant."
Right now I really am at the bottom of the food chain but like I said my role is just as significant. It doesn't decrease my worth and the role I play is very critical on top of this being awesome experience. What I learnt from this is although I'm at the bottom now, this is my incubation period. I will work hard and do my best here (right at the bottom) and push till I get to the top. Some personal motivation :)
I hope you managed to get something out of my rantings.
XOXO
Chido Dziva Chikwari
Oh yes if you like you can follow me on twitter my twitter handle is
@chidodc
This piece was inspired by a co-worker of mine who from the bottom of her heart said to me today, "Kuva Mukadzi Kushinga, Musha Mukadzi." The look on her face told me she was saying this from the depth of her heart and from the stories we hear and things we see so often in society it really is true kuti mukadzi musha and we may like to sugar coat it sometimes but the load that a woman/mother bears is unlike no other. Her words and passion really sparked something in me and for the entire day I kept thinking about what she said. Coupled by a scripture a friend of mine has also been reiterating day in and day out (Proverbs 31), I was compelled to write. 
