Lusaka Eye Hospital has doubled as my place of work and my home while I'm out here in Zambia. My room in the hospital is in the administrative building, across from the operating room and the cafeteria. Kaleb, the accountant spending a year here, and I inhabit the two guest rooms in this building and we each have our own bathrooms as well. Although initially it felt a little strange to be living in the very facility I was working in, I've definitely come to appreciate the non-existent commute to and from the hospital everyday.
the administrative building (my room's on the right side)
My room- I promise it's always this clean ;)
my bathroom
Lusaka Eye Hospital is located in the district of Makeni, a district which is decidedly a study in contrasts. Five minutes away from the eye hospital are two shopping centers with supermarkets, fast food eateries, and even a casino! Yet the neighborhood just outside the hospital walls is much less opulent, with chickens roaming the streets, children running through dirt roads, and buildings sitting in disrepair.
Because there is no centralized waste disposal system, most trash accumulates in certain areas and is then burned
popcorn makers are surprisingly common in the neighborhoods here
roasting corn
buses/minivans that take us to the supermarket for less than 20 cents
glass shards on walls are common to keep thieves away
This mural on the side of a local school's for my college roommate Brian Lee who's a big Mickey Mouse fan
furnace where the hospital's trash is burned
In the evening, when the the hustle-bustle of the day has died down, the hospital grounds can be a very peaceful place. I've enjoyed getting to watch the sunset from the hospital and feel a sense of gratitude each time I do for the opportunity to be here.
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