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Making an impact: the Wright way

Western Nebraska native works with Peace Corps in Zambia

It's a long way from the Nebraska Panhandle to the South African village of Kalaba, Zambia – almost 9,000 miles to be exact.

About a year ago, Bridgeport native Emily Wright left her family, friends and the familiarity and luxuries of the United States to join the Peace Corps as a Community Health Improvement Project volunteer for two years.

Wright, the daughter of Kent and Bobbi Wright of Bridgeport has several family members residing in Sidney, including: aunt and uncle Terri and Randy Faessler, her grandmother Betty Wright and several cousins.

Wright, a 2010 graduate of Bridgeport High School, graduated from Hastings (Neb.) College in May 2014 with a molecular biology/biochemistry degree before committing to serving in the Peace Corps.

It was an interim class in Tanzania during her junior year of college that sparked Wright's interest in learning about new cultures. According to Wright, to live entirely off the land and be at peace is something that moved her.

"I tried really hard to gear myself to apply for post-graduate schools, as my friends were applying for masters and doctorate programs," said Wright in an e-mail. "While the Peace Corps is far from the 'kumbaya' around the fire, it's about as raw as you can get. Fetching every drop of water to use, sleeping under a grass roof and most importantly immersing yourself into a new culture. Learning from my fellow neighbors and community quenched my thirst to return."

Wright lives in a thatched roof hut and works alongside the Bemba people. Her role in the community is to empower the Bemba people and encourage them to care for themselves without needing dependence from outside sources. The village that she currently lives in is located in one of the most heavily burdened areas of Zambia with the greatest rate of malnutrition as well as high malaria rates.

The purpose of the Community Health Improvement Project is to assist the rural villages of Zambia in being healthy to promote appropriate and sustainable strategies that reduce the effects of HIV/AIDS and malaria. Another goal is to improve maternal, neonatal and child health.

According to Wright's mother, Bobbi Wright, her daughter has 14 villages to oversee and educate.

The children in those 14 zones meet with volunteers monthly for growth development monitoring. This is usually done under trees or buildings that have been built and rebuilt since the 1980s. Because there's often a six-month rainy season, distance prevents many people from attending, which acts as a setback.

Wright proposed a plan to the Peace Corps to construct a long-lasting community health outreach post by September 2015. This would provide a public place where medicines can be dispensed by Community Health Workers, aid in putting health care responsibility in the hands of the community, reduce preventable deaths, monthly child growth monitoring and family planning. Wright's proposal was recently passed and accepted by the Peace Corps.

"Right now, I am cultivating the formation of an HIV and AIDS support group. I'll never forget the first time we met and the sincere look of fear in their eyes," Wright said. "Each time we meet, the conversation becomes a bit easier. Now I can tell by their eyes that they are eager to listen and learn, but the stigma is as real as ever. If I win their trust by the end of these two years, I can say I accomplished something."

Since being away from the comforts of Nebraska and not being able to constantly check social media or even text messages, Wright created a blog called "Lighting GreyStreet" to keep her family and friends updated on her excursion. She said that it's never easy missing the big moments in life, but the world is connected.

Wright takes advantage of the online diary to share pictures of the people she comes across and the new things she experiences, such as eating caterpillars for the first time or communicating with the locals.

"I love the Midwest, and I joke that I learned more about Americans here in Zambia than Zambians themselves," Wright said. "We really do come from all walks of life, but I could never be more thankful for my Nebraska roots. Three things that I miss most are the people, the seasons, and of course I can't go without saying coming from a farming family, beef."

She said that the Peace Corps is a great way to not only serve your country, but to learn about your country. Although her home is a hut, her water source is a few kilometers away and electricity is by candlelight, Wright said she wouldn't trade the experience for the world. After her two-year mission, she says she can't see herself leaving public health work anytime soon.

"I will return to school, but I think I am learning far too much here now."

"I think I have gained patience from being here more than anything," Wright said. "Whether that's sitting under a tree for a couple hours waiting for a program to start or speaking Bantu dialect. Time is fluid in Zambia and sitting is a skill.

"When things go wrong here, it's expected, and we laugh when it's all said and done. The village ladies laugh when I say 'panono panono,' meaning slowly, slowly. There's nothing fast, fast about development work, and without patience, this work would be impossible."

 

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