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Making Memories in Foggy London Town

Julie Jenkins — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 14:16:28 +0000

Since I was a kid, my mom and dad always stressed the need to make memories. Memories last a lifetime, my dad would say, and it isn’t something anyone can take away from you. Well, that’s exactly what we did this Christmas. We made memories. English memories. Memories of clotted cream, Ancient Egypt, London Walks (or lack there of), Scrabble, Pimlico, The Mouse Trap and Liberties. The number 24 bus, Crabbies, Dolphin House, Ian Stuart and fireworks (if only to name a few).

All I can say is that we wished 2011 goodbye with a bang. What an amazing Christmas it was and a great start to 2012!

What 2011 Taught Me About Change

Julie Jenkins — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 23:30:36 +0000

This blog post has been slowly percolating in the background for quite some time. Perhaps that is evident by the fact that I haven’t posted a post since October. To be completely honest, I think I have needed that last three/four months to take a step back and ask myself the hard, demanding, ever present and very real questions about my life, photography, my future and all that that entails. Heavy stuff, I know.

Don’t believe for a second that I didn’t have severe guilt about not writing. I even had family from California asking if I’d fallen off the face of the earth. I had many self “you should”, “you need to”, “What’s wrong with you” etc. fill moments which, as the proof shows, brought me no closer to setting my fingers on the key board and writing something. Anything. Sometimes I even felt my emails, facebook comments, notes sent through regular post all fell just slightly short. The question always remained – fell slightly short of what exactly? The answer to myself was always “You know…… something”.

That little “something” had an incredible debilitating effect. Nothing got done! Nothing that inspired me, encouraged me, pushed me or made me smile. That’s not a little something, that’s a HUGE something. A huge, ugly and nasty something.

Over the Christmas break, I rose early one morning and had a chance to work through some of my something’s. And here’s what I discovered about goals and change. I like to set goals and see them through to completion. I like to set my sights high and soar past them. I also discovered that I get discouraged and frustrated and ultimately quit if that doesn’t happen.

I quit. (Wow that looks ugly when written)

But it’s true. Excuses, other stuff and everything in between seem to get in the way and I quit. But here’s what I realized. Just because you set out to do something and it doesn’t work, doesn’t mean that the goal is finished. It just means you need to change directions and find something that does (because trust me, writing “I quit” hurts).

Far too often I get into the mind set that if something doesn’t happen within the parameter by which I set for myself, then it’s a complete failure. But it dawned on me that it’s not a failure but rather a goal looking for a change. If getting in shape and healthy is your goal, and running isn’t your thing, find something that is. Try yoga, cycling, walking, swimming. I would hedge my bets that most, if not all goals have multiple ways of being achieved, it’s a matter of finding one that works.

I know it sounds basic, almost blindingly obvious, but those are often the pieces that we miss. I have set out to change a few things this year. Goals that I am setting out to achieve and in some cases conquer.

There will be lots of changes along the way. That’s ok – I have 2011 to thank for teaching me that lesson.

Happy 2012.

Contest! Calling all Contest Lovers!

Julie Jenkins — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 15:08:04 +0000

I'm proud to present an increible opportunity to have free baby bump photos taken! If your pregnant or know someone who is this is a great way to get photos taken. And for FREE!

I am working with Heart to Heart Calgary in an effort to bring awareness to pre-term labour.

Nearly half (40%) of the 50,000 babies expected to be born in Alberta this year will be born in Calgary. The rise in births in Calgary means there is a corresponding rise in pre-term births. Now more than ever is the time to support research, education and services that prevent pregnancy complications and encourage full-term healthy pregnancies, and that can only happen with adequate awareness and funding.

Drop by the Heart to Heart facebook page or come get your photo taken at the Mom & Tot Show at the BMO Centre on October 15 & 16. One lucky winner will have the opportunity to have an exclusive baby bump photo session (with all the trimmings) with yours truly!

I can't think of a better way to support this amazing cause. I look forward to seeing you there.

First Day of School

Julie Jenkins — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:50:20 +0000

For as long as I can remember, the first day of school was nothing compared to the week before, when the long quest to find school supplies had commenced. I loved shopping for supplies. Binders, pens, pencils, erasers, trig sets, and oh those beautiful coil notebooks. I had a bit of an obsession with empty, coil notebooks. Sometimes, I’d even convince my parents to buy me one- just to have it. It was never on the supply list, but that didn’t stop me from trying.

The first day of school was always chaos. Getting up early, making breakfast, making lunches, gathering everything in our backpacks. I was never organized enough to do that the night before. Further to all of this, my mom always insisted that a photo of us be taken, minutes before the bus was to arrive. With our lunch bags in hand, we’d stand their patiently as she ran to find the camera, which always was lost in the abyss of the house. These photos at the time always felt weird and awkward, but looking back, they truly marked milestones for both me and my brother.

Being a country kid meant that we had to leave 5 minutes before the bus was supposed to arrive on our road due to the size of the driveway. By the time the photos were taken and kisses exchanged, we’d be running, backpacks swinging from side to side, down the driveway to get to the bus, with my mom shouting GOOD LUCK!

As I walked my dog this morning, kids and parents passed me on their way to their first day of school. Full of anticipation and intrigue I would imagine, or perhaps fear and trepidation. Either which way, I miss those first days of school and the running down the driveway. And, as a salute to the start of a new school year, I bought a pack of pens yesterday –and found this old picture. Yes, that really is me. But more importantly, check out my pack of pens, colouring book and that super sweet couch.

Happy Thursday.

Where to Start?

Julie Jenkins — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 14:00:36 +0000

It’s been the kind of summer that took feet and literally ran away with me. Between weddings, travel to Africa, a car accident and everything else, I feel like I’ve been constantly playing catch up with everything…including forgotten phone calls and missed emails.

My trip to Sudan and Ethiopia were nothing short of amazing. I promise to do an entire blog post about just that. I feel so grateful to be part of such an inspiring cause and to have worked with a group of people whose dedication and commitment to their people and their country is mind-boggling.

Upon my return to Canada, I was involved in a high-speed roll over that created quite the stir on the side of the highway. Police, ambulance, fire - the works all showed up. To sum up that very tense situation, my puppy and I were/are fine. After a trip to the hospital, back brace, neck brace and IV, I was cleared of all injuries. I’m incredibly grateful that I only walked away with a small scratch on my middle finger. Unfortunately, my car didn’t fare so well. It was a total write-off, as they had to cut the roof off to extract me.

July and all it’s weddings, rolled into August. August has been filled with photo shoots of horses, the start of a new baby project in Calgary (Heart to Heart – Check out their Facebook page!), and my constant need to can and bake bread. To date, I’ve canned, tomato sauce, salsa, pickles, and countless jars of Jam. The farmers market and I have developed a serious relationship and I have to refrain myself from showing up there every weekend. Trust me, it’s been difficult. With my upcoming projects and adventures, I’ve told the farmers market that we’re off – well, at least until pears are in season.

So, my dear friends, there you have it. A small yet intense update about my summer. To my friends and family starting law-school, my friends planning weddings and to all of you who feel like it shouldn’t be September, please know I’m sending you lots of great vibes. September, in a similar sort of way feels like the start of a new year. And for me, the start of a new year feels like the start of something brand new and fantastic.

Let’s cheers the end of summer, drink to new beginnings and set our sights on the future. Because you know what? It’s going to be fantastic!

Happy Wednesday!

A Little Perspective

Julie Jenkins — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 06:56:18 +0000

As I mentioned in an earlier post, the statistics concerning health here in Southern Sudan are very grim. So grim in fact that people struggle to take care of their basic needs and access basic health care. The size of the population compared to the total number of doctors is a staggering number – 1 doctor for every 50,000 people.

Along with the title of “I.T. Lady”, I’ve also offered my services to video some of the doctors speaking on where they are working and what the SSHARE program has done for them. This is a two part question. First, what has the SSHARE Program done for you and second, what can you do now, that you couldn’t do before the SSHARE Program.

The SSHARE Program was established to assist and facilitate the re-entry of the Sudanese doctors from Canada back into life here in Southern Sudan. Through continued education and resources, SSHARE works to provide support for these doctors that they might not necessarily get from even their own government. Given the state of the government, what SSHARE provides is amazing. Their medical camps (what we’d call a conference), similar to what is happening this week really helps to boost and energize the doctors.

The very first video I did was of a very tall man named Ajak (I will get a picture with Ajak and show you the height differential between us.) Ajak works in a remote hospital that supports approximately 47,000 people. Of the 47,000 people, Ajak has helped over 27,000 of them and done surgery on over 800. ALL BY HIM SELF. Working tirelessly, 24/7 (literally) he is the only one with his qualifications and education to even medically help these people. I should clarify that there are support persons available for help, but as it was described to me, they are trained in one task and one task only. A nurse who has been trained in putting in IV’s only knows how to put in IV’s. She does not have the skill to do anything else – even things that would seem easy to us, like administering oral medication.

Further more, there is no pharmacy or any easy access to medication. If Ajak needs medication, and there is none at the hospital, he must walk. With a backpack on his back, and a gun in his hand, he walks for approximately 26 miles. He said that it takes 4 hours to get there and almost 8 to get back.

Thinking about this blows my mind. If we need something, we either go to our family doctor or in a dire situations, the emergency room. If our condition demands medication, we drive to the 24-hour pharmacy and pick up what we need. Our life isn’t jeopardized, our safety questioned. We just do it. And that’s what Ajak does. He does what he has to do, because he has to, but more than that, because he wants to.

To add even more perspective to this, when these doctors were working in Canada, they were making anywhere between $3,000 and $4,000 per month. The work wasn’t glamorous, but it paid well. Upon returning to Sudan they made huge sacrifices. First, their quality of living. Living in remote areas, close to or right in the middle of a 30 year civil war, no electricity or running water. Further more, they have little access to what we would consider necessities. Food, clothing, basic shelter. Ajak lives in a tent. Last but not least, their financial resources. Ajak’s salary dropped from anywhere between $3,000 - $4,000 a month to between $300 and $350 a month. Ajak is “lucky” because he works for an American NGO. Some of the doctors work for the Sudanese Government. Considering the financial strain the government already faces, paying their doctors doesn’t seem to be a particular priority. Often they will go months without a pay cheque and when they do get paid, it’s never the full amount.

This morning they were discussing active blood transfusions. Once a minimal test for blood has been done, and there seems to be a match, one person, the donor get hooked to one end of an IV line, and the patient gets hooked on the other side. The blood leaves the donor, gets collected into a bag and immediately transferred to the patient. They even discussed the fact that if the donor gets sick or faint, they just reverse the blood and pour the bag contents back into the donor. Tell me the last time you saw that at your local hospital.

Its hard not to get reflective when you hear their stories and listen to what they’ve been through and what they still, continue to go through. It seems hard to fathom. And yet, the biggest star of all is the knowledge and hope that thing are improving and changing. For the better. Its hard for me to sit here and feel like I’m doing nothing. I honestly wish that I could do more. And yet, just knowing about the situations and circumstances changes my perception and view of the world. That alone is huge. That alone is a start. And we all need to start somewhere.

The one thing that traveling to South Sudan is teaching me is to be grateful for what I have and very conscious of what I bitch about. These doctors have little and yet they have huge hearts. They knew that when they made the decision to come back to South Sudan that they were making a choice and a sacrifice. They knew that things would be hard and that they would get a lot harder before they got better. And yet, they smile. These huge, infectious smiles that lights up the whole room. They are making a difference.

Organic

Julie Jenkins — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 05:15:36 +0000

Life here in Southern Sudan can only be described as organic. It changes constantly. Plans quickly change, and no one is really upset. In fact, it’s accepted as readily as the first plans and everyone just moves with the changes. Organic. Living. Constantly in motion. What that’s saying about the best laid plans...?

Let me give you an example. One of the doctors who was part of the SSHARE program in Calgary has now a member of the South Sudan Parliament. She is the Honourable Martha Martin Dar and is responsible for the Heath and HIV/AIDS Committee. Although her time is mostly taken up by her affairs with the government, she still very much has a vested interest in the SSHARE program and the doctors who returned from Canada to Southern Sudan. Yesterday, our group gathered to discuss the weeks events and to go over the schedule. Part of the discussion was to talk about the victories and challenges up to this point in Southern Sudan, and more specifically, the victories and challenges that each doctor faces. Somehow, through all of this, Martha informed us that she was talking with the media and that a camera crew was arriving tomorrow (today, as I write this) and the doctors and their hard work would be profiled on the TV. There went the schedule for the course.

With the announcement of the media, a long meeting followed to layout exactly who would be speaking and on what topic. It was decided that there would be 3 people talking, five minutes each, for a total of 15 minutes. The umbrella idea was to highlight the program, where the doctors were working and the connection to Canada, Calgary and SSHARE.

Let me tell you how this all rolled out, (I’m sure you can see where this is going.) The course, scheduled start time was 8am, but it really got started around 8:20. All things considered, (around here), that’s an on-time start. The leader of the course, a local trained OB/GYN named Dr. Martin, had barely started to speak about the week and the rules, when the TV crew rolled in. This halted everything. Tables were rearranged, chairs set up, and Martha and Dr. Crutcher (from the UofC) moved to the front of the room to begin their speaking, as per yesterdays plan. As this was taking place, another doctor, a surgeon from Juba, walked in an promptly took a seat at the front. Within 3 minutes of the first “5-minute” interview, The entire room stood up. Confused and somewhat baffled, I looked around and noticed that a well-dressed woman had entered the room and was making her way to the front. She too sat at the front. I later found out that she was the second in command for all of health for Southern Sudan.

Without giving you all the details, by the time the last interview wound down, the last hand was shook and farewell was issued, it was closer to 10am. The exact start of our first tea break. How perfect! So off everyone went for break. Do you see what I mean by organic? These things gather a life of their own and it often can take a long time to turn things around.

Putting aside my Canadian view of time, I’m really excited for these doctors. Having media coverage and national attention, especially during this time of crossed fingers and high hopes, lends itself well to actually getting these doctors the help, resources and attention they not only need, but deserve. With statistics and real life scenarios as scary as they are, any and every little bit helps.

Juba - Day One

Julie Jenkins — Sat, 25 Jun 2011 17:55:09 +0000

Greetings from Juba, Southern Sudan.

Today has been our first full day of being able to "do things". That said, nothing much has been done. We were told this morning not to leave the compound of our hotel as they had ramped up the security on the street and weren't letting people get anywhere. The woman who works for Samaritans Purse and the UofC, Karen, didn't even arrive here until mid-day, and she told us that her guards haven't even arrived yet, as they hadn't be allowed to clear customs. Everything is getting tighter, especially around the upcoming independence of Southern Sudan. Right now there is a city wide curfew for all NGO's of 11pm, but thoughts are that there will be a country wide curfew before long.

That said, our arrival into Juba yesterday was the most spectacular approach I've ever witnessed. I was going to say landing, but our pilot dropped the plane like a rock and we kind of thudded to the "arrivals" terminal. Coming back to the approach though, we flew right across the city of Juba, banked left and circled back to land. It's so green here, a lot greener than I had anticipated. From the air, you can see that a lot of construction is happening, although in very select areas. Some of the roads are paved, but it wasn't unusual to see a portion of the road paved, the rest in dirt. In some instances, the paved road gave way to dirt to only be paved again in 100 feet. Strange. Our approach also lended itself to seeing the difference in living. Right off the end of the runway were tukals, or mud huts, clustered together in small villages. Juxtapose this to the compounds and other stone buildings not more than a road over. With the separation of the North from the South, there is a great number of building projects going on. Many of them on a tight time line of the 9th of July.

Like I said, our landing was rough, but our taxi into terminal was a quick education in what the situation here is like. Every plane, except for a few, were either with the UN or some other NGO. I was later informed that really, there is no tourism here. Beside the constant threat of fighting, there's nothing to see. All the animals have fled to the neighboring countries due to a lack of vegetation, and of lot of the southern part of the country is swamp. There is question of how long the new buildings will last due to the wetness of the ground and the constant shifting of the earth.

The terminal was nothing more than a room with a large x-ray machine. Every carry-on bag was X-rayed as well as every piece of stowed luggage. Bags were brought from the plane to the terminal on a wagon attached to an orange Kabota tractor. If your bag was marked with a K it was allowed to be taken - all others were hand searched. The luggage claim area was a large U-shaped wooden work bench. A conveyor belt would have been a luxury. Airport officials and military personal stood behind the bench, viewing the x-ray monitor or sorting through luggage, and all the in-bound passengers waited on the other side. In truth, it was chaos.

Of all the luggage that we brought, only one piece got searched. Even the large blue bags that said "Obstetrics kits" got the "K" of approval. I believe they saw the model torso of a female, including the nether regions, on the x-ray scree and decided to let them go. Perhaps that would have made for a great story if they had decided to open one of those up.

We made it to hotel, The New York Hotel, which all things considered, is a nice. It looks like a bunch of cargo containers all lined up, trailer park style and converted into rooms. I'm not complaining. The toilets flush, there is running water, and the bed is moderately decent. And I even believe the sheets are clean. Bonus. To boot, the food is all included and they even had Lyonnaise potato’s last night with caramelized onions. Pretty good for a country that is dealing with a fuel shortage and a curfew.

Of the 15 doctors that were part of the SSHARE program in Canada, there are 9 here for the week. A few are too busy to join, one came down with malaria and others can't leave their medical stations for one reason or another. Nine will be a good group.

I can't get over how tall and how black the Sudanese are. The wall around our compound is at least 6'6" tall and if you sit under the mango tree and watch, it doesn't take long to see a head bob along the top. Sometimes you even see a head a shoulders. It makes me laugh. In Canada that would be the exception - here, it’s the norm.

I'm learning a lot. Even in the short time I've been here, I've learned so much. Being somewhat of a fact finder, I've enjoyed the tid-bids of information that I've picked up. For example, the majority of the doctors here are part of the Dinka tribe, a native tribe to Southern Sudan. Cows are still exchanged for a woman's hand in marriage and after a woman gets married, she isn't allowed to cook for her husband for one year. For the first year of marriage, she lives with his family and all she is able to do is wash her husbands clothes. It is also seen as a coup if you marry a younger woman. Much younger woman. Three or four of the SSHARE doctors are recently married. The doctors themselves are between 35-45 and they all have wives around 18 years of age.

Like the men, the woman are tall with striking features. The doctors themselves have been quite eager to show off their brides. Considering their background and what they've seen and been through, I can only imagine that getting back to some semblance of normalcy is huge. Having a wife and family being part of that.

I'm looking forward to seeing my mom tomorrow. I've kind of been on my own, doing my own thing, which has been fine. I've been given to title of "I.T. Girl" as they seem to think I can solve any Mac or Apple related issue. It's amazing what you can do when you have access to the internet and Google. It makes me look like a genius. Thank you apple forums!

Photography outside the compound is going to be hard. With the heightened security and uncertainty, I won't be taking photographs at liberty. I might get a chance to take some at the hospital or perhaps the Nile, but I won’t be walking around town. On top of this, I doubt there will be any walking anywhere. At least for now. Perhaps that will change during the week, and if it does, I will be certain to take one of the doctors with me. If you're going to have a buddy, best make sure it's a local.

I think know this is going to be an interesting week. The focus of the medical training is obstetrics and emergency procedures dealing with obstetrical complications. As you may or may not know, the leading cause of death for woman in the world, is complications due to pregnancy and birth. Hemorrhage after delivery is the number one killer of woman, and in truth, even a little teaching can make huge difference. Teaching basic skills to increase safe deliveries is the goal. In Sudan, there is one doctor for 50,000 people. The effect of teaching and training 9 doctors will make an incredible difference for a country that is need of help.

As I mentioned before, I haven’t been able to take many photos of Juba. In fact, the 5 that I have were taken here at the hotel. So, I’ll attach one from my 24 hours in Nairobi. I had the awesome privilege of witnessing the feeding of baby elephants. The David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust is a foundation who’s main purpose and mission are to rescue and rehabilitate abandoned, elephants and rhino’s. For one hour every day they allow visitors to see them being fed and and play. Trust me, it was hard not to take one home.

The official course starts Monday, The days will be full, in more than one way. I’m keen to listen and learn.

Before I sign off, I wanted to say Thank you. Thank you for reading. Just by reading this you’ve made a difference. Knowledge is power.

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." ~Nelson Mandela~

Sudan - Part One

Julie Jenkins — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:39:08 +0000

My alarm just went off indicating it was 7am. Doesn’t matter, I’ve been up for almost two hours anyways, trying to finish the last remaining pieces before I do the final zip on my bags and head to the airport.

Today I leave for Southern Sudan. Juba to be exact. I got the phone call in April, asking if I wanted to be part of a group going to Juba to work with a group of 11 doctors. Without hesitation, I said yes.

I will be traveling with the University of Calgary, and the SSHARE program. The purpose of the program is to “Build capacity of healthcare in Southern Sudan through the provisions of continuing medical education and medical facility rehabilitation.” You can check out more information here.

The group of doctors that we will be working with is a group of Cuban-trained, Sudanese physicians. In the 1980’s there was a group of over 600 Sudanese refuges that were sent to Cuba to be educated. Some were trained as doctors and upon completing their training were resettled in Canada (due to political unrest in Cuba and the continued warfare in Sudan).

In 2006 the University of Calgary became aware of these doctors and the Sudanese Physicians Reintegration Program was born. The goal was to upgrade their skills and equip them with certain skills that would be needed in their homeland. Their return to the Southern Sudan was in two parts. First part Calgary, second part Kenya. They are all back in the Sudan, helping to make a huge difference for their country.

I have a feeling that this trip will be an eye opener. My hope is that by taking pictures and capturing the efforts, challenges and victories, I can bring a little more awareness to a country that has been torn apart by war and overshadowed by the unrest.

In the days to come, my goals is to write about our experiences, share their stories and pictorially capture the experience. It’s always nice to hear from home, so please leave comments and questions. I want this to be a dialog. For I believe that awareness and change comes from starting the conversation. I hope in some small way, I too can make a difference.

Alisa & Andrew

Julie Jenkins — Fri, 10 Jun 2011 22:40:46 +0000

From the dress to the final dance, Alisa and Andrew's wedding was breathtaking. I feel so honoured to be part of the day. I'm seriously at a loss of words as to how to describe everything. So, instead of filling up the space with words, I'll just say this: Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to be part of your day. And what an amazing day it was!

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