Dávid from Zambia – XXIII. Blog Post

We met the guy in the picture three weeks ago in Lusaka – it would have been better if we met under different circumstances, but surely this story has its own purpose and reason.

So... we were walking from the city center towards our accommodation in a relatively quiet, suburban area. From a distance, we noticed that some kind of animal was struggling on the ground. At first, we thought it was injured, maybe hit by a car or something like that... but a few seconds later, Kitti clearly pointed out that it was actually a person.

Luckily, there was a local security guard at a nearby gate about 5 meters away. We quickly informed him about the situation, and we all rushed towards the man. Our team's medical experts, Kitti and Helena, were spot on. They immediately recognized it was an epileptic seizure. At the same time, a local woman stopped her car. The security guard broke a stick from a tree and used it to brace the guy's mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue or, worse, choking. They then expertly turned him onto his side. In the meantime, we argued with a couple of people who were just standing around taking photos instead of calling an ambulance. Fortunately, this wasn't necessary because the man regained consciousness.

We all received first aid training at CICD, and the knowledge was relatively fresh in our minds, but the professional, fast, and skilled care was thanks to the two girls. However, everyone did their part both individually and as a team when it came to the necessary tasks.

Later, we learned that the man had been on medication for years for his condition, but that day he couldn't afford to buy the medicine (he had the prescription in his pocket the whole time). A couple of helpful locals and we chipped in to cover the cost of his medication, and we accompanied him for a bit.

He thanked us profusely for our help. Although there was no need for thanks... it was the least we could do. Later, we exchanged phone numbers and asked him to let us know once he bought the medication and got home safely. He promised he would! And sure enough, a few hours later, he messaged us on WhatsApp (with a picture), letting us know he had arrived home safely and had the medication for the next three months.

It was really heartwarming to see our team in action in this situation, working together without hesitation, using common sense and compassion. We were able to work as a team not only in the project, not just in organizing the trip, but also in saving a life.

I'm proud that people like this are my friends.

Great job, girls – I'm proud of you!