wfn.org | UMNS# 04574-Africa University dedicates health sciences

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Africa University dedicates health sciences building 

Dec. 6, 2004	 News media contact:   * ( ) * {04574}

NOTE: Additional resources are available at http://umns.umc.org.

By Andra Stevens*

MUTARE, Zimbabwe (UMNS) -Diplomats, government officials and local church
leaders joined students and staff for the dedication of Africa University's
new Faculty of Health Sciences building Dec. 1. 

Ceremonies began with a worship service in the Kwang Lim Chapel, featuring
the Rev. Randy Day, chief executive of the United Methodist Board of Global
Ministries, as the guest preacher. Day's sermon drew on current affairs
reporting on Africa to set the tone for the day and focus attention on
leadership as the key to Africa's renewal.

The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) supported
construction of the building with a grant of $1 million from its American
Schools and Hospitals Abroad program.

Speaking at the dedication ceremony, Christopher Dell, U. S. Ambassador to
Zimbabwe, noted that, as evidenced by the many Americans present, USAID's
ongoing support for Africa University must be seen as an expression of the
will and selflessness of the American people. 

In his remarks, Dell challenged the students to remember "...that it is not
just about what goes on in this pile of bricks and mortar. It's not just
about what your teachers teach you out of textbooks. There is another spirit
at work here too and it's the people of the United States-who not out of
interest in anything for themselves except doing good, that have made
possible this education and who are sharing with you this dream about the
future, a better future for Africa."  

 The $1.8 million Faculty of Health Sciences facility is the fourth building
on the campus of the United Methodist-related university in Zimbabwe, to be
constructed with funds from USAID. It houses a health sciences library
collection and laboratories for teaching as well as research on HIV/AIDS and
malaria. Seminar rooms, lecture theaters, offices and a cold room make up the
rest of the building.  

On hand for the formal opening and dedication of the building were two
members of the eight-member team that investigated and helped to plan the
faculty of health sciences at Africa University-- James Holsinger Jr. and
Mackie Norris.

Holsinger, the former chancellor of the Chandler Medical Center at the
University of Kentucky and now serving as Secretary for Health for the
Commonwealth of Kentucky, attended the dedication as the guest of honor. He
led the feasibility study team that recommended priorities and a plan for the
health sciences faculty to the board of directors of Africa University in
2000.

In his address, Holsinger highlighted three key qualities of transformational
leadership as he urged the students to view themselves as people of
influence, able to demonstrate commitment and caring and to inspire and
involve others in changing their organizations and nations.

He noted that the faculty's reason for being was to develop health leadership
for the continent. Placing a high priority of disciplines such as nursing,
public health and environmental health, he said, enables the school to have a
more immediate and positive impact on the people of Africa.

The faculty's pioneer class is made up of 10 students. Three are from the
Democratic Republic of Congo and the rest from Zimbabwe. The group began
training in nursing and public health earlier this year.

Eight of the 10, mainly registered practicing nurses and midwives with at
least two years of professional working experience, are undertaking a
post-basic bachelor of science in nursing. All of these students have nursing
and midwifery diplomas and are upgrading their professional knowledge and
attempting to advance academically. The two remaining students are enrolled
in the post-graduate diploma program in public health that was launched in
September.

"The students that are currently enrolled are just marvelous," said Norris, a
former nursing educator with the Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing and
Allied Health. "They have caught the vision, they have caught the spirit and
the philosophy that the team developed for the faculty and it will be their
voices that will help increase enrollment and tell the story to others about
the goals of Africa University's Faculty of Health Sciences."

That conviction was echoed in the statement of appreciation from one of the
students, Kasombo Tshiani from the Democratic Republic of Congo. "Our hope
and prayer is that Africa University and its Faculty of Health Sciences will
make a big contribution by training medical and allied health personnel for
many African countries who will be the cornerstone of building a dynamic
health care delivery system and the key to solving health-related problems in
Africa and in the rest of the world," he said. 

The new building is a major boost to pan-African efforts to train badly
needed medical and allied health professionals. It is also helping to
kick-start the teaching, research and outreach work of a very young but
critical faculty at Africa University.

The faculty is already managing two important outreach projects that target
young people with HIV/AIDS awareness training and supports orphans and
vulnerable children. As it develops, the faculty plans to launch a bachelor's
degree in health sciences and to begin offering training in health
informatics, biostatistics and social medicine.

The Faculty of Health Sciences is the sixth of seven faculties slated for
development on Africa University's master plan. The university already offers
undergraduate and post-graduate programs in agriculture and natural
resources, education, humanities and social sciences, management and
administration, and theology. 

Also offered are post-graduate diplomas and master's degrees through the
Institute of Peace, Leadership and Governance. USAID has already approved a
grant of $1.8 million for a building for the Institute. Construction is
expected to begin in January 2005.

Africa University is the only United Methodist-related university on the
continent. It opened in 1992 and currently has a total enrolment of 1,283
students from 21 African countries. The university has been supported by
United Methodist churches through an apportioned fund of US$10 million every
four years since 1988 as well as designated gifts.

It has also received significant support for academic, capital, outreach and
service projects from a number of organizations including the Kellogg and
Rockefeller Foundations and the United Nations Development Program.

*Stevens is director of information and public affairs at Africa University.

News media contact: Kathy L. Gilbert, Nashville, Tenn., (615) 742-5470 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

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United Methodist News Service