Meet the Team

Bridget is a retired GP based in Lothian, where she was a partner for many years, and now works in Out-of-Hours. She has an MSc in Education and was undergraduate and postgraduate trainer. More recently she obtained qualifications in tropical medicine and development management. She has worked and volunteered in several African countries including Zambia.

Chola is a registered nurse-midwife who trained in Zambia at Kitwe School of Nursing and later UTH Midwifery School. He worked at Macha Mission Hospital in the southern province, later moved to Luanshya Mine hospital where he worked in maternal and child health services- before migrating to the UK in 2003. He currently works with the elderly at a nursing home as clinical lead, though previously he worked as registered home manager. Chola was born in Chitambo and went to Mabonde primary school before moving to the city where he lived with his sisters. He has a passion for Chitambo: his father was a bricklayer for the (then) new block, and he had the privilege of seeing Jo Vallis’ father, Dr Currie. He looks forward to seeing the facilities and services at the hospital and its related health centres improve through our contributions however the form, whether knowledge, skills or monetary. Together we can.

Consider is currently the In-country Project Manager in Zambia. He has a strong background in Computing sciences/Information management systems and strategic planning. He studied in Zambia and Italy (Computer Science), as well as at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh (Strategic Planning). He is an experienced project manager who has worked at University of California (School of Media and ICT), John Hopkins Bloomberg (School of Medicine), Tropical Health Education Trust (Nursing schools in Zambia), University of Zambia (School of Engineering and Medicine), Calvin College Netherlands (Education program),and the Scottish government (Emergency Care Services). He has a passion for sustainable community development across the world.

Dr Mwansa K. Lubeya is an Obstetrician / Gynaecologist (originally from Chitambo), working at the Women and Newborn Hospital, UTH and lecturer at the School of Medicine, University of Zambia. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in public health at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa, driven by her passion for better women’s reproductive health. Dr Lubeya has experience in research and has been Principal investigator on local, international and multinational studies on women’s reproductive health such as the World Maternal Antifibrinolytic (WOMAN) Trial on the use of tranexamic acid for the treatment of postpartum hemorrhage, and between 2013-2014, she was the team leader for the implementation of a European Union co-funded community project on prevention of non-communicable diseases including cervical cancer in Kafue, Zambia. Dr Lubeya is currently leading a study on outcomes and experiences of pregnant women diagnosed with COVID-19 in Lusaka Zambia.

Heather is currently undertaking a PhD in health policy and applied social science. Along with a family connection to Kenya, she has developed projects aimed at enhancing relations between Rwanda and Scotland; and has been involved in civic research focusing on Scotland’s links to Zambia and Malawi. Heather has worked in the fields of economic development, external relations, project monitoring, and data protection.

Ida is presently the Health Secretary of the United Church of Zambia and an elected Trustee of CHAZ (Churches Health Association of Zambia). She is a Mission Partner from the Church of Scotland and Methodist Church to the UCZ and has lived and worked in Zambia since 1994. She is an RGN, a Pelican Nurse from Edinburgh Royal, and has nursed in Scotland, Denmark and Zimbabwe as well. Trained in theatre, Ida was also the HIV/AIDS Coordinator at UCZ Mission Hospital and served several terms there as Hospital Administrator.

Jo is founder and Chair of Friends of Chitambo. She is a nurse/nurse teacher and social scientist by background, with over 40 years' experience of health services and health-related work. She has contributed to winning four rounds of UK/Scottish Government grant funds for Global Health projects in Zambia since 2010, and has led three of these to successful completion. Jo grew up in Zambia, at Chitambo, and founded the organisation after returning there in 2003. She is passionate about contributing, with Chitambo partners, to promoting a ‘healthier Chitambo District’.

Levi Chifwaila is a co-founder member and Trustee of Friends of Chitambo. He is a Registered Nurse, Midwife and Nurse Tutor, holding Masters and BSc degrees in Nursing Sciences with support from Friends of Chitambo. His training and practice have an emphasis on Maternal and Child Health. Levi was headhunted for the position of Nurse in Charge, Paediatrics, at Chitambo Hospital (2001), and went on to become Nursing Officer in 2004 until 2008. He was instrumental in reopening Chitambo School of Nursing (2012) and was Senior Tutor there for several years before taking up his current post as Senior Tutor at Kabwe School of Nursing, Central Province, Zambia. Levi has vast knowledge and experience of rural and urban healthcare in Zambia and is closely connected with top officials at the Zambian Ministry of Health.

Richard is Jo's partner and a long-standing Trustee of Friends of Chitambo. His main role is to help, support, and offer valuable advice gleaned through his own extensive charitable experience in the field of disability sport and theatre. Following his own transition to ‘disability’ (he is a high-level amputee), he retrained as an Archery Coach and currently leads the field in Scottish disability archery. He has set up a number of highly successful archery clubs for people with disabilities and is also Honorary President of Lung Ha Theatre company, which he initiated in 1984: http://lungha.com/ Richard brings all this valuable voluntary experience to bear on his role as a Trustee of Friends of Chitambo.

Tililenji is currently a teacher under the Ministry of General Education in Zambia. She is passionate about inclusive and transformational education. She holds a Masters in Inclusive Education with a research focus on diversity and inclusive pedagogy. She is a huge advocate for child agency and education for marginalised children living in poverty. This she has shown through a school based club she introduced with the aim of empowering young people with leadership skills and giving them a platform to develop solutions for challenges they face in school and in their community. Due to her dedication in working with young people, she was awarded a Chevening scholarship to study in the Uk in 2017.