Afternoon of Wellness to boost Canadian Nurses for Africa mission

Burlington residents are invited to a special event this Saturday that will not only boost their own wellbeing, but also the health of an impoverished population half a world away.

The Canadian Nurses for Africa (CNFA) is hosting An Afternoon of Wellness at St. Luke’s Church, which  will feature speakers and demonstrations, as well as the opportunity to enjoy mini-sessions of massage, Reiki, reflexology, Bionergetics and more. All the participating practitioners have donated their services for the day and the cost for each treatment is $10.

Several vendors selling authentic African jewelry and crafts will also be on site, 

All funds raised from the event will support the Canadian Nurses for Africa mission in 2023 — their first since 2019.

“Our first mission was in 2009, and we did one every year thereafter, until Covid,” said Burlington RN Trish Corbett, noting that the organization was started by seven nurses at Joseph Brant Hospital but today includes members from across Canada. Anywhere from seven to 14 nurses volunteer for each mission.

The organization has forged a longstanding connection of caring between Burlington and the Kenyan counties of Kakamega and Vihiga. The missions return each year to the same region to provide a myriad of services, including treatment of chronic illnesses and wound care — respiratory issues and burns are common due to the practice of cooking indoors over an open fire — as well as malaria and conditions resulting from malnutrition. They also take along a supply of eyeglasses to distribute, and a public health nurse on the team runs sexual health and deworming clinics. “We do what we can while we are there,” said Corbett. “We do anything the people who come to see us need, for free.

“We’re only there for two weeks but most of the time it’s the only medical treatment they get.”

The group has also worked to improve health conditions by building infrastructure such as latrines and a well at a school, and provides ongoing support by hiring local residents to run ongoing clinics for ailments such as jiggers. With the money raised for the 2020 mission (which didn’t happen due to the pandemic), they purchased and transported food to the region, which was impacted by drought and locust infestation.

Corbett, who has gone on eight or nine CNFA missions, expects the cost of next spring’s mission will be substantially higher than in the past — likely as much as $40,000. She stresses that the volunteers pay for their own travel expenses, and all funds raised through CNFA are directed to medical supplies, medications and treatments, with small stipends paid to administrative and clinical staff. 

Compounding the issue this year is the fact that, like many other non-profit organizations, CNFA’s fundraising has been curtailed due to the pandemic. In the past, their main event was an annual gala fundraiser; this time around they are relying on donations and small events such as the Afternoon of Wellness to boost their coffers.

Still, Corbett is excited about the prospect of returning to Kenya and serving the people there.

“They are like family, and we miss them,” she said. 

An Afternoon of Wellness takes place Saturday, Nov. 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at St. Luke’s Church, 1382 Ontario St. For more information or to donate to the Canadian Nurses of Africa’s 2023 mission, email [email protected].