Greetings from Ndola, Zambia! We are thrilled to share the latest updates from our recent trip and to report on the progress at St. Dominic’s Dental Clinic. Thanks to your unwavering support, Wellness for Africa has been able to help the clinic operate more effectively, with improved resources and streamlined workflows.
Over the past thirteen years, we have transformed St. Dominic’s from a single-room clinic with limited staff and resources into a fully remodeled, two-room facility equipped with modern technology and staffed by local professionals year-round. This transformation would not have been possible without the generosity of donors like you and the invaluable contributions from partners such as Kerr Nobel, Envista, Mosaic Dental, and Metropolitan Endodontics.

This year’s dental team included Dr. Mittelsteadt and his wife, Lisa; Dr. Grutzner and his wife, Barb; and Betsy and Paul Roehr. From October 18 to 28, we worked alongside the local staff, providing hands-on support and participating in the ongoing Surgical Camp as needed. Years of dedicated fundraising by the Wellness for Africa team enabled us to implement essential upgrades at the clinic. These include new dental equipment, dental chairs, sterilizers, and an extra compressor-vacuum system, allowing both treatment rooms to operate simultaneously.

In partnership with district dental supervisor Sister Dr. Nasilele Simushi, we focused on enhancing the local clinic team’s skills in restorative procedures, extractions, endodontic therapy, and even implants—laying the groundwork for long-term sustainability. While extractions remain the most common treatment at the clinic, we are seeing an encouraging shift toward restorative care as well.

Looking ahead, we aim to broaden our reach by developing community-focused programs that extend beyond the clinic’s walls. For over a decade, the Wellness for Africa dental team has provided preventative care at St. Anthony’s Home for Vulnerable and Abandoned Children, an orphanage run by the Dominican Sisters that houses over 80 children. Our work there is ongoing, and we are committed to supporting these children’s dental health indefinitely.

Despite the progress, challenges remain. For over 50,000 residents in the Copperbelt region, St. Dominic’s is the nearest dental clinic—located 25 minutes by car or three hours on foot. Addressing this accessibility gap is also a priority for our future efforts.  We plan to launch preventive care initiatives at local schools run by the Sisters, including Barefoot, Nfinga, and Ntwange. An oral hygiene education program, preventative care, and sealant applications at these schools, making it possible to reach more than 600 students and empowering them to maintain healthy smiles. We’re hopeful by reaching out directly in the school setting and delivering preventative care directly to the children, a generational shift can begin to take hold in this community.
In closing, we’re pleased to report our mission to improve dental health for underserved children has been warmly received, and with your support, we can continue making a meaningful impact.

Contributions to go toward the purchase of supplies like toothbrushes and fluoride treatments will enable us to keep delivering high-quality dental care to the children and residents we serve. Every gift brings us closer to a brighter, healthier future for this Zambian community.

Thank you for being an essential part of this mission.

The First Annual Surgical Mission to St. Dominic’s Mission Hospital

Through a serendipitous meeting, I had the privilege of connecting with Dr. Jay Riseman, a general surgeon and wife Mary McCormick, leaders of the International Surgical Missions (ISM) organization. For over 32 years, they have dedicated their lives to providing free surgical care to underserved populations around the world. After discussing the mission of ISM, I shared the work and vision of Wellness for Africa (WFA). Our conversation quickly revealed a shared passion for providing medical care to those in need, and I proposed the idea of partnering to deliver free surgeries at St. Dominic’s Mission Hospital in Zambia.

Without hesitation, they enthusiastically agreed. We promptly contacted Sr. Elizabeth, RN, Hospital Administrator at St. Dominic’s, who likewise welcomed the proposal with open arms. Thus, the seed for an exciting new direction in capacity-building for WFA was planted.

After six months of detailed planning and coordination, the stage was set. On October 19, 2024, seven members of the ISM team—comprising two general surgeons, one nurse anesthetist, three registered nurses, and one surgical scrub technician—traveled to Ndola, Zambia. They joined the WFA team and the surgical staff at St. Dominic’s for a week-long surgical mission.

The collaboration between the three teams was seamless. Despite the diversity of backgrounds and expertise, everyone brought invaluable knowledge and skills to the table, creating a harmonious and highly effective working environment. Together, we were poised to make a meaningful impact.

Dr. Mukeshimana, the Medical Director of St. Dominic’s collaborated with Dr. Risemen who led the surgical team which included Dr. Rob Sicoli, a pediatric emergency room physician specialist and WFA Board member, and Dr. Pravine, a general surgeon from ISM. Prior to surgery, all patients were carefully screened by the team to ensure appropriate selection for the procedures.

Mary McCormick RN leader in charge for ISM, Linda Moonga RN in charge of St. Dominic’s Surgical Theatre, and myself came together to manage the surgical team members, excluding the CRNA. This well-organized leadership enabled us to deliver high-quality care throughout the week.

By the end of the Surgical Camp, a total of 52 procedures were successfully completed, many of which were life-changing for the patients involved. The camp drew individuals from across Zambia, with some traveling from as far as the border between Tanzania and Zambia to receive care. Regrettably, due to time constraints, some patients had to be turned away.

The first "Surgery Camp," as it was referred to by the local community, was a resounding success. The patients, the Dominican Missionary Sisters, and the surrounding community all expressed immense gratitude for the care provided. The camp’s success has generated significant interest, and there have already been calls for a second annual event.
All teams—ISM, WFA, and St. Dominic’s—are in agreement that we will reconvene for another surgical mission at a future date. St. Dominic’s leadership expressed their need for a gynecological surgeon.  Plans are already underway to expand the scope of the procedures and  fulfill this request.

In closing, it’s clear the ‘First Annual Surgical Camp” at St. Dominic’s Mission Hospital has proven to be an incredibly rewarding and transformative experience for all involved. We look forward to deepening our partnerships and continuing this important work and expanding our reach on behalf of those patients who rely on healthcare services delivered at St. Dominic’s Mission Hospital.

Written by Janelle Feltz, President of Wellness for Africa

In December 2023, Wellness for Africa reached out to compassionate supporters like you to help fund the shipment of a 40-foot container filled with donated medical supplies and equipment for St. Dominic’s Mission Hospital in Ndola, Zambia. This hospital, operated by the Missionary Sisters of the Dominican Order, is the only free healthcare provider for over 17,000+ patients within a 35-mile radius—people who would otherwise have little to no access to healthcare due to poverty.
 
Partnering with the Dominican Missionary Sisters, we set a fundraising goal of $42,600. Thanks to the generosity of countless individuals, two church communities, and several family foundations across the nation, **we achieved it!**
On September 19th, 2024, friends and family gathered at Project C.U.R.E.’s Kansas City location to celebrate and help load over 800 boxes of medical supplies and equipment into a 40-foot container. Project C.U.R.E., the largest distributor of donated medical supplies in the world, was instrumental in making this effort a reality.
The shipment, valued at an incredible $539,000, includes life-saving equipment like a mobile C-Arm X-ray machine for surgeries, an ultrasound machine, patient gurneys, dental equipment, oxygen concentrators, infant incubators, warming systems, surgery lights, patient beds, and countless other essential supplies. The container left Kansas City on September 19th and will take approximately 2-3 months to reach St. Dominic’s Hospital in Ndola.

We look forward to sharing the news of its arrival! Meanwhile, we at Wellness for Africa are deeply moved by and grateful for the unwavering support of our donors. Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for sharing your blessings with a community in need.

On June 7, 2023, TEAM MUTOMO (a 14-member student/faculty group from Convent of the Visitation School) and two members of the Wellness for Africa team traveled back to Ndola, Zambia, to volunteer alongside the Dominican Missionary Sisters.  This return was long-awaited due to the COVID-19 pandemic - it had been four long years since we were able to make the trip!
 
The goal for the trip is two-part: first and foremost, to provide support for the Dominican Missionary Sisters wherever they identify the most need across their community. Additionally, the Sisters and their teams take great pride in educating the team of volunteers on their Zambian culture and lived experiences. With the Sisters' input, planning for the trip prioritizes each. We're excited to share a bit more about how these days in Ndola were spent.

To provide a broad perspective of Zambian culture and day-to-day life of the community the Sisters serve, the group first set out on a walking tour of the neighboring community. Residents of this community, referred to as "the compound", have no access to running water or electricity.  Their homes are made of clay bricks with dirt floors and often lack glass or screens on windows to prevent the rampant spread of malaria. Women wash clothes outdoors in buckets in water they carry more than half of a mile to access. Clothing dries on makeshift clotheslines or is draped over outdoor shrubbery.  Vegetable and community gardens, maintained and shared by all, provide greens, root vegetables, melons, maze, tomatoes, and an abundance of other shared produce.  Children run free and play with toys handcrafted from items such as milk cartons, string, and lids.
 
The cohort also visited the "Barefoot Community School" run by the Sisters. This school's purpose is to provide education for students unable to afford the school uniforms and shoes mandated by all government-run schools. Students are placed in one of two classrooms all based on academic level and lasting through grade eight. Much to their surprise, the TEAM MUTOMO student volunteers saw many familiar faces here, as most of the students attending live in the compound they'd already visited.  
 
The Sisters suggested amazing projects for the TEAM MUTOMO volunteers to complete for both the school and St. Dominic's Hospital. The group painted a beautiful, colorful mural showing the alphabet on a wall of one of the classrooms at the Barefoot Community School. Similarly at St. Dominic's Hospital, they painted murals on the walls of a pediatric room to bring joy to young patients and re-painted exterior walls of the hospital that the Sisters have not had the time or resources to put towards for years.
 
The TEAM MUTOMO volunteers then accompanied hospital staff to Outreach Clinics and aided in doing well-baby checks, observed malaria testing, and saw the distribution of HIV and AIDS medications.  At St. Dominic’s Dental Clinic and St. Anthony’s Home for Vulnerable Children, a home provided by the Sisters for 85+ children, abandoned for various reasons. They also assisted Dr. Grutzner in performing dental examinations and applying fluoride treatments at both St. Dominic's Dental Clinic and St. Anthony's Home for Vulnerable Children (a home that the Sisters run for 85+ orphaned children).
 
At the end of our stay, the TEAM MUTOMO volunteers made their way home filled with gratitude for their comfortable beds and refrigerators full of food to return to and with profound memories of the faces and community in Ndola who touched their hearts. At Wellness for Africa, we believe so strongly that the power to impact changes lies in the hands of the youth. We are so proud to join this group on their journey to lend hands in Ndola and we hope they will continue to support our work for this community in the future. 

In the meantime, we at WFA will continue our mission to improve lives by providing access to quality healthcare and education for those served by the Dominican Missionary Sisters. We remain forever grateful for the opportunity to work alongside them in support of their community in Ndola.  

In June 2023, the long-awaited renovation of the Radiology Department at St. Dominic’s Mission Hospital was completed and the Digital X-ray equipment was installed! The renovations were inspected and approved by the Radiation Protection Authority on June 5th and St. Dominic’s immediately began X-raying patients. It was especially exciting for the Wellness for Africa (WFA) team, as both Dr. Grutzner and I were physically in Ndola at St. Dominic’s hospital volunteering when this took place. This was a very exciting and proud day for the partnership between WFA and the Dominican Sisters as we rang in the completion of this project and our 2022 goal together.
 
BEFORE
A portable X-ray machine and the tank filled with liquid processing chemicals.  After obtaining an X-ray with the old equipment, the X-Ray film was dipped into this tank to develop the image for viewing by a physician.  As you can see, this equipment was extremely outdated and offered minimal protection from the chemicals in the tank for those responsible for processing films.

AFTER
The new digital X-ray equipment and as depicted by Dr. Grutzner from WFA, and
Mr. Mwale, Head of Radiology.  

Together we achieved our 2022 goal!
 
Because of your continued generosity, we are helping improve access to modernized healthcare for more than 17,000 under served people in Ndola, Zambia
 
January 2022, Wellness for Africa again reached out to you and other like-minded people seeking your support to fund the purchase of a modern Digital X-ray system for St. Dominic’s Mission Hospital in Ndola, Zambia.  As you may recall, the Dominican Missionary Sisters operate the hospital to provide healthcare services for a population of over 17,000 people who would otherwise be unable to access or afford healthcare services.
 
On December 7th 2022, we crossed the finish line in reaching our goal.  In just eleven months, we raised $75,000. Wow!  We owe this amazing accomplishment to the generosity to a community nationwide of over 70+ individuals, church groups, and the philanthropy arm of a major medical center.
 
Next, construction to update the Radiology Department will commence, as many changes are required within the department to meet safety requirements for both patients and hospital staff. Once completed, the new X-ray equipment purchased by Wellness for Africa will be delivered and prepared for installation.  Stay tuned for that exciting news!
 
We are overwhelmed by and so grateful for the level of generosity you continue to show in offering a gift to improve the quality of life for our beloved Zambian community.  Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for believing in our mission!

In January 2021, Wellness for Africa (WFA) reached out to you seeking your support to raise funds for the $42,000 cost to send a 40-foot shipping container of medical supplies and equipment to St. Dominic's Mission Hospital in Ndola, Zambia.
 
As you may recall, this hospital is operated by Dominican Missionary Sisters and provides access to basic healthcare services to more than 17,000 members of their community annually who otherwise could not afford or access medical care.
 
On December 23rd, we successfully achieved our 2021 goal!  We hit our target of raising the $42,000 shipment cost and filled the shipping container to the brim with much-needed medical supplies and equipment for St. Dominic's, valued at $548,799 in total. This was made possible by YOU and 75+ other individuals along with three Church groups nationwide.  You chose to offer your support to the people of this community and for that we are eternally grateful - simply amazing!
 
Moving forward, WFA must acknowledge the ongoing challenges the world is currently facing with COVID-19. The vaccination rate in Zambia is a mere 5%.  St. Dominic’s is currently experiencing a fourth spike in hospitalizations for COVID-19 patients.  The battle for members of this community to survive this Pandemic remains ongoing.
 
COVID-19 patients require frequent chest x-rays so rapid adjustments to treatment regimens can be made.  Unfortunately, St. Dominic’s Hospital is unable to reliably obtain x-rays for patients as their equipment is too archaic. It has also become increasingly difficult to purchase the supplies to process x-rays and find replacement parts to keep the equipment operational, due to global supply chain challenges.
 
That being said, I'm excited to announce that our 2022 goal is to raise $75,000 to pay for modern Radiology equipment for St. Dominic's hospital!

We so appreciate your generosity in support of our 2021 goal and, if you are able to join us again in pursuit of our next 2022 milestone, would love your support! Together we can help remove a major roadblock affecting treatment options available for COVID-19 patients at St. Dominic’s in Ndola.

Please visit our GET INVOLVED page to learn more and donate. Checks can also be mailed to the address below, if preferred.  If you have questions, please contact me at [email protected]. 
 
Thank you so much for believing in the vision of Wellness for Africa!

 

We are thrilled to announce that on January 5, 2021, Wellness for Africa (WFA) signed an agreement with Project C.U.R.E. (projectcure.org), a nonprofit organization headquartered in Denver, Colorado, and the world’s largest distributor of donated medical supplies for resource-limited communities all across the globe.  

This agreement provides an opportunity for WFA to sponsor a 50 foot shipping container (a semi truck load) completely filled with much-needed medical equipment such as new hospital beds, anesthesia machines, radiology equipment, as well as medical supplies such as sterile gloves, masks, wound dressings, and syringes.  All supplies are donated by Project CURE for use at St. Dominic’s Mission Hospital in Ndola, Zambia.  Amazing!

To make this happen, we, at WFA are tasked in raising $40,000 by May 1, 2021 to pay the shipping costs of the container to Zambia.  We are more dedicated than ever to reach this lofty goal but also understand that this work takes a village.

If you would like to help us, please visit our GET INVOLVED page to donate or contact us at [email protected] to learn more.

​Any support goes directly to shipping costs and offers hope to St. Dominic's Mission Hospital that they will be able to continue to assist in providing quality medical care to the community they minister to in Ndola.

WFA is grateful to Sr. Andrea Kantner, a Franciscan Sister in Kansas City, Missouri who  started a donation sight for medical supplies 25 years ago, namely Franciscan Mission Warehouse. Her nonprofit has since merged with Project CURE and renamed Project CURE Franciscan Mission Warehouse.  In this capacity, she forged a bond between Wellness for Africa and the new organization, laying the groundwork for taking this container shipment from a dream to a reality.