You may be wondering...

..who I am:
My name is Amanda Baxley and I am from the teeny town of Hartsville, South Carolina. I went to the College of Charleston and graduated in 2006 with a BA in Biology and a minor in Psychology. After taking a year off to work, I got accepted to the Medical University of South Carolina College of Nursing. I graduated from the Accelerated BSN program this past December and am now officially a RN!!! I have had the same amazing boyfriend for the past 4 years now and will hopefully be lucky enough to be engaged to him very soon! And I definitely can't go without mentioning the other love in my life...my sweet, adorable 4 year old Daschund named Sadie. She is my best friend and always beside me!

...what this blog is all about:
Giving others a chance to experience Livingstone, Zambia right along with me.

...when I will be in Zambia:
From January 31 until March 2 of this year.

...where Livingstone, Zambia is located:
Livingstone is the current capital of Zambia, a country in the southern portion of Africa. Livingstone is approximately 10km south of Victoria Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world.

...why I am going there:
To provide healthcare to the disadvantaged citizens of Livingstone. Zambia is one of the world's poorest countries in the world and, as a result, healthcare is ineffecient. Because of the lack of adequate healthcare and health related education, Zambia is one of the countries in Sub-Saharan Africa most affected by HIV and AIDS. Growing up, I was lucky enough to see the way that my dad cared about people other than himself. So...long story short, about 10 months ago, I made the decision to go to Zambia so that I could begin using my medical skills like my father used his - to help those that are unable (no matter what the reason) to help themselves.

“For the first time in human history, we have the science, the technology, and the money to end extreme poverty. With this unprecedented historic opportunity comes the responsibility to act”.

Monday, March 9, 2009

Shipping rates


Wow.....figuring out rates and what all is involved with the process of international shipping is harder than I imagined. But...I think I finally figured it out! The picture that I have posted is the first box that I am sending over to Maramba Clinic! Here are the rates that I found on the USPS website:

Small box (5-7 pounds): shipping cost of $53-$63

Medium box (7-10 pounds): $63 - $79

Large box (10-15 pounds): $79 - $108

Extra large box (15 pounds and above): starts at $108

The maximum shipping weight to Zambia is 70 pounds so you could definitely donate more if you would like. Most of the medical supplies that I am sending are ones that don't really weigh that much (like gauze, syringes, alcohol swabs, etc.) so 5-7 pounds may not sound like that much initially, but it actually takes quite a lot of small stuff together to add up to 5-7 pounds. And then for the larger boxes, I will be able to send the supplies that tend to weigh a little more than the others (glucometers, bottles of peroxide/rubbing alcohol, etc.) Please think about making a donation! The clinics that I worked in while in Livingstone really are in terrible need of these supplies. Please e-mail me at abaxley25@gmail.com if you would like to help out!

The pictures and videos from my trip will be up by tonight on Snapfish! I will post the web address here!