Volunteering with HVO is an opportunity to go a bit outside your ‘comfort zone.’ Every volunteer, of course, defines his/her own comfort zone and experiences the challenges in his/her own unique way. So, in fact, no two volunteer experiences are exactly the same. I would have to say, though, that Wilma Ostrander, who volunteered with us in the 1990’s, probably has one of the most unique stories among our alumni of 10,000+ volunteers.
Wilma, an operating room nurse, started volunteering with HVO in 1993. My memory is that she did not have a lot of international experience but she came highly recommended for her organizational and teaching skills. And that was exactly what we needed for the newly renovated operating room at Mulago Hospital in Kampala. I had been warned that Wilma could be demanding and rather brusque – but then I was told that operating room nurses were known to have exacting standards and expectations.
Wilma volunteered numerous times, first starting with one month assignments back in 1993, and then extending to 6 months, and finally, to a year, for a total of 25 months of service. She worked with the Ugandan staff to improve health standards by teaching compliance with standard OR procedures, setting up infection control systems, sorting and organizing supplies and equipment that were donated over the years, and consulting on the construction design for a new sterile instrument storeroom. The staff thoroughly respected her and admired her for not compromising her standards, and for recognizing they had the ability to meet her expectations.
Over the years, she grew quite close to many of the staff members. One Christmas she was invited to western Uganda to spend the holiday with the family of one of her colleagues. To her surprise the family, a royal clan of the Bunyoro kingdom, adopted her in an elaborate ceremony conducted by the clan elders and gave her an African name. She was included in all the family activities and chores, and really came to feel that she was, indeed, a part of their family. Wilma returned to Uganda towards the end of her life and spent time with her Ugandan family, friends, and colleagues in the country. She felt truly at home and was honored to be a Ugandan princess.
I was in Uganda not too long after Wilma passed away and was touched by the sorrow that so many of the staff expressed to me. The nurses, in particular, were devastated by her death. They told me stories about how hard she worked, how demanding she was, and how much they loved and respected her.
Wilma’s experience is a remarkable story of how a volunteer experience can end up transforming the lives of so many people.