Decades ago, I crossed boarders from Zimbabwe to Scotland, then into England. I dared dream, I cleaned hospital floors in Edinburgh, I earned £164 per week, I might as have been a millionaire.
My heart sits in two spaces, London is my adopted home, I love this beautiful Metropolis, equally I care deeply about the inequalities on our door step. I am honoured to contribute to the cities public health agenda through my frontline clinical work and various non-executive roles. Today I advice the UK govt on ethical recruitment practises, as the UK pushes for its migration policies for skilled health care workers.
Zimbabwe is my spiritual home, my umbilical cord was cut there, it shaped my values and sense of compassion, today I am honoured to contribute to high level diaspora engagement strategies, my heart always with fellow nurses and midwives who work in the country often under difficult conditions.
I equate cleaning to personal and professional development, cleaners of my generation were invisible and voiceless, we were marginalised and nothing much was expected of us. Cleaning is about hygiene, in the global north it is about migrant minorities who pushes their cleaning trollies and brooms whilst observing higher classes and hierarchy going about their business. Our dreams are huge and often silent. Our dreams are valid. That cleaning job in Scotland taught me more about health care systems that I ever imagined.
Now I am using the same cleaning strategies to address safeguarding needs for indigenous communities most affected by climate change , trauma in young people exposed to gang culture, HIV in migrant communities, and mental health needs of workers.
Do you know the name of the person who cleans your department?
Be curious and intentional, have coffee with them learn about their journey, culture and values, we have more in common than we imagine
Thank you to the team at Take a Break Magazine for featuring my story
Thank you to my Co-mentors, Dr Titilola Banjoko,
Ben Simms , Ade Adeyemi MBE, Dr Tsitsi Chawatama and the communities I am honoured to serve.
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