Fay is registered nurse with 50 years experience in paediatric acute care and palliative care in the community as well as teaching nurses at UBCO. In 1999, she joined Joan Basset-Smith, in teaching at the University of Development Studies in Tamale, Northern Ghana. There, she witnessed how health care professionals from many backgrounds could collaborate and develop strategies to improve the education and well being of health care workers and their clients in limited resource settings. She began facilitating international practicums for nursing students from University of British Columbia Okanagan in 2003 in Ghana and later expanded that experience to Zambia at the urging of Dr. Bill Nelems. Fay is passionate about the philosophy of community development and capacity building in collaborating with Zambian health care professionals.
“In my position of Executive Director, I hope to support the work of OKAZHI members in both Zambia and Canada. I envision new partnerships with other NGO’s and universities as well as honouring partnerships with the University of Zambia, University of Barotsland and the Zambian Ministry of Health. I ask our members and partners to continuously challenge each other to make sure our work is grounded in ethically in the principles of community development, and led by our partners in wherever we work.” – Fay Karp
