GAIA's Global Nurses' Corner is dedicated to making a space for nurses all around the world to discuss all things nursing -- from the global nursing shortage to the importance of self care as a frontline healthcare worker. Join our hosts, Melanie Norris and Kaboni Gondwe, as they talk all things nursing with a special guest each episode.

All episodes will be live-streamed on Facebook Live with the recordings available on all GAIA social media platforms later the same day.

About The Hosts:

Melanie Norris is a proud GAIA Trustee. She is also a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner now based in the SF Bay Area who previously worked with GAIA and UCSF in Malawi.

Kaboni Gondwe is a nurse-midwife, originally from Malawi, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin US as an Assistant Professor at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She is a GAIA trustee and the first GAIA Nursing Scholar.

‍

Episodes:

Episode #1: Lucy Nyirenda, Ana Patsogolo ("Children First") Activity Program Manager

Lucy Nyirenda, RNM, MSc. is a registered nurse midwife with over 15 years of experience in clinical nursing and management of health programs that focus on sustainable changes in the lives of mothers, newborns, children and communities with poor access to health care services.

In 2017, Lucy joined GAIA as Program Coordinator. Her work includes oversight of HIV education, risk reduction and testing programs, as well as linkage to care for those who test HIV positive. Lucy currently oversees activities for GAIA’s most recent USAID funded project, aimed at preventing new HIV infection and reducing vulnerability among OVCs (Orphans and Vulnerable Children) and AGYWs (Adolescent Girls and Young Women). The program uses a family-centered, community-based approach that builds children, youth and caregiver resiliency. It also focuses on assuring that HIV+ children, an underserved group, are connected to, and retained in care.

‍

Episode #2: Joyce Jere, GAIA Country Director Addresses the Global Nursing Shortage

Joyce Jere is a  Registered Nurse Midwife with a BSc in Nursing and Master's degree in Public Health degree from Witwatersrand University in South Africa. She has been with GAIA since 2011 and has led GAIA as Country Director since 2015. She has more than 20 years of professional work experience with the Malawi Ministry of Health and nongovernmental organizations in clinical and public health programs focusing on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health issues, and childhood disabilities. She brings strong leadership and management skills and a passion for improving the lives of her fellow Malawians.