By Rachael and Silvia Banda
Coming home to offer free surgeries first felt like service — a way to give back to our country and community. But it became more than that. It was about healing wounds and souls. Restoring hope. Restoring confidence. A chance to bring years of training home to the people who need it most.
Volunteering and working alongside as sisters, and being part of Surgicorps, is an opportunity we do not take for granted. We are not merely members of the team — we are living symbols of change, hope, and sentinels of compassion in a world that often forgets to heal. Every day we stand alongside one another to offer the most precious gift we possess: healthcare for those with nowhere else to turn. To lift the fallen. To serve the suffering. To remind the forgotten they are seen and cherished. This is not just our duty. This is our calling. Our privilege. To be part of something far greater than ourselves.
During the healthcare missions, my sister and I served in Operating Rooms, We assisted in procedures that restored movement and corrected deformities. We walked our patients through each stage of surgery to ease their anxiety. Speaking to them in our local languages gave them a safe space — a sense of comfort and home.
One moment still lingers: a little girl’s successful surgery. Her mother paused, unsure what to say, overwhelmed. Her eyes filled — not with sorrow, but with immense joy that her child would live a normal life again. Then she dropped to her knees and rolled on the ground. Ukukunkula — a profound Bemba practice of gratitude through physical humility. When words aren’t enough, the body speaks. It goes far beyond “Thank you”.
As healthcare workers, we are trained to stay calm and positive. But that does not make us fearless. We are human. We carry the weight of being responsible for life. That weight is the fire that drives us to get it right — to save a life.
In Bemba we say, “Uwafwa umunankwe teshibikwa” — you never know who will help you tomorrow. So we must be kind. We believe the children and young adults we served today will be tomorrow’s surgeons and nurses, carrying forward the legacy of Ubuntu by giving back to their communities.
In the United States, healthcare feels structured. Appointments. Systems. Resources ready. In Zambia, the need isn’t hidden. It stands right in front of you, in long lines of patients waiting with quiet patience to be seen.
Each day ended in exhaustion. Bodies aching after long days. But that never stopped us.
Every condition, every story was different. Faces did not fade easily. Each day became a bridge between humanity and healthcare.
It was never a favor.
It was an opportunity to heal hearts.
Beyond boundaries!
The Banda Girls ❤️
