The Harding University Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders expects its students
to be culturally sensitive and knowledgeable.  The purpose of HIZ-PATH is, first and foremost,
to provide speech-language pathology services to people in need, and secondly, to provide the graduate
students the opportunity to experience the rewards of humanitarian efforts firsthand.  Therefore, a course on
“multicultural” service delivery and practicum experience in Zambia is now available to the department’s
graduate students.

Background

During the summer of 2008, a delegation consisting of Dr. Beckie Weaver, Ms. Sara Shock and Dr. Dan Tullos
traveled to Zambia to determine the feasibility of developing a clinical program as a part of the Harding University
Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate program.


This delegation arranged for speech-language pathology students, under appropriate
supervision to work at the Namwianga Mission, near Kalomo, Zambia.  The first
group was scheduled for May and June of 2009.  While making these arrangements,
the deligation was invited to the capital, Lusaka, to meet with The Honourable Zambian Minister
of Education Geoffrey Lungwangwa.  As a part of this meeting, we were encouraged
to begin the development of a "speech therapy" program through George Benson Christian College
at Namwianga.





Dr. Dan Tullos, Mr. George Phiri, Namwianga Mission superintendent, Dr. Beckie Weaver,
The Honourable Zambian Minister of Education Dr. Geoffrey Lungwangwa, and
Mr. Fist Chona, head of George Benson Christian College. 
The photo was taken by Ms. Sara Shock.

The first group of students arrived at Namwianga in mid-May, 2009.  Clinical responsibilities
included language enrichment, feeding and swallowing with HIV/AIDS complex
children at the Haven, a complex for children without parents, hearing screening at a number of local primary schools?????


The 2009 group included six communication science and disorders graduate students,
five speech-language pathologists (including three Harding University clinical supervisors), and one educator.




Left to right: Elizabeth Jackson, Antionette Cartwright, Brittany Fetterman, Beckie Weaver, Marta Fetterman,
Merideth Pietzman, Becky McLain, Candace Adams, Ashley Dowler, Sara Shock, Rebecca Taylor,
Jessica Mayes