The Mutima Project Team

Mr Harsh P Singh (Trustee)

MBBCh., MS(Gen. Surgery), FRCS(CTS)Ire, FRACS. Harsh Singh is the Clinical Director, Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Surgery at the Christchurch Public Hospital, Christchurch, New Zealand.

"As a cardiac surgeon I have the skill to give both quality and increased life expectancy to these people. A project like this is what I have always wanted to do. To say thank you to society and the world for all it has given me. A challenge I am looking forward to."

Gordon Davies (Trustee)

CA (NZ),FCSA (London),FNZIM,FNZIHM,AFACHSE, Dip HA (Massey) has qualifications in accounting, management and health management. His career spanned senior accounting, senior public service management (Department of Health/Ministry of Health) NGO and health board positions including CEO roles at the Waikato and Canterbury Boards. He chaired an ITO for several years and has received travelling Fellowships from Nuffield and the World Health Organisation.

Gilbert Enoka (Trustee)

Internationally renowned mental skills coach Gilbert Enoka joined Harcourts in late 2003 when appointed to head the unique Harcourts Academy. Making a significant impact he was appointed General Manager in mid 2006. Gilbert has been a highly sought after figure by the All Blacks, the Canterbury Crusaders Super 12 Rugby Team, the Silver Ferns Netball Team, and the New Zealand Cricket Team over recent years as well as some of New Zealand's top CEOs and business people. Gilbert is a highly skilled practitioner who has worked on performance enhancement for over 20 years with many of our corporate and sporting elite including Harcourts. As General Manager he works closely with Harcourts' CEOs throughout Australasia as well on a strategic level to drive Harcourts' international growth.

Munanga Mwandila (Trustee)

I'm currently working as a Surgical Registrar Christchurch Hospital in New Zealand.

In Zambia, whilst in Medical School and more so when I first started working, I would struggle dealing with the suffering patients would undergo due to a lack of adequate or certain health resources and I always knew even then, that we could do better. Young patients with heart conditions got to me the most. They suffer and die so young from something that can be treated if only the resources both Human and otherwise were readily available as is the case elsewhere. And working out here, appreciating the stark contrast in the quality of health care for these patients has only reinforced my commitment to help make a difference.

The Mutima Project can help make that difference and with your help, will make a difference. That is why I am involved.

Tess Wethey (Trustee)

I'm a partner at Mitchell Mackersy Lawyers, a law practice with offices in Christchurch, Dunedin, and Queenstown. Mitchell Mackersy supports my voluntary involvement with the Mutima Project, is donating its legal services to the project, and will continue to sponsor our fund raising efforts. I'm involved in another youth based Trust which focuses its efforts on Christchurch, so it’s great to have the additional opportunity to work for an international project, via the Mutima group. In Zambia, where medical resources, treatment and care are so difficult for parents and children to access, it felt important to me to help in whatever way I could. I’m so very grateful for the expert medical care my children received as young people – in such stark contrast to those the Mutima Project will help to heal.

Brian Buckingham (Trustee)

I have been involved in sales for most of my adult life and latterly have spent 15 years with Harcourts Holmwood, a successful Harcourts franchise. I am presently the Auction Floor Manager for the Group. I became involved with the Mutima Project after being approached from Tess Wethey thinking I might have common interest with the Project as over the past three years I have had 19 admissions to the Christchurch Hospital with heart related problems. It occurs to me while lying in my hospital bed that this is a service we take for granted and expect the best possible care. These children we are trying to help have none of the benefits we take for granted and without our intervention these children will die. Obviously I can’t save the world but what I can do is apply my skills to save 100 kids. It’s a good start.

Kirstin Walsh (Trustee)

As an operating theatre nurse and nurse leader with considerable experience in cardiac theatre nursing I am privileged to work in a sustainable and first class health system that enables access to cardiac care that is not available worldwide. From this I feel the next step for me it too pass on my experience, expertise, knowledge and nursing care to those whose access to health care is limited. Mutima is a project that will enable this and I am humbled to be part of it.

Priscilla Wildbore (Trustee)

I am a Surgical Registrar at Christchurch Hospital, working towards specializing in Cardiothoracics. I have always been interested in the possibility of working in the third world, and am excited to be involved in this project. It is very moving to hear Munanga talk about the realities of health care in Zambia, and I want to use my skills to help those people. Without specialized projects like this one, young cardiac patients in Zambia cannot get the operations they desperately need.

Kim Triegaardt (Project Manager)

Kim has over 20 years journalism and writing experience in television, radio and print media.

She has lived and worked in Canada, Portugal, Australia, Namibia and South Africa (where she owned her own scuba diving business). In addition to covering daily news, she produced in-depth radio documentaries for the South African Broadcasting Corporation.

Since moving to New Zealand, Kim has become is a well-known contributor to the Press lifestyle columns and writes for several magazines including Unlimited and Businessman Today. She has worked as a news reporter for several local TV and radio stations and is a former editor of Christchurch's Citizen newspaper.

Emmanuel Makasa (Project co-ordinator in Zambia)

Emmanuel graduated from the Lusaka medical school in 2000 together with Munanga Mwandila.  “… We were educated on public funds so I’ve always wanted to do something to give back to the people of this country.”

A surgeon at the University Teaching Hospital and busy finishing his clinical masters in orthopaedics, Emmanuel also finds time to do a significant amount of public health work.

“Community health services are not wide spread, and often most of the problems we see can be prevented. So I go out into the community as much as possible.”

Emmanuel says the news of the heart surgeries is exciting for Zambia which has never had the facilities or expertise to carry out cardiac surgery but that the patients will only believe it will happen when it actually does.

And so he is determined to do his part with the Mutima Project and ensure that patients hopes are not dashed this time round.

The Team

Some of the team members. From left to right: Harsh Singh, Stephanie Cook (hidden), Tess Wethey, Darlene Mineault, Fiona Furness, Priscilla Wildbore, Munanga Mwandila, Kirstin Walsh, Gilbert Enoka, Kim Triegaardt, Graham Roper, Gordon Davies, Natalie Mills, Russell Miller, Helen McSweeney, Rebecca Porton-Whitworth, Jill