Francis Lungu, an editor for a Zambian current events show, and before that a reporter at a daily paper, knows the frustrations that come with deadline journalism. There was the time, recently, that a source tried to get him breaking news in time for the noon report of his show. But the Internet wasn't working. When that happens he runs out to the Internet cafe nearby.

When Martin is on safari the only news he gets is delivered in paw prints, dung droppings and from vultures buzzing overhead that tell him what animals passed through the night before, what animals may still be lurking, and which lost battles with their predators.

“That is my newspaper when I am in the bush,” he told us. He had been sharing that news with us for the last two days in South Luangwa Park where he was our guide. Over lunch he also gave us his take on politics, corruption and economy in Zambia , which newspaper is the most entertaining, which is the most credible.

On a dark Durban night in June 2000, two of South Africa’s leading HIV/AIDS researchers were unexpectedly called to a meeting in a plush room at the city’s Hilton Hotel. “The minister wants to see you! Now!” a government official had simply barked at Professors Salim Abdool Karim and Jerry Coovadia, who were both in the process of releasing groundbreaking studies at the International AIDS Conference.

Both men had previously been critical of their government’s response to the epidemic which was at the time killing thousands of their compatriots.

I would have looked up Ndubi Mvula, the Zambia Daily Mail's Livingstone bureau chief, in any case. His health reporting had been mentioned to me several times and Livingstone has the highest rate of HIV in the country. The stories there are important, and I looked forward to working with him to tell them in depth. And it's nice to know someone in a nice place. Adding to the fun, though, was that he had just come from my place -- all over the place, covering the most critical American presidential election in either of our memories.

Editors Note: Fellow Chris Conte work towards sustainable impact with UHCAIn late 2007, when I learned that I would be coming to Uganda to train and support health journalists here, I sought advice from Bobby Pestronk, the longest serving and one of the most highly respected local public health officials in the U.S. “The first thing you need to realize,” he told me, “is that nothing you do is going to make a difference.”

He was talking mainly about health, where lasting improvements only come with time. But his bleak comment applies to journalism too.

Dr. Vongo clearly gets a kick out thinking people don't expect him to use a power point presentation to tell his story. He also enjoys pointing out that in a recent conference on leadership in the Zambia AIDS epidemic, he was one of the only -- if not the only -- speaker to stay within the 15-minute time limit.

"People think of us as the bad news," he says with a chuckle.

By "us" he means traditional healers -- the herbalists, diviners, spiritual counselors and birth attendants that 80 percent of people seeking health care turn to first in Zambia.

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA — "If you live on a small farm, as I do, your last prayer at night is that an elephant won't find your maize field," Dr. Mannasseh Phiri told an audience of African health journalists today. "It will wipe it out."

Phiri is a quietly compelling speaker and so he had the audience's attention as he went on to describe the feeding habits of elephants.

With small snouts and small mouths, they can only take in a little at a time, so they eat all day long. And as they search for food, they walk quietly; they don't run.

Editors Note: Rachel Jones visits Maai Mahiu Internally Displaced Persons Camp in Kenya.When I agreed to accompany Nairobi Star Reporter Wacui Makori to the Maai Mahiu Internally Displaced Persons Camp, the date of our journey didn’t register initially. But waking up on the morning of Friday, March 13th, the irony hit me right between the eyes.

My first trip to an IDP camp occurred on July 7, 2007—7/7/07, which was considered a “lucky” day around the world.

Editors Note: Fellow Mia Malan returns to South Africa.