A Flight Attendant’s Journey from Pan Am to Africa’s Villages
In this episode of The Radio Vagabond, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Jeri Lynn Johnson Russell – a woman whose life took her from the glamorous world of Pan Am stewardess uniforms to the dusty roads of Botswana and the warm villages of Ghana. Her story is captured in her new memoir, A Bluebird in a Baobab, and it’s one of connection, culture, and the simple power of listening.
I met Jeri and her husband Bill in their cozy apartment in Sea Point, Cape Town, where Brazilian music played softly in the background. Over a delicious dinner, we talked about how her journey began in the Midwest of the United States.
Jeri described herself as “a Midwest girl, born in Chicago and raised in Appleton, Wisconsin.” She left Appleton as an exchange student at 18, spending four months in Vitória, Brazil – an experience that, in her words, “ignited a spark.” Her parents always encouraged her to “go for it,” and she did, traveling as a Pan Am stewardess and later as a therapist and homeopath in Africa.
As Jeri put it:
“It was the job of dreams… the best company I ever worked for. It was a family. They did so many good things for aviation and for people in other countries.”
From the Skies to the Savannah:
The Call of Africa
Jeri’s story took an unexpected turn when work sent her to apartheid-era South Africa. Despite her reservations about the political climate, she went – and found a deep connection. She met a man in Johannesburg and fell in love. But Africa wasn’t just about romance for Jeri – it was about discovering a world that was both inspiring and humbling.
In those early years, Jeri traveled across Africa, from the crowded townships of Johannesburg to the rolling landscapes of Botswana. She remembers feeling both “troubled and inspired” by the challenges and the deep sense of community she found.
Homeopathy became her way of giving back. It started when she was living in Johannesburg and suffering from a persistent strep throat – something antibiotics couldn’t cure. Two treatments from a homeopath changed everything for her.
As she explained:
“I was cured of something that had plagued me for fifteen years. That was my introduction to homeopathy.”
Homeopathy and the Power of Listening
For those unfamiliar, homeopathy is an alternative medicine system based on the principle of “like treats like.” Jeri shared how it works:
“If you have seasonal allergies – runny nose, watery eyes, itchy throat – homeopathy finds a remedy that causes those same symptoms in a healthy person. It’s like peeling an onion, and using a remedy made of onion to treat your allergies.”
She added a local example:
“I’m going to throw a plug in for local honey. Local honey is homeopathy at its best – it contains tiny bits of the pollen causing you distress. A quarter teaspoon a day for half a year could get rid of your seasonal allergies.”
Critics might argue that homeopathy lacks scientific proof, but for Jeri, it wasn’t about clinical trials. It was about what worked for her – and what she saw work for others, especially in places where Western medicine wasn’t always trusted or available.
Learning to Be a Guest:
Wisdom from African Villages
When Jeri moved to Africa, she didn’t see herself as a missionary or a savior. She saw herself as a guest – someone there to learn.
She put it beautifully:
“The number one rule is I am a visitor. I am coming to the place that you live… you have an open mind at all times. You open your eyes, your ears, your heart.”
One of the most moving moments she shared with me was from a rural village visit in Ghana. Jeri and her receptionist, Olo, arrived to see a young woman (let’s call her Susie) who was dying of a brain tumor. Susie had gone blind and deaf, and Jeri was there to offer what comfort she could.
Jeri described the scene:
“We parked the car and walked in. Susie was lying on thin mattresses, her tummy bloated and hard. Olo didn’t tell me until then – ‘She was the most popular girl in our school.’”
Then, Jeri shared this moment of raw, wordless love:
“Olo put her finger on her friend’s tummy and wrote ‘I LOVE U … OLO’ with her finger. When you can’t see and can’t hear, she communicated with her friend through touch.”
That small act – tracing letters on her friend’s stomach – was everything Jeri had learned about Africa in one moment: connection, love, and community.
The Lessons of Love and Humility
Jeri spent years treating patients in Botswana, Eswatini, and Ghana. She always saw herself as a student, never an intruder. She said:
“I learned more from everyone I worked with than they ever learned from me. My goal was to share what I knew, and if they would share what they knew – that was enough.”
This approach, she told me, is the only way to truly understand a place – to see how people live and love and struggle, and to honor that.
The Story of Mafi Kumasi:
A Village That Became a Second Home
One place in particular left a lasting mark on Jeri: Mafi Kumasi, a small village in Ghana. There, she met a local healer – a man who had studied in India and who became a pillar of his community during the toughest times.
Jeri described him as someone who “worked with midwives and kept making wherever he lived better and better and better.” She saw in him the same quiet strength and resourcefulness that defines so much of life in rural Africa.
This healer’s stories were endless – of life, of healing, and of holding a community together. For Jeri, it was a testament to the power of local knowledge and resilience. It was also a reminder that in Africa, medicine isn’t just about pills – it’s about people, tradition, and the strength that comes from working together.
The Baobab and the Bluebird:
A Metaphor for Belonging
Jeri’s book, A Bluebird in a Baobab, captures this sense of belonging and learning. The bluebird represents her – a foreigner, a traveler, someone who comes and goes. The baobab represents Africa – ancient, rooted, and unwavering.
She explained it to me like this:
“I’m the one who comes in and out. Bill used to say I was this bluebird in my blue uniform. But I’m the one who comes in and out onto this quintessential continent, this tree that has supported millions of people for millions of years… The people here, that is the steady story.”
It’s a powerful image: a tiny bird from another continent nesting in the branches of an African giant. And it perfectly sums up Jeri’s approach to Africa – as a guest, as a learner, as someone who knows that real change and understanding happen slowly, through relationships and respect.
A New Way of Seeing the World
As we talked, I couldn’t help but think of my own travels across Africa – the laughter, the music, the deep sense of family and community that runs through everything. Like Jeri, I’ve found that the real treasures of travel aren’t the souvenirs you bring home, but the connections you make along the way.
Jeri sees it the same way.
“I see such a deep generosity here. I look sometimes at the Western world where there is so very much, and it doesn’t seem to be enough. There’s a hole somewhere else in somebody’s soul. Here, people are rich with family, friends, laughter, music, learning.”
That difference – between having much and having enough – is something Jeri believes the Western world could learn from.
She put it simply:
“We need to all take a step back and say what are the things that matter. And it is each other. It is we move forward with one another.”
The Final Lesson:
We’re Better Together
Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Jeri how her years in Africa had changed her perspective on life. She didn’t hesitate.
“It seems extremely excessive at times. On the last day, it’s never about how much you had in the bank, or how many dresses you owned. It’s about who did you love and who loved you back. It’s that simple.”
She told me how, even during the HIV epidemic, she saw people share what little they had – neighbors feeding each other’s children, whole villages coming together to make sure no one was left behind.
“If somebody didn’t have food, you knew someone would step in to help. Even if that meant you’re taking care of your sister’s three children and your three children, but the neighbors are struggling, we’ll all eat half a yam tonight. Because tomorrow, I may need help, and they’ll be there. And it’s a very different way to live in the world.”
These are the stories Jeri wanted to tell in her book – and they’re the stories I wanted to share with you in this episode.
A Place for All of Us
As our conversation wrapped up, I asked Jeri if there was one place in Africa she would send me to record another episode of The Radio Vagabond.
She laughed and said:
“I’d love you to go to the Okavango Delta in Botswana. Or maybe find this couple I stayed with – an Afrikaner couple, so rich with the important things. They had faith together, they had fun together, they had friendships together, and they shared the same value system. It’s not rocket science – your great grandma knew all about it. Maybe you could talk to them.”
She was right – I had asked for one place, but she couldn’t help herself. Because that’s the thing about Africa – there are too many stories, too many lessons, too many voices worth listening to.
A Final Reflection:
What Jeri Taught Me
As I left Jeri and Bill’s apartment that night, I carried more than just her stories. I carried a reminder that travel isn’t about ticking off countries on a map – it’s about learning how to see. How to listen. How to be open to everything and everyone.
Jeri’s journey – from Pan Am stewardess to homeopath in Africa – is a testament to the power of curiosity. She didn’t come to Africa to change it. She came to be changed by it.
And she was.
Final Thoughts:
We’re All Guests Here
As I look back on this conversation with Jeri, I think of something she said that night in Cape Town:
“We’re better with all ages, all kinds of people, all cultures. We need one another.”
It’s a message that resonates more than ever in today’s world. When we travel – whether it’s to the next country or the next village – we’re all guests. And the best thing we can do is show up with open eyes, open ears, and open hearts.
Jeri’s story reminded me of that. And I hope it reminded you, too.
Until next time – from the heart of Africa, or wherever your road may lead – this is Palle Bo with The Radio Vagabond. And as always, I gotta keep moving.
Relevant Links:
- Follow Jeri Lynn Johnson Russell’s work and her book: A Bluebird in a Baobab on Amazon
- Learn more about the power of homeopathy: National Center for Homeopathy
- Explore my other episodes recorded in Africa: The Radio Vagabond in Ghana and Botswana
- Check out The Open Nesters Podcast, which I recommended in the episode: Open Nesters Podcast
- Check out the brand new Nomad Summit Podcast.
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