On the bus to Witness' home

First of all, it was the dawn of a new year so, naturally, we were all hungover. The idea of going for a 1.5hr bus journey was not all that appealing but we managed to get to the station with minimal fuss and maximum re-hydration.

We were headed to Witness’ home village, Boma Ngombe. During the week she is chef and mother of the house and each weekend she makes the journey home to her family and 5yr old son. I couldn’t imagine being separated from my child like that but she swears that she loves her job and wouldn’t give it up for the world. Witness is amazing – she is about 5ft nothing, larger than life and a ‘rafiki best’ (best friend) to everybody!

So when she invited us to her home to celebrate the new year and also her Father’s birthday, we jumped at the chance. We were a little worried though when we landed in the middle of nowhere but you could see how excited she was to have us there. We were in no way prepared for the overwhelming generosity and kindness of her family though.

First off we met everyone, including little Calvin, her son, then the rest of the family who managed to, despite having no kitchen or appliances, make cooking look glamorous.

The ladies put on their Sunday best to greet us

Their home looks like it is straight out of a movie set. Unbelievable. One shed where they keep all the cooking things. There is another one for baby chickens and then another for mature chooks. We had a game of football with the kids in the dust while all the ladies cooked and the language barrier slowly began to melt away.

Then the feast was on! They had worked so hard to prepare all this. We had a good ol chat with everyone before all the ladies disappeared somewhere. They were putting on their Sunday best so they could take us around and show us off to the neighbours!

I don’t know about you, but I’d be a bit shocked if ten of my neighbours showed up on my doorstep and brought some strangers with them. Not here though – the hosts couldn’t have been happier to see us and almost wouldn’t let us leave.

All in all, it was a huge day. I don’t think I have managed to convey just how overwhelmed we were with it all. It is hard to imagine that kind of hospitality and generosity at home in Australia.

This blog was written by Ashlie Church, Australian medical student in Arusha. To read Ashlie’s full blog, click on the link.

HIV leaves many Ghanaian children orphaned

The Global Health Award is focussed on HIV in communities with severely limited resources, so our placement opportunities in Ghana would be an ideal fit.

The Ghana Aids Commission is working hard to reduce the numbers of infected people, putting aside a budget and encouraging ministries to do the same, but there is an obvious funding gap. Stigma and discrimination are still rife and many people stll hide their HIV status, reducing their chances of obtaining proper treatment. The Government also struggles with the 140,000 + children orphaned by AIDS. Services have been scaled up, but it is estimated that only 7.4% of orphans and vulnerable children have been reached.

Students could spend up to two weeks working in a HIV unit in a Government regional hospital in Takoradi. Newly built, this small unit is the main base for HIV within the busy hospital and deals with many referrals. It also operates a busy outpatient clinic on a Thursday, with up to 250 patients turning up for treatment and diagnosis.

Students keen to see how HIV affects rural communities can also book onto our Village Healthcare Experience. This opportunity to live with a local family and work in a small health clinic is unique to Work the World. It will complement your city placement and also give you the chance to speak to real people about the challenges they face.

Competition details

Launch Date: Friday 11 November 2011

Essay Submission Deadline: extended until Monday 13 February 2012

Notification Date: Monday 5 March 2012

Prize: The top 5 essays will receive a free year’s RSM Student membership (or free renewal) and; 1st and 2nd: £700 each (cash towards an elective; preference will be given to electives in the field of HIV and related diseases).

Open To: All medical, midwifery or nursing students in his/her 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th year at recognised teaching institutions within the UK or Republic of Ireland, and with a minimum of 1 year clinical training at the time of application.

Award Ceremony: 28 March 2012 at the RSM Global Health conference.

Topic: ‘Managing patients with HIV in communities with severely limited resources’.

Word limit: 1,500 words (+/- 10%), plus references.

Abstract: 150 – 250 words.

Submission: All submissions have to be sent electronically via our website from Friday 11 November 2011.

Selection: The selection process for the Global Health Young Leaders Award will be determined using a mix of social media and academic review.

A maximum of ten shortlisted essays will be presented to Professor Kumar for final selection; a maximum of five essays will be shortlisted by a panel of global health experts and academics (each essay being read by at least 2 people) with a further five (maximum) essays selected by the greatest number of Facebook ‘Likes’ received.

Terms and Conditions: Click here for a full list of terms and conditions

Email: globalhealth@rsm.ac.uk

Washing by hand.... not so much fun!

Back in hospital I saw lots of wound washouts and cutdowns on the ward. Seeing them without anaesthesia is quite confronting but the big guys seem to be quite proud of themselves if they can get through it without crying out. What broke my heart was a little girl who came up to me on the ward to give me a cuddle. She was so sweet and her little face will stay with me for a long time.

Yesterday afternoon, Emily and I went to learn how to create a Batik. It is a style of art that I think was originally from Indonesia and it uses wax and dye to create the images. So at 1o’clock we set off to meet Filex (or ‘The Big F’ as he prefers it) who was given the task of turning us into artists. I won’t lie, Filex did a lot of the work but my hands were dirty enough at the end of it to claim a bit of the credit.

Heri ya mwaka mpya!

That’s ‘Happy New Year’ in Swahili. I love that phrase because it gets such a great response when I use it. Anything beyond greetings in Swahili is quite an achievement and so people get very excited when you show off the new phrases you’ve learned.

The sound of the drums!

We’ve had a huge weekend here. It started on Friday afternoon with a drumming lesson from Freddy at Via Via. This was excellent. When you see performers here singing and dancing to drumbeats only, you begin to realise how important and instinctual rhythm is for these people. Its in their soul. Us poor little white mzungus…not so much.

Freddy did his best to introduce us to some basic techniques and rhythms. In the end we got the hang of it. But then he decided there should be a singing and dancing component and he had us moving around and chanting something like ‘hey ya ya hey ya ya hey’. I think it was more for the entertainment of his friend who was watching rather than our benefit. He had us doing some moves which I haven’t seen anyone else here doing – I’m pretty sure he was trying his best to make us look like fools!

Then on Saturday we decided we should treat ourselves to celebrate the end of 2011. We went to lunch at The River House about 20mins taxi ride out of town. The idea is to turn up and take a seat on the lounges out in the garden while someone brings you a complimentary champagne. Then, once you’ve worked up the energy, you can stroll around the beautiful grounds and try to spot some monkeys playing in the canopy above. Then you move in to the tented restaurant and have a five course meal (including buffet) – all for 25000TSH ($16AU). We loved it. It was such a luxury.

This blog was written by Ashlie Church, Australian medical student in Arusha. To read Ashlie’s full blog, click on the link.

party hats!

What we have had today though is lots of laughs, fun, food and generally a lot of lazing about in the heat with drinks in hand. All in all it’s been a fantastic day. We made a big breakfast spread this morning, moved the Christmas tree out into the yard and basically set up camp in the cabana for the rest of the day. The girls then moved to the kitchen to make a cake for Emmanuel’s birthday which is also today. After ruining the package cake mix with a rotten egg we had to start from scratch with no recipe and only basic ingredients. It wasn’t the worst cake in the world but that’s about all the praise I can give it. It did look good though. Pimms and lemonade and a BBQ finished of the afternoon and now it’s beers and scrabble as the afternoon cools off and the sun starts to set on Xmas 2011.

I asked everyone what was the best Xmas gift they had ever received. Funnily enough no one could really come up with one. I think what really makes a great Xmas is the people you spend it with and the experiences you share. While I am certainly sad that I am not with family today this had certainly been a unique Christmas and one I am not likely to forget in a hurry.

Our tree!

Christmas and Boxing Day were public holidays so we did not go in to the hospital. Instead we set off with Witness, the house cook, to go to the local market for weekly supplies. It is not really the place for tourists so we were lucky she let us tag along. It was very overwhelming – strange sights and smells everywhere. Mostly people just stared at us as we tried to avoid slipping over on all the rotting food on the ground.

This lady was a stall owner and a friend of Witness. She was quite delighted to see us there in the market. Witness also had some other male ‘market brothers’ who were obviously just as delighted to see us because they insisted on buying us a round of cokes. We felt terrible letting them pay. The drinks here are 500TSH (Tanzanian Shillings) which is the equivalent to about 35cents. That is nothing for us but its a much more significant amount to them. They were so proud to buy them for us though – we really couldn’t refuse.

This blog was written by Ashlie Church, Australian medical student in Arusha. To read Ashlie’s full blog, click on the link.

Emmanuele and my new home!

I had my first taste of the Arusha town centre yesterday and today was my first day in the hospital.I have so much to say but I’m not sure where to start. I’m still so overwhelmed and struggling to adjust.

By African standards, I will be living in absolute luxury for the next 8 weeks. The house is in a relatively posh area of town with giant houses surrounded by large fences.

The hospital where I will be spending most of my time is a referral hospital for the region but is still quite basic.  The entrance is always quite crowded – it’s a gauntlet of ‘Mambos’, ‘Jambos’ and ‘Taxi?’…. everyone wants to talk to the mzungus! Our Swahili is definitely getting better but I’m sure no-one is fooled. We are still tourists to them.

The hospital where I am working

I am spending these first two weeks in surgery. We had a 3 and a half hour ward round yesterday which included a 5 month old who had been bitten by a rabid dog and a lady who presented to the ED with severe machete wounds.

The surgeons here do a great job with what they have. I helped clean and dress many burn wounds on lots of poor little kids today and it was nice to see the doctors still showing compassion and empathy even though this is a daily occurrence for them. They have such a hard job.

On Thursday we went to the Paradiso Orphanage in a slum area of Arusha. The kids were bright eyed, hospitable and full of fun. It was such a fantastic experience, I think we will definitely go back again. The boys brought a football to play with and us girls were promptly sat down in little chairs for the girls to work their magic on our hair…I think Emily is still finding knots!

This blog was written by Ashlie Church, Australian medical student in Arusha. To read Ashlie’s full blog, click on the link.

Learning Spanish helps you translate menus

2. Focus on your discipline – We make sure our teachers in Mendoza and Arequipa know each student’s clinical interests before you even fly out to your destination. By the time you start, they will have developed specific material that will help you learn the terminology needed for your placement.

3. Private course at the house –Each course is run by a private teacher from a designated classroom within the Work the World house. It is not advertised or open to other students living in Mendoza. Working and learning with small groups of fellow housemates provides a more relaxed environment for learning.

Medical Spanish helps you with the hospital staff

4. Start at the best place – We give each student a Spanish test at the start of the week. This helps us work out where your weaknesses and strengths are. It helps us plan a course that tackles exactly what you need and doesn’t waste time covering things you don’t.

5. Spanish immersion- Many courses offer just 10 – 12 hours a week, whereas our Intensive Spanish Course is 5 full days. We do this to provide a real immersion into the Spanish language. It is the best way to learn!

6. An introduction to your new home – 5 full days in the classroom would be pretty boring and probably counter-productive. Instead we spend our afternoons out and about, speaking to locals and touring the city to learn where the best local eateries / markets / squares / bars are. Walking around with your teacher – a familiar face around the city – will give you an introduction to the “real” Mendoza or Arequipa, something a standard tourist may struggle to find.

Cookery lessons are all part of the Spanish course

7. Tango dancing, wine tasting and food sampling – It sounds too good to be true, but along with touring the city and bartering in the markets we also introduce you to the culture and customs of the region. In Arequipa this means touring the monastery, cooking and tasting rellenos (stuffed peppers) and visiting local craft markets. In Mendoza you will learn to dance the Tango, cook empanadas and take a bike tour of the Mendoza region vineyards.

8. Weekly follow up classes – After you have completed your Intensive Spanish Course, our weekly language lessons provide a way to build vocabulary and also give you a chance to tackle any terminology or grammar problems that have cropped up during the week. Don’t forget – your teacher will know you well, and will be happy to help you.

9. The price – It’s all inclusive, so you get your bed and board at the Work the World house as well as all lessons and afternoon activities.

10. What the students think….

“The course has been really useful. I now have the confidence to work things out and can communicate basically as well as in the hospital” James

I’m a nurse and so my teacher focussed on paediatrics as that was where I would be for three weeks. She had an amazing understanding of what would be required and everything I asked her she was able to help me with. I felt confident to ask questions on my first day on the ward, work out what the staff and patients were telling me and follow the rounds. My understanding grew with each day I worked and it was amazing knowing that I could do my job in an entirely foreign environment “ Amanda

“My special interest was Obstetrics and Gynecology, so Inés taught me pertinent vocabulary. The best part was, by the end of the week, being able to practice a role play pretending to be the doctor and successfully being able to ask about period, pains and irregularities. I was ready for my placement!” Natasha

“I am so excited about this opportunity.  I never thought I would win with all the other highly talented students out there so I am honoured.  Today I got the call from Simon to start discussing what country I would be interested in going to – very distracting when I am studying for my exams next week!  Work the World offers a variety of countries so I am looking forward to sitting down after my exams and going through each destination in detail to see which one appeals the most.  A reward after the hours of revising and sitting exams.  From first impressions I would like to travel to Peru or Ghana, but I need to do more research before I decide.  I would like to experience a more rural hospital to see how radiography is applied there compared to the UK.  While abroad I hope to spend time in the community and experience local customs and traditional meals.” Tasha Kirby

“On hearing that I was a winner of the competition I was ecstatic! It was the best Christmas present ever and for days it felt like a dream. It was so surreal – to go work in Africa has always been an aspiration and to think I was chosen makes it extremely rewarding.  I have been in touch with Work the World, so it already feels like my journey has begun. Each time I speak with the team I get more excited – if that’s possible! I’m planning my trip for June time, which won’t come soon enough, but will be so satisfying after exams! I cant wait to go and experience the vast differences in culture, religion and ultimately healthcare. Meeting new people is something I love and although their healthcare systems may not be as privileged as ours today, I know there will be so much to learn from them and it will be a life changing experience.’ Tasha Jevdett

We wish both Natasha’s the trip of a lifetime and can’t wait to hear about their experiences in whichever destination they choose.

“Pigeon Island” is in Trincomalee, in the the north part of Sri Lanka, a 5 hours journey by bus. It’s long journey but the trick is to travel on a Friday after placement so you save time travelling and have the following day on the beach.

The Trincomalee beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Sri Lanka – white sand with blue water. There are no waves, so you can walk in to the sea for about 500m and still the water will be up to your waist. In ”Nilaveli”, which is about 10KM from Trincomalee, you have the amazing “Pigeon Island” and the best parts of the beach.

In Pigeon Island you can scuba Dive and do snorkeling – it is like the Discovery Channel in front of your eyes, only this time it’s for real…..

Pigeon island

Pigeon island at night

Newborn babies

The next most important thing I brought with me was mosquito repellent, this was so so vital as the mosquito’s seemed to love me! Try and get the highest percentage DEET spray that you can. Only do not be surprised at the strength of it and let it fully dry before you get dressed as some other students had to pull my flip flops off of my feet as the DEET had made them melt to me! Sprays are also better than creams as it is quicker to apply and allows you more time to get out and about and have fun! The biggest tip I can give is: do not under any circumstance touch your eyes after applying DEET- it will hurt!

The thing I wished I had brought more of was more clothes; it’s surprising the rate you get through clothes in Africa! It is very easy to use up three outfits in one day- I tended to wear one outfit to work but by the time I had negotiated the dalla dalla bus and walked a little way on the dirt tracks I felt a little dirty! Plus the trip back to the Work the World house, so I would have a shower and change upon getting back. Then when it came to the evening’s festivities I would get changed again. Now bear in mind that there are no washing machines and you have to wash all your clothes by hand in cold water. Plus the clothes tended to dry slowly on the line- despite it being 30 degrees most of the time! This meant that I had a serious deficiency in clothes!

I would also recommend bringing an ipod and speakers as you do get a lot of time to relax and many of us would do this in the bedrooms, having music just made it that bit better. The speakers could be powered by batteries but the sockets are also UK sockets so it can be mains fed too. Don’t forget an ipod charger too!

With regards to food, I found there was more than enough at the house in the evening and I tended to eat the leftovers the next day for lunch as they were so yummy! We also had a store down the road that sold most items you would recognise in England, including chocolate! So I didn’t need to bring any food with me, I found that I put on weight during my time there!

I hope this has helped you a little and I wish you great fun on your elective!

Written by Kayleigh Hitchcock, midwifery student, University of Southampton

Plus you can take some lovely pictures from up there. Even maybe some New Profile Pictures…..

Sigiriya

On top of Sigiriya