I've continued to work at the clinic that the volunteer program sent me to. The staff is great and the medical director is a great teacher and has an inspiring vision and is very compassionate about it. However the volunteer work I am doing is not quite what I had in mind. I thought I would have more to do clinically or elsewhere in the community. I've come to the conclusion that everyone in Nepal has some sort of baseline acute illness at all times. Jk. that's very ignorant for me to say but the patients that I am seeing have these complaints on/off for long periods of time. And everyone is always hacking up a lung. (yes i wear my mask) I'm sure it has to do with the lack of healthcare resources and poverty amongst many other things.
I wanted to do something more than just work at the clinic. I wanted to do something more
along the lines of health promotion as SO many of the cases we see are ID and can be prevented
with proper hygiene. It sounds so simple but for here it is lacking. I wanted to hand out soap or something in the clinic-save the world, one soap at a time! But I figure that is temporary and a minute significance and chances are resources would be misused (taken and sold) or taken by those who don't need it
as badly. Dr. Bipin started talking to me about a slum area with some of the poorest conditions in nearby Balaju in that area. He suggested I think about doing something there. Turns out there is a school there. So I thought that rather than just handing out stuff I could try and educate the school kids there on hand and dental hygiene (both are terrible here).
So now I will be working in the clinic and also working on this small project before I leave.
Today I visited the area he was telling me about (not alone of course..) and the school. The
kids are beautiful seem so disciplined and studious. The area was near a very polluted river. All the nearby houses were just shacks with metal tin roofs. I was introduced to all the classes and teachers and let them know what I wanted to do. All in broken Nepali/English as Mina (a Nepali nurse coworker) spoke little English. So I've been full force trying to get Nepali grammar down but it's pretty difficult. So lots of phrasebook using going on.I was invited to come back the next day. So I (using my phrasebook and some locals editing) made a short, simple lesson plan on hand and dental hygiene in Nepali language and will be teaching tomorrow. We'll see how that goes, haha. I also plan to distribute some hygiene products (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etc.)to the kids hoping that their impressionable age will work to my favor and they will retain this information. There are about 220 children in the school but a little bit of money (USD)goes a long way here. If i can spend $400 freaking dollars on a SECOND i phone then I can spare some money to give basic supplies to 220 kids. My nurse friend here has a family member who owns a store so she
said she could get the supplies for even cheaper. I know it's not much, but if you could see
what this place looks and the conditions that these kids have to grow up in you'd want to do something also. No matter how big or small.
I wanted to do something more than just work at the clinic. I wanted to do something more
along the lines of health promotion as SO many of the cases we see are ID and can be prevented
with proper hygiene. It sounds so simple but for here it is lacking. I wanted to hand out soap or something in the clinic-save the world, one soap at a time! But I figure that is temporary and a minute significance and chances are resources would be misused (taken and sold) or taken by those who don't need it
as badly. Dr. Bipin started talking to me about a slum area with some of the poorest conditions in nearby Balaju in that area. He suggested I think about doing something there. Turns out there is a school there. So I thought that rather than just handing out stuff I could try and educate the school kids there on hand and dental hygiene (both are terrible here).
So now I will be working in the clinic and also working on this small project before I leave.
Today I visited the area he was telling me about (not alone of course..) and the school. The
kids are beautiful seem so disciplined and studious. The area was near a very polluted river. All the nearby houses were just shacks with metal tin roofs. I was introduced to all the classes and teachers and let them know what I wanted to do. All in broken Nepali/English as Mina (a Nepali nurse coworker) spoke little English. So I've been full force trying to get Nepali grammar down but it's pretty difficult. So lots of phrasebook using going on.I was invited to come back the next day. So I (using my phrasebook and some locals editing) made a short, simple lesson plan on hand and dental hygiene in Nepali language and will be teaching tomorrow. We'll see how that goes, haha. I also plan to distribute some hygiene products (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, etc.)to the kids hoping that their impressionable age will work to my favor and they will retain this information. There are about 220 children in the school but a little bit of money (USD)goes a long way here. If i can spend $400 freaking dollars on a SECOND i phone then I can spare some money to give basic supplies to 220 kids. My nurse friend here has a family member who owns a store so she
said she could get the supplies for even cheaper. I know it's not much, but if you could see
what this place looks and the conditions that these kids have to grow up in you'd want to do something also. No matter how big or small.
GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR CARING AND SHARING FOR WHAT YOU HAVE........
ReplyDeletethat answered my question on the teaching...glad you can do more of what you want that you couldn't get from the clinic. way to make a difference in the world ;)
ReplyDeleteWell you're definitely making more of a difference in the world than me! You should tell us if there's an easy way to donate also...or start one!
ReplyDelete