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Pre departure
Dear Darfur,
I am looking forward to learning about your region, the people, and the conflict. I will be heading to Geneva, Switzerland, for a briefing, then to Khartoum, then to a town called Selea (aka Seleia, or Seleya). Selea is in the North West area of Darfur in the Sudan. I will be working at a health centre servicing anyone that needs help, but I am placed there based on the large numbers of internally displaced people in the area. Apparently, this primary health care clinic has some surgical capacity – I can’t picture it.
I am completing my last few shifts at St. Michael’s hospital in Toronto before I depart next week. Working as a nurse can be difficult even in a developed tertiary center like St. Mikes. Patients, families, and staff can take refuge when people are sick knowing that: Everything is being done, that could be done- such as consults, surgery, procedures etc. Working in a state of the art facility, in a developed country makes sickness and even death a little easier to accept. I do not think I will feel this way when I’m treating people whose thoughts are consumed with where they will get their food and water from. I wonder if people who live in developing countries know how difficult there lives are… or do they just get used it.I wonder what factors allow Canada to be ranged number 11 on the life expectancy list – leaving the Sudan ranked at 156.
When preparing for my last MSF project my biggest concern was trying to get all my music to fit onto my ipod. This time I am concerned about my competency, endurance, and feelings about poverty. (Though I do need to make sure there is coffee in the Sudan).
October 1st, 2007 at 6:04 am
Good luck Kev! I will be looking north and thinking of you my man! I look forward to hooking up in Toronto and sharing a few stories over a few pops!
October 2nd, 2007 at 5:07 pm
ok… sudan is tea (or shay) land… so if you want coffee – you need to take your own. otherwise it is instant. bleh.
and it’s neat you are going to seleya… but with the swiss yes? i know oca was there when i was still in sudan. i guess i can’t ask you to say hi to the team in khartoum if you are going with a different section
but when in khartoum, do go to yavus layala turkish restaurant and try the mixed juice. the best fruit juice ever.
ever.
October 3rd, 2007 at 7:14 am
Hi JuliaP
Yes, the swiss. I will do my best to drop my the MSF Holland office in Khartoum and give them all a hug and a kiss from Julia. As for the juice… what a better way to introduce my GI tract to all the Sudanese bugs. I will inevidablly shit out a storm with in the first few weeks… might as well get it over with before I’m resposible for the action in Seleya. But then again it is the best juice ever………. ever.
cheers.
Kevin