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Journey To Eritrea ; War's Effect On
A Nation's Life And Health Draws A Physicians Group - And Its Teenage Intern
- To See How They Can Help; A Week's Work In Africa Changes The Life Of A
Norfolk Teen I have dreamed of helping everyone, especially people in developing
countries. Physicians for Peace helped me achieve several lifetime goals
before age 16. Not only did I have the opportunity to volunteer and intern
with this wonderful organization last summer, but I also was blessed with the
opportunity to assist with the Pediatric Life Support Course taught in
Asmara, Eritrea. I could have never imagined such an exciting experience, and
I wanted to share my journal of my journey to Africa. DAY 1: Friday, Sept. 19 Departing from an airport without electricity thanks to Hurricane
Isabel, I left my family for a week to go to Eritrea, a small developing
country in Africa between Sudan and the Red Sea. I would assist four doctors
and two nurses who are teaching a course that Physicians for Peace has run
for more than 20 years in the Middle East, Central America, Africa, Eastern
Europe, the Caribbean and Asia. The purpose was clear: to further the cause
of world peace and international goodwill by providing quality medical
education and care to those in need. DAY 2: Saturday, Sept. 20 We finally arrived in Eritrea after 26 hours of traveling. It was late
evening, and although the streets were dark, I was surprised to see clean
streets and modern amenities. We were welcomed by Eritreans who looked
similar to me although their life story reads entirely different. We were
escorted by a very nice local doctor to a modern and well-maintained
apartment complex, which was much nicer than I expected and was going to be
home for the next week. DAY 3: Sunday, Sept. 21 It was our first day in Eritrea and we awoke early to meet for
breakfast, which was similar to an American breakfast. We then went to set up
our classroom. This was followed by lunch and a shopping trip to an open-air
market, which displayed local arts and crafts including baskets and oak crafts
with porcupine quills. The market was filled with Eritreans in traditional
dress. Everyone thought I was Eritrean, and it was hard to convince people
I'm American. We then went sightseeing, which included the capitol and
countless churches. After dinner, we prepared for the course, making sure
everything was in order. I went to bed early because I knew the week would be
intense, with a lot to accomplish. DAY 4: Monday, Sept. 22 We started the morning by going to our nurse's apartment for
breakfast. It consisted of traditional Eritrean coffee, toast and fruit. I
brought along boxes full of candy to keep me going throughout the day. This
was the first day of classes, which consisted of about 25 men and women, who
were doctors and nurses and nurse anesthetists. Many arrived early and were
eager to learn. There was a minor language barrier with some, but the more
educated attendees spoke relatively good English. The extraordinary thing was
that the medical people did not know CPR - which was one of the things we
were there to teach. Three members of our team could speak the country's
language of Tigrinya, although everyone understood the language of a smile. We ate lunch with the attendees and got to know them as individuals.
After a successful start to the course, we ate Italian dinner, which was very
similar to Italian cuisine served in the United States. I started my
reputation as eating only lasagna or spaghetti! We traveled everywhere in a
van that a very charming Eritrean woman drove. There is no medical school in
Eritrea, and most doctors had trained in nearby Ethiopia. There were many
stories about how they had been forced to leave Ethiopia in the middle of the
night, walking to Eritrea with only their family and pajamas. DAY 5: Tuesday, Sept. 23 The remaining days were similar to the first, but my desire to help
grew each day, which provided a new opportunity to teach and help people.
This was a long day in that we tested every participant with both a written
and a performance test. I was in charge of documentation and grading. You can
imagine how hard it was: Everyone wanted to know his or her scores. All the
people took the course seriously. We finally left after a 12-hour day, ate
quickly and fell into bed. DAY 6: Wednesday, Sept. 24 Today we taught the instructor course. It was amazing that people in
this course must have been as tired as we were last night, but obviously
stayed up late working and reading to preparation for today. According to the
team, they were great. One of the highlights during our week was dinner with
the ambassador at his home. There we also met with Jordanian commanders from
the United Nations and many Americans in Eritrea with the U.S. government. DAY 7: Thursday, Sept. 25 Thursday and Friday we helped the new Eritrean teachers teach their
colleagues. They all came very well prepared, with only one big problem. They
didn't have a counterpart to me! This meant that there was no one to collate
all the forms, score tests and perform the many other tasks I had done throughout
the week. We were able to have a traditional Eritrean meal at night with a
bread that tasted particularly fermented. The meal was presented on one large
dish filled with lamb, goat, chicken, churo and salad served on a pita- style
bread. People continue to think I'm Eritrean. I also went with Drs. Mezghebe
and Remley to visit other hospitals. Everyone was nice, and although the
hospitals were old and poorly equipped, people were friendly and proud. DAY 8: Friday, Sept. 26 This was the longest day yet, because the Eritrean teachers were even
slower than we had been. But the good news was that everyone did their best
and many people completed the course. We then cleaned up quickly and drove
outside the city for a special program. We hosted a dinner on the last day with the minister of health and the
students. We gave all the students certificates and recognized the best. The
minister of health gave us gifts by which to remember our experience.
Although the gifts were meaningful, this experience had a great impact and I
did not need gifts to remind me of that. DAY 9: Saturday, Sept. 27 We visited the neonatal unit of the hospital to see how Eritrean
babies are treated. The condition of the hospital was impressive. It was
clean, organized and orderly, and the small staff took considerable pride in
their work. We spent this day sightseeing and traveled outside of Asmara to
smaller villages. The countryside was very different from the capital. It was
mountainous and we needed to drive cautiously. We could see the Italian
architecture, which was most prominent in the bridges. It was amazing to see
the young shepherds herding their sheep to the river. Remnants of the war
were everywhere, with tanks corroding in the streets. It was perfect weather,
warm during the day, cool in the evening. It only rained once for short time
while we were there. We had just missed the rainy season, and everything was
lush and in bloom. DAY 10: Sunday, Sept. 28 We arrived home after long flights and lost luggage. The experience was
so compelling and beneficial. The incessant support I received from
Physicians for Peace has motivated me to pursue my dream of becoming a
doctor. My experience has put my life into perspective. It has broadened my
horizons and expanded my outlook on life. I now realize the drastic need for
more productive humanitarians who are willing to share the power of knowledge
and the gift of friendship. Publication date: 2003-11-28 |