| Dear Friends,
Probably this is the last email I will write to you people before I am going back to Hong Kong in 15 days time.
Time passed fast that now is my turn to be sent- off, not sending off other volunteers: Claire, Maiko, Yusuki, Kazuko, Beatriz, Anja, Tom, Arnold, Melanie and Jenny; Christoph, Fabian and Ulla, now finally is MY TURN to go home! Can you imagine that I have survived all these months! From afraid of washing my clothes (Claire knows best), cannot eat any African food (remember the first party I went to was a computer center's graduation ceremony and at that time I saw other volunteers they are eating SERIOUSLY and I just refused to eat - until now I still regret that I didn't eat in that party!) to falling in love with Corn Fufu and Njuma-Njuma, managing to wash my clothes, clean up my own apartment, building friendships with mouses around the house, being spider-killer and traveling around the Cameroon.
It's all about managing. Cameroonians are good managers and I am now a good manager too, at least manage to be one.
Definitely I have made a wise decision to change from working in the clinic to work with projects. 2 projects that I am doing:
1) HIV/AIDS Secondary School Education Program: The first one in NAVTI Foundation. Have tried my best to read reference books and construct a nice programs. But due to lack of sponsorships and also lack of suitable personnel to carry out the program. Honestly, I don't think it was as successful as it can be. The Health Educator,who is a nurse assistant, argue with me the efficiency of condoms in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS. She said condoms are no good in the sense that they are of low quality and that they can break/ have pores. But still, in Cameroon where there are >90% of infections are through heterosexual sex, and, though churches are preaching Fedelity and Abstinence, vertually nobody is listening: Hay, FACE THE REALITY!The difference in cultural issues also hinder the effective delivery of messages.
2) Orphans Sponsorship Program. It's really my honour to take over this project from Maiko. I get to know the most desperate people in the society and I am glad by my small effort I can at least assist them a little. Many of the orphans sponsored in the programs are orphans of parents died of AIDS. Without effective stopping the increasing number of HIV-infected people the number of orphans will continue to increase. I am happy that a Hong Kong guy is coming to take over this program from me so that I can effectively communicating with him even I am coming back to HK.
To realize these projects are a matter of organizing, planning, effective communication and implementation. I learned a lot from being in the society, work with the society. Definitely these are the things that I will not learn in the Medical school.
I regard the internship at Shisong General Hosputal is a high-light of my stay in Cameroon, because I didn't plan it when I come to Cameroon (but indeed, all the things that I have been doing here were out of my plan). I rotated between different wards and I like Maternity Ward most. The joyful moments when a healthy new born baby is delivered, but of course I also had the sad experience of seeing a baby dying because of mis-management.I got my first experience of delivery a baby, which is so interesting! Otherwise, in other medical wards, I'd say, >80% patients are AIDS patients. Which is understandable: because when they can manage outside the hospitals, eg. health clinics, they will never come to the hospital; but when they come to the hospital, they are already very ill.
My feelings at this moment is complex. On one hand, I am so excited to go back to Hong Kong, to go back to my 'developed' HK, to enjoy all the privilages of a Hong Kongese, having nice food, various entertainment, and continue my studies; but on the other hand, I feel so sad to leave my beloved friends, esp the neighbours children, who always entertain us by singing and dancing when we are so bored and no electricity and water, when we are just so frustrated.
I am happy to meet so many people here. The volunteers which have been staying together under the same NAVTI roof, the other whiteman around the town. The mutual support is important, for us as foreigners of the place.
My health has been challenged quite a lot. From October I got scabies, then January I got esophageal candidiasis as the side effect of taking doxycyclin as the anti-malarial prophylaxis, to having minor infections like intermittent urinary tract infections etc. I swear I took more drugs that I have ever taken in my last 22 years!
What is my plan when I go back to Hong Kong? Well, the school is going to start again in mid-Aug so I only have a month's time to assiminlate myself back to my Hong Kong and also to do all the adminstrative stuff for re-registration again in the university, change my id card and bla bla bla many small stuff. I am looking forward to share my experience with my fellows and I want to see the opportunity for them to experience the same things that I have the luck to see. I want to finish my Medical studies as soon as possible (still 3 more years!!!) and when I am a doctor I can be more useful when I come back to Camerooon. Don't be surprised if one day I am telling you I am going to settle in Cameroon, because that's what I am now having in my mind. But I'll let the future to decide itself.
Now I really having no more to say except from say goodbye and saying hello soon in the future. Without separation, one will not know the joy of being re-united. I believe one day I'll be back and the World is just so small, who knows when and where we'll meet again?
Have a nice time no matter how life circumstances are. We are lucky ones because, we are together.
Next time I write probably I will be in HK already. Hope to hear from you guys before I leave. Just leave me a message if you have small time :)
Regards,
Fan |
