COUNTRY: Vietnam
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Community Healthcare
WRITTEN BY: Nicole Powers & Sam Scheffer
Weeks three and four the volunteers anticipated new wards, weekend adventures, birthday parties, and a sad farewell to our newly found Vietnamese friends.
After our second week many of the volunteers were eager to explore the beautiful mountainous region of Mai Châu. Mai Châu is located approximately 135km from Hanoi in the Hoa Binh province and is home largely to the ethnic population, the Ban Lac people. Mai Châu is famous for it’s Thai bamboo stilt houses (built 10-12 feet of the ground) and homestays, which the volunteers had the pleasure of staying in.
The trip started with a group bonding session which consisted of a “toilet break with nature” as the tour guide liked to name it, due to the unfortunate closure of the usual half way stopping point. As we reached the top of a mountain in the middle of nowhere (and we mean nowhere), our friendly tour guide informed us that it was all time to get out to stretch our legs. We looked around and could see nothing for kilometers, except for three small huts (with no walls) and about 5 traditional Ban Lac women selling sticky rice with salt and peanuts.
Although delighted at the taste of these treats many of us were still curious as to where the bathrooms were. Our tour guide directed us behind a tall dirt mound on the side of the road. We exchanged glances with each other and with the curious cow huddled beside us, giggling as we realised the dirt mound was our toilet. Temika and Nicole went first, insiting they didn’t want to go alone, soon discovering this was infact “natures toilet”, learning others had also visited this exact spot.
Temika got a little more than she bargained for as she turned around whilst Nicole was preparing to squat, she also struggled a little more than others announcing on her return to the rest of the group “ I f*****g pissed on my pants” (we laughed for the rest of the bus trip). Sam S on the other hand decided that it was a good idea to avoid Temika’s misfortune, taking off her shoes, socks, and pants as she stood in the hole, later discovering that this hole was infact the main disposal area.
We arrived at our destination, a beautiful little village with numerous stilt houses, each with their own personalities and charms. We were greeted by our homestay mother, and directed to our sleeping quarters in the stilt house where we would be staying for the next two nights. The beds were small matresses on the floor aligned next to each other, surrounded by an extremley large mosquitoe net. This setup allowed us to huddle together, as we watched DVD’s on a 6inch DVD player, the first slumber party many of us had been a part of for years.
The following day was action packed. This included a visit to the local hospital (this was so clean and impressive), a two hour bike ride through the rice fields and the picturesque neighbouring villages, and a Bear Grylls style caving adventure, where we climbed through small holes and got extremley muddy (we even wore bike helmets). That night we were treated with a tradiational Vietnamese feast, rice wine, and a traditional dancing performance which we were able to partake in, showing our limited coordination. Day two in Mai Châu we went high into the cold fog laced mountains to visit the local clinic and explore the overcrowded markets prior to our return home, admiring the roasted rats, pigs in cages, and other wordly creatures.
We arrived home (the hospital) to a surprise 21st birthday party for Sam S arranged by Penelope, Sam C, Jordy, and Jules. The table was filled with cakes, lollies, chips and other westernised food we had missed. We later went out for dinner wearing party hats and clubbing until the early hours of the morning, a birthday Sam S would never forget.
Week three began with a change of scenery as we switched wards and developed new skills and relationships with different doctors and nurses. Many of the volunteers were thrown into the deep end, as those who had been on the same wards previously paved the path for the next volunteers. As trust had already been gained by the volunteers from the previous two weeks this enabled new skills to be undertaken. Some volunteers were able to cannulate, take blood, interpret ECG’s, and even suggest to the doctors alternative treatment paths learnt in Australia, which they were happy to embrace.
At the end of week three many of the volunteers had chosen to jetset off to Hội An, an ancient town with an amazing charm on the South Central coast of Vietnam. The volunteers time spent in Hội An consisted of bartering for lanterns, relaxation, bike riding to the beach, fishing in traditional boats, and getting clothes made at the tailors. Sarah excelled at this, returning with 6 dresses!
During our final week at the hospital we made the special effort to experience a variety of wards. Our highlight of this week was our visit to the paediatric ward where we gave out gifts such as stickers, balloons, yoyo’s, colouring in books, and played with the children. We embraced this moment as we witnessed some of the parents with tears in their eyes, and the children with the biggest smiles we had ever seen (it was like Christmas time), a truly inspirational experience that would stay with us for life.
Sadly, after week four our journey had come to an end and it was time to say our goodbyes. As a group we each organised fruit, flowers, and Australian souvineers (Kangaroos and Koalas) for our fellow medical staff, who had so kindly taken us under their wing and shown us the Vietnamese way. The most heart wrenching part of our trip was our farewell to the medical students, who had somewhat become our family over the past four weeks. We were farewelled with handmade bracelets and paintings made by the medical students themeselves, as well as kind words and many tears.
“The great difference between voyages rests not with the ships, but with the people you meet on them.”
No comments:
Post a Comment