COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Edith Cowan University Nursing Placement
WRITTEN BY: Pam Mercer
We had mixed emotions about returning home. We certainly wanted to see our families and loved ones, however there was so much more we had to offer and really did not want to leave. After the very busy weekend, where we tried to pack every bit of tourism and shopping into two days, we were very worn out. I'll give you a summary of our last week in Cambodia, even though I wasn't with the group for whole days due to my stomach bug.
Monday: The second week of our placement became much easier, as each group knew what was expected of them and were given clear briefs prior to changing locations. We all worked very hard this week. The joy in everyone's faces showed that not only the local people but the teachers, nurses, other aid workers and all the ECU students loved every minute of the work we were doing and we could all see the impact made by a little help. This evening was considerably more quiet and earlier to bed, probably due to the busy weekend and another hard day’s work.
Tuesday: All rotations were desperate to participate in a birth however no babies were born whilst we were there. Many students were lucky enough to go into the communities to give Vitamin A and worming/parasite tablets to the children who seemed to appear from everywhere. We combined the vaccinations with teaching the children games and they taught us a few that I hope to introduce in Australia.
Our Khmer improved every day and all the Cambodian people smiled and giggled at some of our pronunciations. When the clinics were quiet we decided to clean the birthing suite and treatment room. We arrived with buckets, scrubbing brushes and cleaning products and proceeded to scrub walls, floors, windows, bedding and instruments. It was not long before the local nurses joined in and again we saw how a simple task can change a future by preventing the spread of disease.
We decided to spend our evening at the circus. They were incredible, and our eyes were popping out of our heads watching their tricks and precise balanced moves. We had the opportunity to take several pictures with the performers. It made us very happy to hear that the circus was creating opportunities for acrobatically talented children to pursue another working avenue.
Wednesday: With Megan leaving today we had all started to talk about how quickly the placement had been moving and there were only a few days to the end. We had distributed as much of the supplies as we were able to take with us and with the assistance of Vichai found good distributers of medical equipment and medication to ensure sustainability until the next ECU group arrive in these locations. We were also able to identify areas that needed immediate attention and set about changing curtains to washable ones, bedding that was torn and full of insects were replaced and after meeting with the teachers we were able to increase equipment they required immediately. Our interpreters were wonderful, and our ability to work with them had improved immensely during our time with them. We seemed to be all part of a big family. We felt sadness at the loss of our team member, but wished her well for the preparations and wedding of her sister. For me I found the evenings lonely with Megan gone as we always chatted about our days and analysed how we had worked and what we could do better, giving each other suggestions for our groups to make placements flow correctly.
Our evening was filled with many different things; some girls went for well-deserved massages, others just dinner and bed and of course there was always time for shopping. New road rules had also been introduced and the streets were filled with police trying to enforce them. Hopefully their next rule will include helmets.
Thursday: As usual, our wonderful hosts had our breakfast ready for 6.30am so that we could leave for our placement. They were always so accommodating, it felt like home and I know we will miss their outstanding treatment. We were all part of the team now, knowing what each clinic or school expected of us and setting to work straight away. The locals seemed to love us being there and had also started to try to communicate with us. When the interpreter was busy, sign language and pictures seemed to do the trick. We could not get over how people with so little were always greeting us with a great big smile.
We were amazed how our interpreters seemed to suit each group, it was almost as if it was planned that way. Khan, Phiran & August are fantastic, not just with their interpreting skills but also as individuals. I believe they went above and beyond the requirement of an interpreter and could be relied upon every minute of the day for work related issues and personal issues if required.
Tonight was the farewell dinner, which was sad but also an excuse to dress up. We were glad for the chance to show our appreciation to Billy, Vichai, Khan, August, Phiran and our minibus driver. We gave them all Aussie T-shirts and caps and then proceeded to have a wonderful dinner in a restaurant called The Nest. Vichai stood up and gave a speech, advising us that we were the best group he had had the pleasure of working with; we all felt so special. Katelyn spoke on behalf of our group and thanked everyone for their outstanding work. The dinner was followed by a little bit of karaoke and then time for bed to be ready for the next day.
Friday: As it was our last day, we were finishing at lunch time to collect all our new stores and distribute them as a group. There were over 800 toothbrushes, toothpaste, sports equipment, books etc. for the schools. There were batteries to last the year for all the new medical appliances that we had trained the nursing staff on. And there was also soft mattresses for the weighing scales, new washable curtains, and I managed to arrange to have the maternity bed newly upholstered with wonderful waterproof material. We also gave Aussie T-shirts, our own stethoscopes, nurses watches and uniform to those that wanted them as a souvenirs.
We were awarded certificates of appreciation, coconuts and pineapple sticks from our respective schools and clinics, as well as plenty of hugs, tears and goodbyes. We then had the hardest goodbye even though we knew we would see Carol again. We learnt so much, she had a wonderful way of making us all feel comfortable and provided great feedback on a daily basis to ensure we improved and got the most out of our placement. I personally will aspire to be like her when I receive my registration.
Most of us leaving on Saturday did our last minute present shopping, had massages and booked hair appointments for the morning so we could feel beautiful for the flight home. Then we had dinner and reminisced on all the amazing things that we had experienced. We had mixed emotions now, excited to be going home and sad to be leaving as we had so much more to offer.
Saturday: Khan, Erin, Tayla & I got up early to rush the new upholstered bed to the clinic. It was great to see that the nurses had already put up the new washable curtains and they were very grateful for the new bed. A big thanks to Khan for taking extra time out of his day to help us. We left for the airport at 2pm, said our goodbyes, gave gifts to Jasmine Lodge and promised to return with our families next time.
Billy and Vichai came to the airport and we said goodbye. There were more tears and overwhelming feelings as we hugged them both for their fantastic efforts in making our experience better than we could ever imagine. Our lives have been touched by the beautiful Cambodian people. We have all grown and changed in some way.
A magnificent thank you to Antipodeans Abroad for arranging all the behind the scenes hard work and selecting amazing people in Cambodia to work with us. This was an experience that we will never forget.
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