A Rewarding Week on Health Placement in Nepal

COUNTRY: Nepal
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Robertshaw

This week we were faced with a new challenge of teaching kids at the schools. It was so very rewarding! 

Even though I'm not that great at teaching. Especially with ESL children. We decided to teach them about hand hygiene and we taught them all about how to wash their hands, when to wash their hands and also why it's important. It seemed that they all already knew this information even though they didn't do it. So we moved on to pollution.

Here in Kathmandu pollution is a massive issue. Not only is the air polluted but so is everywhere you look, except people tend to keep their houses spotless. Which is ironic, I believe. During the pollution sessions we taught them what pollution is, why it's bad, how to recycle and we even taught a bit on the Great Pacific Garbage Patch.

Then they made posters of how they can reduce pollution in their daily lives, which was really successful because the children are so creative. We also taught the children about first aid and earthquake safety.

We showed them bandaging, strapping and other first aid necessities. The children were so excited to see us they even wrote us little letters saying they didn't want us to leave it was so beautiful! During our last day at each of the schools we ran an emu parade and walked around with the children picking up litter.

It was very successful and rewarding.

A Day in the Life of A Health Placement in Nepal

COUNTRY: Nepal
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Robertshaw

Over the past two weeks we were all assigned our placements. I am placed at Stupa Community Hospital.

At first glimpse, the hospital is definitely not as you would expect it to be. Everything in Nepal has a slight coating of dust and our placement is no different. As a student nurse, the ward was very different to Australia’s. There are normally only two nurses who care for the general ward, the isolation ward, the single bedrooms and the chemotherapy ward.

We have all been moved around to the different wards of the hospital including emergency, OPD, general and physio. For me the emergency ward is the most rewarding, you get to experience all the cuts, stitches, ECGs, and the other day we saw a cyst removal that probably should have happened in an operating theatre! The staff of the hospital are all very welcoming for us volunteers,  and the doctors are always willing to teach us things about cases that are rare in Australia. We have seen cases of tuberculosis and a case of acute myeloid leukaemia which was really interesting to learn about. The matron also let me observe my first surgery and child birth which was an amazing experience, it was a caesarian.

Di is a recently graduated Occupational Therapist placed at the Special Education and Rehabilitation Centre (SERC) for Disabled Children. She is in the Occupational Therapy room for the most part of each day. Di has also had the opportunity to teach English in the classroom which was very interesting and exciting at the same time to do something different. She has also picked up a little bit of Nepali along the way. Di has been working with children ranging from toddlers to teenagers working on things such as their social skills, cognitive abilities, fine motor skills, sensory integration therapy and building attention to tasks. 

This is done generally by integrating therapy into play, as play is important to children development. She says the most rewarding experience was watching one of the local artists come into SERC and work with the children doing art therapy. One of the children is unable to use his hands or feet so he painted some really lovely paintings with his mouth (see picture). Di is amazed in regards to the comparisons to Australia and Nepal. Where Occupational Therapy is available to just about anyone who needs it. In Australia we have the luxury of sourcing allied health professionals at the request of a GP but in Nepal they have limited Allied Health input and rely heavily on volunteers from overseas. Knowing this, it is amazing what SERC has been able to do in such a short amount of time and on limited resources building this school to what it is today dealing with over one hundred students.

We are all so keen for the weeks to come and to see what the week of health education at the local schools is like.

Week Two In Gorgeous Hithadhoo, the Maldives

PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching & Health
WRITTEN BY: Caitlin White

The second week of our adventure has absolutely flown and we cant quite believe that we are already halfway through our stay. Our week was filled with a range of fun activities, a few hospital visits and a number of long days of volunteering and swimming lessons.

We may as well begin with our first weekend on the island, which we spent enjoying the sun and our free time. On Friday (the first day of our weekend) we began the day slowly with much of the group choosing to sleep in . Unfortunately for the lighter sleepers in the group a sleep in is simply not an option over here. As the Maldives is an Islamic country the local mosques are all equipped with speaker systems that call the locals to prayer five times a day. While this does not affect us during the day it does prove painful at five in the morning.

After a leisurely breakfast we headed out on a small boat to an uninhabited island referred to by the locals as Picnic Island. Located forty minutes off the coast of Hithadhoo, we were allowed to remove our rashies and long pants in favour of our much missed bikinis. It felt like we were back in Australia and everyone was excited about the prospect of a tan. Once close to the island we were transferred to a smaller fishing boat which allowed us to navigate our way through the coral maze that surrounded the small, pristine sand island. Once there we simply enjoyed swimming, snorkelling, relaxing and playing beach games. 

As we embarked on our trip back to the mainland we all sat and watched the sun as it set, turning the sky a brilliant burnt orange that slowly faded to a soft lilac. It was one of those moments that forced us to count our blessings and appreciate the world in which we live. I personally couldn't help but sit quietly and reflect upon the great opportunity we had all been given. It was then that I realised how special it was to be experiencing the real Maldives - the people, the culture, the food and the stunning scenery.

The weekend came and went quickly, and before we knew it were were beginning our second week in the schools and hospitals. We also continued on with our swimming lessons, a really important part of the program here on Hithadhoo. The swimming lessons had been organised prior to us arriving with the local Hira School as an extra curricular activity for the students. Our first lesson was chaos as the children arrived all at once instead of arriving over two different time slots. While we tried to assess their individual levels of ability we struggled to deal with the excitement of the children and their eagerness to get into the water.

After a near miss in the water we finished up the lessons and went back to the drawing board. As a group we discussed ways to organise the lessons in a way that was safe and achievable for us and the students. We have now formed pairs and assessed the children. We have created groups ranging from beginner (scared of the water) to advanced (being able to kick confidently).

Swimming lessons here are a world away from the organised swim schools we have in Australia. The first step over here is to get the children to realise that swimming in thongs is near impossible and that goggles only work when placed over your eyes. Due to their cultural restrictions many of the children wear long pants, long tops and even headscarves into the water. This adds weight to the children and can make things more difficult for them when they are learning to swim. For those reading back home, just imagine water safety week in Australia (where children have to swim in tracksuit pants and long shirts) but the children doing it everyday. Despite the challenges, the swimming teaching is extremely rewarding. At our first lesson we had children who were terrified of the water and now after just a few lessons we have managed to get them floating on their backs and blowing bubbles with their faces in the water.

For the teachers, the second week at the schools definitely proved more difficult than the first. A number of the girls struggled to form positive relationships with their classroom teachers and their schools. As a fourth year education student I have definitely struggled with the amount of observation occurring the classroom. In Australia we are always encouraged to take lessons and be creative as young educators however my experience here has been quite the opposite.

While a number of us have struggled with staff at the schools we all agree that the students are what this experience is all about. Every day when I walk into the classroom their faces light up and they wave at me with excitement until I wave back. The classes here often have 25-30 students large which means that the teachers simply can't get around to helping everyone. For this reason the majority of us spend our time supporting the students who are often left behind. They seem overjoyed to have the assistance and the kids that were once falling behind are now often the first to finish.

Highlights of this week for the health students included assisting a gynaecologist in the antenatal clinic and observing both major and minor surgeries in the operating theatre. Holly lucky enough to be placed in the antenatal clinic for two days, learning about the role of ultrasounds in pregnancy and how to determine the gender of a foetus through looking at the ultrasound images. She was even given the opportunity to tell an expecting mother what gender her unborn baby was - how exciting!

Ainsley and Tayla were placed in the emergency room for a few days - taking vital signs and learning about case management in a hospital that lacks a triage system. They found this extremely interesting as it was extremely different to what they had learnt as student nurses in Australia. Genevieve was posted in the operating theatre and was able to observe a number of minor surgeries including the removal of cysts, corns and even an appendix. She found that she learnt a lot by watching the surgeons as they worked, asking questions where appropriate. They were all happy to dicuss their procedures and reasons for doing things.

All the health students have also enjoyed getting to know the doctors and nurses that they have been working along side in the hospital. At times the hospital can be quite empty, leaving plenty of time for the girls to chat with the local nurses and learn more about the culture and challenges specific to living on Hithadhoo. There are a few babies due next week so the girls are excited and will no doubt have more news next week.

On Australia Day we all got the opportunity to visit the local school called Kangaroo Kids. Interestingly Kangaroo Kids is a franchised private school that was founded by an Australian-Indian woman who wanted to spread the Australian approach to education around the world. The school focusses on creativity and learning enjoyment and tends to take a more liberal approach to education than other schools on the island. We arrived at the school, equipped with face paint, aussie flags, stickers, stick on tattoos, tiny koalas and other Australian things. The kids sang 'Home Among The Gum Trees' and even managed to learn some simple yet effective choreography (special thanks to Nikki and Sasha). It was an awesome afternoon spent celebrating our beautiful country with a bunch of excited and extremely grateful students and teachers. There was no BBQ and there certainly weren't any beers but we wouldn't have spent it any other way!

We are looking forward to an awesome third week over here and cant wait to share it all with you soon.

The Top 5 Things I Got Out of My Antipodeans Abroad Experience

PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Piplica

My Antipodeans journey has been one of the best things I've done in my life so far. Volunteering in another country, especially one as beautiful and geographically and culturally diverse as India is a truly remarkable experience with much to gain. I thought that.

1. I had come here to add breadth to my learning in my health degree, but my expectations have been far exceeded...

2. Personally, I have been able to visit and experience some amazing places such as the awe-inspiring Taj Mahal - the workmanship of which can only really be appreciated up close; trekking the Himalayas to reach some of the most incredible views in the world, and our camping site, where the stars are so bright and in different patterns than what I know living in a different hemisphere of the globe; and certainly not least, the experience of living in a completely different culture than my own, and one that I will always have a special place in my heart for.

3. Professionally, I have experienced first-hand so much of what I have learnt in my degree about health in the developing world. I have observed and witnessed not only what goes on in a variety of professional health settings such as a hospital, an Ayervedic medicine facility, a child care and a school for children with disability; but also, living here for the time that I have, I have been able to see the health behaviours of the community at large and draw parallels between health problems and determinants of health.

4. Socially, I have gained some of the best friends in this diverse group of students. Something about working together for a common goal immediately brings you together. And the beautiful and hospitable people of Palampur have given me a new appreciation for travel and seeing and understanding how other people live.

5. Finally, emotionally, I truly feel as though I have made some small difference in this big wide world. Which is something I think we all, as humans, crave to feel. This trip has certainly been fulfilling.

Final Week in Nepal – Soaking Up the Sights and Sounds

COUNTRY: Nepal
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Robertshaw

On Saturdays and Sundays we are all free to spend our time as we choose. I spend it sight seeing and spending time with my host family. On the first weekend I was here, I went on a tour of the Kathmandu temples. The tour was guided and took us to Syambhunath temple which is also known as the monkey temple because there are monkey's literally everywhere you look! Syambhunath was absolutely stunning, the temples are so big and you can see the whole of Kathmandu from the top. Then they took us to Kathmandu Dubar Square and Patan Dubar Square, where you can really see the devastation of the earthquakes.

Finally we went to the Pashupatinath temple and crematorium which is a Hindu temple. I think it was one of the most amazing, not by sight but by representations. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of little temples here which are so beautiful. They burn all the bodies on display right above a river, where they push off the ashes after the burning ceremony and blessing rituals have taken place, it's truly amazing to watch. 

The following weekend I went to Chitwan, I travelled via bus so I had to leave on the Friday. When I arrived, the hotel tour guide took us on a sunset tour of the river. We walked up the river and watched the sunset, seen so many crocodiles and an elephant passing through the river to return home. The next day we went for an exhilarating canoe ride. You get to see all the river animals but you have to be very careful not to capsize, as there are around 15 people in the canoe and crocodiles in the water!! After the canoe ride we were deep in the jungle so we went on a guided jungle walk. We seen a few animals and finished off at the elephant birthing centre where I seen a 13 day old elephant.

Following this I went on what they call a jeep safari where you sit in the tray of the jeep and they drive you around the jungle to see the national park and all the animals within it. They stopped halfway to show us the crocodile breeding centre where they have more crocodiles than I've ever seen! That night I went to watch the Tharu cultural show where they do all the traditional dances, it was very different to anything I've ever seen before but it was so good!

The next day I rode an elephant through the river and into the jungle. I saw so many wild animals like rhinos, peacocks, deer and many more. This weekend I spent with my host family and we went shopping, had a massage and went out to dinner. I also got to meet more of the family and they're all so beautiful! It was so nice spending more time with the family as you find out many more things about Nepal that you would never have known otherwise. For example, my host brother told me that the reason they post pictures of the gods on the walls in the city is to prevent people from urinating on them!

Exploring the Crystal Clear Waters in The Maldives

COUNTRY: Maldives
PROJECT: Teaching & Health
WRITTEN BY: Caitlin White

Wow, what an experience this trip has already been. Since arriving in Hithadhoo just a few days ago we have all been snorkelling, visited the schools and hospitals, eaten lots of yummy Maldivian food, been swimming in the stunning aqua waters, sweated (uncontrollably), sipped on coconuts and ridden around the island countless times.

Excited by the prospect of going swimming we all raced into our rooms and changed into our swimming outfits consisting of 3/4 tights, long shorts and conservative rash shirts. While I am sure many of us would have preferred to be donning bikinis and working on our tans, we were all understanding about the cultural and religious customs here in the Maldives. We all jumped on our bikes and followed Suna’s little pink car as it drove down the main road towards to ocean. As we rode we quickly realised just how hot it was as sweat started to drip from our arms, brows and necks almost immediately. After a few short minutes the crystal clear aqua waters that had drawn us to the Maldives in the first place greeted us. The coastline here is truly stunning, made up of every shade of blue imaginable and the water temperature is perfectly refreshing.

Part two of the orientation began the following morning as we all piled into the taxis and cars for a tour of the island. As most of us arrived tired and a little bit delirious in the middle of the night, we all struggled to find our bearings. Our tour guides helped us to understand more about the island of Hithadhoo, the surrounding islands in the atoll and the local language of Dhivehi. Our specific car lucked out with a driver who either loved Taylor Swift or knew that we loved Taylor Swift, which made for a spectacular partnership and an even better car karaoke set up. 

As we drove back towards the guesthouse, hugging the stunning coastline the tour guides decided to pull over on the side of the road and treat us to a fresh coconut. As half of the group tested out the make shift hammock chairs hanging from one of the trees the other half simply appreciated the view. The coconuts were young and had a natural sweetness to them, unlike any of the coconut drinks we have in Australia. As we sipped I began to wonder whether my coconut was in fact a Mary Poppins bag in disguise - no matter how much I sipped on my straw it still appeared full.

In the afternoon we all piled into the tray of a large truck and headed for a local snorkelling spot. To get to the beach the truck had to wind through narrow dirt roads, lined with tropical trees and shrubs. After dodging tree branches the truck eventually broke through into a cleared road and again we were mesmerised by the beautiful waters. The snorkelling was incredible with schools of fish swimming just off the shore. The guide even managed to find a sea cucumber the size of a big tree branch camouflaged amongst the coral.

On the way back from our snorkelling adventure we all piled into the truck again. Unfortunately though one of the team was stung on the lip by a wasp that had been sitting on one of the moving branches as we drove by. Luckily Suna came to the rescue in her little pink car and took her to the hospital straight away. Lucky for the rest of us, she had a sense of humour and we all joked about the swollen lip ‪#‎kyliejenner‬ ‪#‎lipchallenge‬ ‪#‎freebotox‬.

Our third and final day of orientation was centered around our placements in either the hospital or the local schools.

Teaching

After being assigned to our individual schools we all set off early in the morning to meet our students, leading teachers and mentors. Dressed conservatively in long pants and long tops we were all extremely sweaty as well pulled up at our schools after riding for 10-15 minutes from the guesthouse. The schools varied in their size, year levels and facilities but the one thing that remained consistent was the level of excitement amongst the children. All of the children seemed overjoyed to have someone new in their classroom and as teachers we were just as excited. We all jumped straight into helping students with their work and some of us were even given the opportunity to teach whole class lessons from the outset.

The children here are inquisitive and a number of us were asked questions like ‘Why do you have that colour skin?” or “Miss, why you have blue eyes?”. While we didn't take offence to the questions being asked, the majority of us struggled to answer such complex questions. As the Maldivian weekend runs Friday to Saturday we only got two days in the classroom before the weekend so I am sure there will be more to share next week - looking forward to getting involved and teaching them all about Australia on Australia Day.

Health

This week the nurses and health students we were placed into different parts of the local hospital on Hithadhoo. Some of these areas included the intensive care unit, operating theatres and the most exciting to date - the labour room. While the hospital was much quieter than they had anticipated all of the girls said that the hospital was much more extensive than they had originally thought.

The two nursing students were lucky enough to witness the arrival of a healthy baby girl as they were given the opportunity to sit it on a cesarean. One huge difference they noticed was that the mother to be had been placed under a general anaesthetic and was not able to witness the arrival of her daughter. The husbands are also not allowed to be a part of the birthing process due to religious restrictions. Both girls found the procedure quite confronting and were astounded when one of the nurses told them that the majority of the babies here in the Maldives are delivered via cesarean operations.

The health students are looking forward to their next week of placement and are hoping to witness more births and other exciting procedures during their time on the island.

A Day in the Lives of the Nepalese

COUNTRY: Nepal
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Robertshaw

After 16 hours of travel, I'm beginning the descent to Kathmandu, Nepal. I see millions of buildings spreading for miles, so closely packed that it looks like a really bad game of Tetris. You can see the aftermath of the earthquakes. After we touched down, we were picked up on the tarmac by a bus that drove us to the airport – I had never experienced that before. After making my way through the airport I was greeted by a crowd of Nepalese offering to take me wherever I wanted to go, before Antipodeans staff picked me up.

I was overwhelmed by the amount of people everywhere. The population of Nepal is around 28 million – more than all of Australia.

The people there were so astonishing; all I seemed to see were brand name clothes and people spitting ... Just anywhere and everywhere. Everyone drives where they need with little semblance to Australian road rules, but it seems to work for them. Over the following days I got very used to the ways the Nepalese live their lives; or the way I will be living for the next month. I would get up in the morning and get changed, people don't shower often here. It's very cold so they don't sweat much and there is no hot water so they shower every Saturday. I had my first shower yesterday! Craziness, but research has shown that it's better for you if you don't shower everyday anyway.

Then I would eat breakfast, usually consisting of cereal with milk and fruit, toast or rice and I would have my tea. The tea here is so delicious! I would then leave for Stupa hospital, walking a dirt road about 20 minutes to the bus stop, passing by many market stalls including clothes, phones, fruit, vegetables and butchers that slice the meat right in front of you!

I would then catch a bus, which is actually a van that seats 10 people, but they fit about 20 people in there. But because of the fuel blockade happening with India, not as many buses are running. After being crammed in like sardines for 20 minutes, I reach Stupa hospital (which I will explain more about in the next post). After that I return home the same way and prepare for dinner, which consists of many different things, always involving carbs. Today I tried buffalo momo, it tastes similar to mince gyoza, it was the first time I'd eaten meat since arriving.

Kathmandu surprised me because their infrastructure is so poor and there is pollution everywhere, yet there is wifi and smart phones everywhere you look. The electricity lines are all tangled, and we only have a few hours of electricity everyday. The electricity varies between each area so it's hard to tell when you will have power and when you won't.

It's a very nice, kind culture. When I walk alone every child says hello, and many adults greet you with a nod or a “Namaste.” I was given a Nepali name, which is Shova, and told me to find out what it means as the Nepali say “things will not come to you, you must find the things.”

Top five experiences to have while volunteering in Palampur

COUNTRY: Nepal
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health care
WRITTEN BY: Riona Ashworth O'Callaghan

Today, our intrepid blogger brings you five things worth doing before, during and after volunteering in Palampur.

1. Elefantastic in Jaipur:
Whether before or after heading to Palampur from Delhi, a trip to Jaipur is needed. This was one of my favourite places in India and one of the main reasons was due to our experience with Elefantastic. A few of us from NZ booked an elephant experience with this company and were able to spend a large part of our day with the elephants, feeding, washing (including climbing onto the elephants back) and going for a ride. The moment you arrive, you can really tell the elephants are loved and well cared for here with each elephant only having to work with visitors every second day. It is well worth a visit and you can even book a driver and tour of Jaipur through this company for a reasonable price if you like to be well organised.

2. Paragliding at Bir Billing:
You have a few free weekends while volunteering in Palampur and a day trip to Bir Billing for paragliding is a must do for those of us with an adventurous side. You are in very safe hands as Bobby and Amit (who look after you in Palampur) ensure your pilots are licensed and everything goes smoothly. It was one of my favourite things we have done so far on the trip! The town is decorated with prayer flags and filled with a mixture of people from all different backgrounds including tourists, thrill seekers and Tibetan monks.

3. McLeod Ganj:
Another worthwhile day trip from Palampur is to McLeod Ganj. Even though Dharamsala is known as the home of the Dalai Lama, this is where they actually mean according to the Lonely Planet guides. McLeod Ganj is central to the Tibetan government in exile and as a result, a large Tibetan community lives in the town, evident by the beautiful maroon robes around the streets. Prepare yourself for wanting to buy everything from each stall and shop throughout the town, and keep an eye out for a lady with a stall selling momos on the side of the street - delicious!

4. Akshardham, Delhi: The beautiful Hindu temple situated in the outer eastern suburbs of Delhi is something to tick off on the bucket list. There is free entry with a requirement to leave all your valuables in the secure cloakroom. The temple is peaceful, free from the constant 'click' of cameras, and worrying that someone nicking your things that can happen at some tourist monuments. Inside the building, the detail is absolutely spectacular and, as you explore, you read the information plaques which make you notice so much more detail. As an added extra, try to catch the water and light show at 6.45pm for a small charge of 80 rupees. The show is amazing and I still don't understand how they made the light and water do all those fancy tricks!

5. Use tuk tuks and rickshaws:
What a thrill! Initially the thought of jumping into a tuk tuk as a form of travel might be daunting, when you see all the chaos on the roads, (especially in Delhi). But they provide super cheap transport and good bartering practice. As we all travelled, we found that tuk tuks allow you to properly experience India with all its sights, smells and charming locals. My choice of transport in the main cities, but for Palampur the buses are the go!

First day of health placement in India

COUNTRY: Nepal
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health care
WRITTEN BY: Riona Ashworth O'Callaghan

As we round another corner, we all eagerly look to see the signs.
"Palampur? Is this the right stop or is it the next one or even the next?"
Once at the volunteer house, we meet Bobby who allows us all to take a breath as we have made it safely to our destination!

The volunteer house is beautiful, bordered by the Himalayas and surrounded by lush greenery - it's like something you’d see on a postcard or tourism brochure. Compared to Delhi, the air is heaven to our lungs!

We slid into a routine easily. This is how it went:

7am: Rise and shine to get ready for placement. A few of us pop outside to watch the sunrise over the mountains or to do some light exercise on the rooftop.

8am: Breakfast. This was my favourite time of the day in India. We had choices of toast, porridge, cornflakes, eggs, fruit and freshly made chai by Joginder in the kitchen.

8.20am: Off to the bus station where we catch a bus to Palampur township and walk to our placements. On the second day, we accidentally caught the wrong bus and, despite being cheaper, the usual 10 minute ride took around half an hour. On the plus side we got to see the rural side of Palampur that we hadn't seen before!

9am: Begin placement. Lucky for me, my original placement was based directly across from the bus station, so my journey to and from placement was quick hop and a jump over the road.

From 9am til around 2pm: Continuous consultations about a range of conditions. In Palampur, the primary conditions are hypertension and type-2 Diabetes so knowledge about these conditions is very beneficial while on placement. The placements were very welcoming of us all and there is a vast amount to learn over the four weeks.

2pm: Most of us finish placement around 2pm, so some explore a bit of Palampur, do some shopping (especially for toilet paper - a rarity in India), practice Hindi with the locals, avoid the local dog population (despite how cute the puppies are), and some of those chocolate biscuits before heading to the bus station and asking the bus driver to take us to "ARLA?" (our local bus stop).

Once back at the house, we all do as we please; we debrief from placement, read books, play badminton, write in our journals, soak up the sun of the roof, go for walks, shower, tidy and -majority of the time - eat.

6.30pm: Dinner is served thanks to Joginder in the kitchen, and we all sit around the dining table and discuss whatever comes up. Our first night, we discussed our plans for the upcoming weekends and had some Hindi lessons with Bobby which was a great help as we now know some basics for placement such as: "Beemar" = sick and "Dura" = pain

Around 10pm: We all retire to our rooms and hit the hay in order to wake up for the next day of what Palampur has to offer!

The sights and sounds of magnificent Cambodia

COUNTRY: Cambodia
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Teaching and Health Science
WRITTEN BY: Sarah Mengel

On arriving in Phnom Penh you are immediately faced with the obstacles of crossing a road, driving on the opposite side or simply creating your own rules to get to where you need to go. The incessant honk honk from Tuk Tuks and other vehicles as they approach someone going more slowly is a constant reminder that you are no longer in Australia. So is seeing an entire family riding a moped built for one. However, this is all part of the magnificent package that is Cambodia.

A little about our crew, there’s a total of nine Antipodeans volunteers, including myself. Due to the water festival celebrations that occur each year around this time throughout Cambodia, our placement officially commences on Monday (December 30), which gave us the week to learn more about the history of Phnom Penh and travel up to Siem Reap by bus.

During our first week we met our amazing travel guide, who in the first two days took us through many things. He showed us the killing fields and prison S-21, where he gave recounts of his own personal experiences as a survivor through the Khmer Rouge regime, which was responsible for the Cambodian genocide. He also taught us how to speak some Khmer that we have slowly been practising on our local outings. As well as general words we also learnt some words to help us on placement like hut prahn for exercise and lum nun for balance.

However, the highlight of my trip so far was the morning workouts at Olympic Park Stadium where you can join in the aerobic classes that start at 5am, followed by some stair runs (of course). The class slowly grows to 40+ people and there’s approximately three to four classes being conducted around the stadium. You can try faster and more upbeat with lots of arm movements or slower with more footwork. All in all the locals make it look easy (most of them are also easily over 50 – kudos to them!).

We arrived in Siem Reap by bus yesterday and shall tackle the Angkor Wat temples tomorrow at the crack of dawn.

Till then, lie hey (bye).

Adeus Timor Leste

 COUNTRY: Timor-Leste
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health Science
WRITTEN BY: Georgia, Tim, Katie and Jess - University of Queensland

What an amazing experience! As our time in beautiful Timor Leste comes to an end, mixed emotions have set in. While we’re so excited to come home to Australia and see our family and friends, we are sad to leave our new friends and the clients we’ve been working with for the past four weeks.

We have faced some challenging and complex clinical cases during our time but have also had many instances of joy. We’ve been so encouraged by our clients’ commitment to their rehabilitation and their perseverance and have been humbled by their gratitude and efforts during therapy – this is something we will never forget. We also acknowledge the staff at CNR for their dedication to their clients in what is often a complex situation.

We feel privileged to have learnt about Timor and the Timorese people and are inspired by their passion, resilience, and happiness. We were lucky enough to travel outside of Dili and experience some beautiful parts of Timor. Most recently, we climbed Mt Ramelau, the highest mountain in Timor Leste. The picturesque views at sunrise were simply stunning and well worth the 2:45am alarm!

To our beautiful butterflies (i.e., the students), we’ve watched you grow and develop across our time in Timor and are so proud of all you have achieved. While there were many challenges along the way, you’ve taken it all in your stride and will be better clinicians because of this experience. It has been a pleasure to share it with you and to support you in your clinical journeys. Continue to reflect on your experiences and draw on them in your practice in Australia. Next year’s team have a lot to live up to!

Adeus!

Island Getaway to Celebrate The End Of Week One in Timor Leste

 COUNTRY: Timor-Leste
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health Science
WRITTEN BY: Georgia, Tim, Katie and Jess - University of Queensland

Fast boat. Hammocks and coconuts. Tuk tuks. Nemo and scar. Loud waves. Slow boat.

After just one week we all felt well-deserving of an island getaway: Atauro was calling. We were greeted with open arms and a welcoming second-breakfast by one of the resort managers, Super-Mario/Superman, who never failed to make us laugh. We never realised how much funnier sarcasm is coming from someone who speaks English as a second language. His standard one-liners included ‘good morning’ instead of ‘good evening’ or telling us that the bananas at breakfast were in fact chicken sausages. His catching laughter was the punch line. After hearing the same joke over and over, it only became funnier (motor learning principles in action?).

First port of call was the markets, a strenuous 50m walk but well worth the 2-cent donuts and coconuts. Unfortunately we had to hold ourselves back from the dried squid. Next on the agenda was a tuk tuk ride to the Doll Factory. So bracing to enter the potential horror movie set… we arrived to find ladies sewing away at their very old Singer machines, piecing together anything and everything. Needless to say, not one person left the store empty-handed. After fending off the sales attempts of competitive local wood carvers, we arrived at the moment many of us had been hanging out for (literally, hanging in hammocks), we were off to find Nemo. Safe in our knowledge that sharks had been over-fished, snorkelling was incredible. There were many beautiful colours of the near un-disturbed coral and fish we had never seen before, some only as a Disney Pixar cartoon.

At dinner, a local band came to share their music with us and we were all able to play along with children’s percussion instruments and participate in a local dance for the final song. All this cultural engagement earned us a few cocktails at the bar. You’d be surprised to know that we still made it up on Sunday morning to enjoy the sunrise and we’re so glad we did. Sunday’s itinerary was a little different with not much muscle expenditure happening before 3pm. Left to our own devices to arrange ferry tickets home we were all questioning whether the hefty $US4 each had been given to a fraudster, sure enough we made it on board and 4 hours later we made it home for dinner and very soon after, bed.

Bouncy deer. Traditional music. Beach barbeque. Fish on a stick. Ginger. Obstacle course.

After all that rest we were raring to go on Monday morning. Just kidding, that was a tough wake-up. The clinical week was just as eventful, and was full of challenges and successes for everyone. One common discovery was the extraordinary ability of the mystical “bouncy deer” to improve almost everything during therapy sessions (including our mental health haha). On Wednesday we celebrated Independence Day, unknowingly attending a political party flag raising, that included a show of traditional dancing, with elderly dancers dressed in traditional woven fabrics and vibrantly coloured feathers.

To recover from the challenges of having a day off in the middle of the working week, we went to the beach barbeques at Bebonuk. Here we learnt the ways of the locals, spending an afternoon playing Frisbee with the local kids and watching the sunset over the ocean. After all the running around we were treated to various local delicacies fresh off the barbeque (including a whole fish on stick and chicken livers).

On Thursday it was back to clinic, which was full of moments that challenged us, but also brought us closer together. We also have the undying support of the local cat Ginger, who always finds a lap to stealthily sit and sleep on (we’re starting to wonder if it has a sleeping disorder…).

On Friday we were off to Maliana, where we spent the morning touring the rural health post facility and SISCa clinic, making friends with the local goats and kids as we went (let’s face it, who doesn’t want to be your friend when you’re giving away free UQ Frisbees). We then had lunch at $1 beach (we don’t know either), which excitingly enough consisted of peanut butter (and potato chips for some adventurous people) sandwiches. It was then off for a swim and snorkel (here’s looking at you Tim and Alice) before returning home to Hotel Lecidere. Dinner tonight was a special occasion as it was Ruth’s last night with us here in Timor. We went to Esplanada, one of the fanciest restaurants in town (there’s not many…). While the night was fantastic, we were all sad to see Ruth go. Timor will not be the same without her, and we give our heartfelt thanks to her for her support and comic relief.

Bye for now, adeus!

Settling In To Working Life In Timor Leste

 COUNTRY: Timor-Leste
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health Science
WRITTEN BY: Talita, Jocelyn and Alice - University of Queensland

Saturday
After an emotional morning farewell (Ruth didn’t believe we would get up for her – we love you Ruth!), the CNR bus arrived at our hotel for an adventure to Maubara. Little did we know, the treacherous nature of the roads that we would face in the 17 seater bus - the CNR staff played on our emotions as they encouraged us to get photos of the cliff that was less than a metre away. Despite this, they treated us to a fantastic day at the beach (pigs and all) as well as a wander through the local markets, an exhilarating 4WD competition and topped it off with a visit to Pope John Paul for sunset. We can’t move on without a massive shout out to Bec’s husband, Kane, who filled his carry-on for the weekend full of muesli bars and vegemite chocolate – you do not know what this means to us!

Sunday
We slept in. After an action packed few weeks, we revelled in the opportunity to relax for a bit and get some work done on the presentations that we are to present next week. We fit in a morning stroll to Santa Cruz cemetery – a sombre moment amongst the hustle and bustle as we gained a greater understanding of the sad history and suffering of the community.

Monday
The Occupational Therapy students had the opportunity to accompany the CNR Community Based Rehabilitation team staff to clients’ homes in the Dili region. This valuable experience provided a better understanding of the home environment of our clients to help guide our planning of therapy and goals. We were warmly welcomed into the homes, but it was a sad moment to learn that one of the clients does not leave her room due to disability and spends her days sitting. We recognised several areas in which therapy could help her and encouraged the CBR staff to get her to CNR for treatment. Monday night, it was time to break out the Vegemite chocolate, and to our surprise, it wasn’t half bad. At least it was almost as good as the mung bean muesli bars the Speechies decided were fabulous (definitely give these a go!).

Tuesday
Everyone is starting to relax and become more comfortable with each other, which is a good and bad thing. The good is that the teams are working well and we are becoming a fully functional IP team (/BFFs 4eva). The flip side is that pranks have started, and certain members of our team are one up, as another member returned home to find they could not reach their bed as their floor was covered in water filled saucepans. Retribution has not yet been received.

Wednesday
After a generally positive morning, we had an emotional afternoon. After giving a modified chopping board to a very grateful patient, we had a teary goodbye as she’d been treated at CNR for the last 5 years. This was followed by an upsetting realisation about the differences in medical treatments here compared to back home in Australia. A young teenager had a severely displaced femur that had not been operated on, and presented at CNR for physiotherapy. Unfortunately, the recommended management is surgery, and in the absence of that, there was very little we could do. This awakening to the reality of developing countries was upsetting to most, as it was probably the first scenario where we felt utterly helpless.

Thursday
Everyone was really upset that NSW didn’t win Origin, but had enjoyed the mid-week break at a restaurant watching the footy. The last clinic day for the week was spent working with clients and finalising the program for our presentations next week. The presentations revolve around areas of our professions that the staff at CNR had requested information about. These include: cerebral palsy, safe feeding, stages of play and gait retraining. We are very much looking forward to passing on this information in a more formal setting.

Friday
A district visit was again planned for today, where we attended a private NGO funded health clinic in Hera; a short drive East of Dili. We were taken through the clinic, and spoke to the Cuban doctor about the challenges he faces. Some of these challenges included the lack of resources, the isolation, the large number of people that he services (177 families), and the fact that whenever it rains and the river flows, they get flooded in. Paulo then took us to his composting centre, the first, and only, of its kind in Timor. Throughout the drive, we experienced our first attempted hitchhiker trying to join us in the mikrolet; the Timorese are very competent in stepping into moving vehicles.
Tonight will be a quite night as we prepare for our 60km, 6 hour journey to climb Mt Ramelau on Sunday morning.

ECU Nursing Students Conduct Eye Clinics in Indonesia

COUNTRY: Indonesia
PROGRAM: UniBreak Groups
PROJECT: Nursing
WRITTEN BY: Casey Samiotis, Edith Cowan University

Life changing interventions amongst the most breathtaking backdrops: A different side to Bali life than most of us have seen as tourists and a unique and privileged opportunity.

The first morning after a late night arrival, we met our attentive and dedicated guide "Little Wayan" and our trusty support crew Dian, Anom & Rosa (3 nursing students from Stikes University to act as our translators) as well as our in country support Gonsalo & Wiwi.



The first 3 days were spent in Siangan village, approx. 45 minutes drive from our hotel. As we entered the village we were met with inquisitive and welcoming faces. Locals welcomed us in to their homes, where Wayan introduced us to the traditional Balinese way of living.

Experienced staff were conducting eye screenings for up to 300 people, and providing glasses and cataract assessments all free of charge. The first few days involved assisting John Fawcett Foundation (JFF) staff with eye tests and observing fascinating and almost unbelievable cataract surgeries from the bus-turned-mini-operating-theatre. Having undergone cataract surgery the previous day, some patients even rode their scooters in for their post-op assessment. Each day we have enjoyed delicious traditional food cooked and personally delivered by Wayan's wife. One of these days we were invited to eat in the family home of the chief of the community.

We also had the opportunity to work alongside a large group of Stikes University students conducting general health checks for local people from another small village. We hit the ground running quickly, learning the variations in assessment techniques.

We visited the JFF office where we were lucky enough to meet CEO, LeRoy Hollenbeck and founder John Fawcett. Here we learnt more about the foundation's history and proposals for the future. We were told that there was an increase in locals presenting for assessments after word got out that there were foreign nurses coming to the village. Everybody, from local students to the policeman, wanted our photo to remember the occasion.

It has been a pleasure and a privilege to be involved in such admirable work for such deserving people. As John Fawcett explained, there are not many interventions that can be as affordable, fast, effective and life changing as cataract surgery.

We are looking forward to a weekend break and heading in to the next part of the adventure at Wangaya government hospital.

Link below to the JFF video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLeQYbTjp3E&feature=youtu.be

Week One for UQ In Timor Leste

 COUNTRY: Timore-Leste
PROGRAM: UniBreak
PROJECT: Health Science
WRITTEN BY: Emma, Molly and Brittney - University of Queensland

Botardi from Timor-Leste!

Well, we’ve had an interesting first week in Dili and have been warmly welcomed by the people here. We had an amazing view as we flew into Timor-Leste and we were looking forward to all the adventures ahead of us. Once we landed we were greeted by our in country partner Paolo who introduced us to our new mode of transport – the microlet’s. These were van’s decked out in soft toys, colourful stickers and anthem’s of Justin Beiber and 80’s pop.

We spent our first day in Dili exploring the city and the culture. Highlights from the day included trekking up to the Cristo Rei statue (almost thought we were in Rio!) and lounging around at Jesus Backside Beach. Then came our first day we had all been waiting for at Centro Nasional de Rehabilitacion (CNR). We were introduced to all the staff who we would be working alongside for the next month. That afternoon we visited the Resistance Museum to learn about Timor-Leste’s history and their difficult road to independence.

The rest of the week we have spent working with patients and our new team at CNR. We’ve all found it interesting learning about each other’s professions and all struggled along the way putting our Tetun into practice. Thankfully a lot of the staff there have very good English.

Looking forward to a weekend at Atauro Island relaxing and getting some sun before another challenging week begins.

From Team Timor – Emma, Molly and Brittney