So here I am! I actually did it!
My first week was incredible; every person I have met since arriving in Myanmar has welcomed me so warmly and made me feel safe, assured and well looked after.
I'm on the VSO map!
When I first arrived, I hit the ground running. The first week in Myanmar has been packed full of language, culture and security lessons. As well as this I found out a lot more detail on my placement, whilst spending time at VSO’s Country Office.
My temporary home for the week whilst I completed my induction was a beautiful guest house. It was surrounded by lots of greenery and at 5am the local choir rejoice in the courtyard – aka the stray dogs start howling like it is going out of fashion. I’ve been to visit some of the markets, which instantly captivates the senses – the smells were incredible, from the sweet scent of freshly cut flowers to the other not-so-sweet extremes of the meat and fish markets. You can hear the sharp sizzle of noodles as they hit the pan everywhere as you wander round; they are unbelievably tasty too. I loved these market visits, and will definitely be keeping these up throughout my time here!
My new home
Now I’m over in Natmauk Township where my placement is based and where home will be for the next year. My new home however is only half built. Concrete walls and excess dust, enjoyed by creatures great, small, poisonous and cute (we had a field mouse stop by!). I have no oven and a fridge that only works when it feels like it. The water has to be drawn from the bore well at least twice a day, and drinking water is delivered by horse and cart as and when required. But what I do have is a ‘home’ which is strong, secure and within its grey cobwebbed-lined walls I feel safe. For now it is mine and I love it!
Meeting my colleagues
I am in the process of settling in to my job at Natmauk’s health centre – which is going really well! As a qualified midwife I will be working alongside the team of staff, which includes three midwives and a Women’s Health Visitor. We also have one other VSO volunteer, Edson from Uganda, who is a specialist in public health and will be working with the government across the whole region to improve care for mothers.
The dedication and passion of this team is inspiring; even with limited resources they take incredible care of the women and children who visit the health centre. This is so crucial for the region, as the majority of families have mistrust for medical health centres and only use them as a last resort when they are very sick. The more women who get to receive this incredible care, the more we can spread the word on the importance of regular medical checkups to keep them and their babies safe and healthy. With maternal mortality 16 times higher than the UK, my work will make a significant difference to this heartbreaking statistic.
My welcome gathering
For now I am just observing the work that takes place in the health centre and on home visits, as well as building up a rapport with this wonderful team of ladies. Observation is a crucial part of every VSO placement; it means I can help the team over the coming year with advice based on what I know will be achievable with the limited resources they have. This means the progress can be shared with other midwives in the region and should improve the lives of more mothers and babies long after I have returned to the UK.
Thank you
If you had told me a year ago that this is where I would be right now, I would have laughed my head off in disbelief. I’ve had so much support from my wonderful family, friends and colleagues and I can’t wait to get stuck in. I will leave it at that for now, but I look forward to catching up with you again! Don’t forget if you want to leave me a message or ask a question please use the box on the top right – I’d love to hear from you.
Best wishes,
Sam
