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!
Thank you for choosing to follow my volunteer adventure with VSO! Your gifts will be helping me to share my skills with midwives in Myanmar to save babies lives and give new mothers the support they need.
I have already volunteered in India a couple of times over the last few years; from providing education on health issues in communities, to caring for orphaned children, which should help me with this new placement. Now I have become a fully trained midwife I am hoping a year of sharing my skills will really help the community I will be living in. I’m so excited to start a new chapter in my life as I move away from my home city of Birmingham (and leave my dog Penny!) for the year.
