Kenya, Adice
To act on their health
Jacobo, EUAV in Kenya
"I've learned a lot from volunteering ... you can discover great
opportunities in the new situations that life puts in front of you."
Life takes unexpected turns. Sometimes we are prepared
for them and sometimes we have to adapt quickly to continue to face new
situations that are presented to us. Volunteerism, in a context as different as
Africa, is undoubtedly one of those situations. It is both exciting and
challenging. In this case, the changes are very important: the food, the
comfort of the house (showering with buckets of cold water, washing clothes by
hand, not having electricity for days, not having running water, etc.), being
looked at and greeted by many people as if you were someone famous, being asked
for money, not understanding the language, etc. I have learned a lot from
volunteering, but if I have to keep something to myself, it is that you can
discover great opportunities in the new situations that life puts in front of
you.
Let me explain: I'm a nurse, and my job is essentially
to care for patients, administer vaccines, do blood tests, etc. But here I had
to adapt to the context and needs and that was a valuable discovery. Kenya has
great health professionals, and it doesn't make sense for me to come here and
do the same work that they are very good at. In thinking about how to do more
sustainable, high-impact work, the figure of CHVs (Community Health Volunteers)
emerged, people who work with health centers to identify cases of different diseases
in their communities and refer them to the clinic or hospital for severe cases.
But they are not health professionals, they are only volunteers who want to
contribute to the betterment of their community. So I decided to give them my
support, focusing on training in the prevention of common illnesses and the
promotion of good health habits. They would be trained so that they could teach
their neighbors in their communities and empower them to take action on their
health.
My pleasant surprise was that under the skin of a
nurse there is also a teacher. Thanks to the interest in HCV, the experience
was very positive and made me rethink my future as a potential health education
nurse. I believe more and more that knowledge is power and that the path of education
is one of the best things you can invest in to empower people and take control
of their health. I had to adapt to new work circumstances, had fun, and
discovered a vocation I didn't know about.
In addition to this great experience, I take with me a
great gift.