Ann, who works in the hotel industry, a few months ago was having a drink in a bar in Zanzibar. She could hardly even feel the breeze of Destiny as it blew her towards Sion, an unlikely saint, sitting by himself in a corner.
A few months later, she herself was unlikely-sainting away in a remote part of Africa, having an enormous impact on the lives of those impoverished people.
Read her full story at:
http://www.anninberega.blogspot.co.uk/
Here is a starter:
My 3 months in Berega is coming to an end. I can't believe how quickly it's passed and I can't believe I made it! Those of you who know me well, will know that I never thought I was the type to go living in a rural village, doing volunteer work for 3 months. In a place where there's lots of bugs, scorpions, snakes, and livestock all around me. A place where you worry about water running out and feel very lucky to have satellite Internet, even though it's the slowest Internet ever. A place where time seemed to have stopped and people struggle to be farmers and being a 'peasant' is an occupation you write down on a form.
I grew up mostly in big cities. I was born in Seoul, grew up in Jakarta, Hong Kong, Chicago, and recently lived in Tokyo, Dubai/Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenzhen, where the smallest city I've lived is probably Dubai, a population of 2 million and the largest is probably Tokyo with almost 30 million people in greater Tokyo.
How on earth did I ended up here in Berega a population of somewhere between 8000-10000 people...
Many of you have asked me how I ended up here and why I am doing this and here is my story.
Jon and I travelled to Tanzania in September to spend some time with our friends who had just moved to Dar es Salaam to teach at the international school here. We were in Dar for a week or so when we went to Zanzibar, an island just off the coast 2 hours by ferry. On our last night in Stonetown Zanzibar, we were at the night market there trying some local seafood. I noticed Jon talking to another foreigner and he introduced me. "Ann, this is a British doctor volunteering in a small village here in Tanzania." I remember thinking..'yeah right, a volunteer doctor...ha!' Because until then, I've never met anyone, a doctor especially, who chose to live in a rural village in Tanzania for a year! Anyways, I spoke a little to this 'doctor' and he seemed harmless and lonely and he was alone so we invited him to go with us for a beer, just down the beach. We had a couple beers with Sion and he told us a little about the village he's working at, Berega.
As we were leaving, we exchanged our email address and went our ways. The next day he sent us a nice message thanking us for paying for his drinks and sent us a link to his blog. When I got back to Dar, I read his blog and was pretty shocked at what he's written and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I read it out loud to Jon and then to Elif and anyone who would hear me. I kept wondering how this could be true....how people had to walk hours and hours to get to the hospital, where it wasn't uncommon for mothers to die giving birth, and people had to carry the bodies home on the back of a motorbike. Things that I remember reading about somewhere, but never imagine it still happening all around. I told Jon that before we leave Tanzania, I would really like to visit this village. We just had a few days left and quickly arranged to meet with Sion, as he was on his way back from Zanzibar finishing his vacation. We met him and Liz who's the American teacher who's been living here for 3 years, and took the 6 hour bus together to Berega. I remember being excited to visit this village and also scared at the same time. Sion told us that he had no electricity and what about malaria? We weren't on any medication as this trip to Tanzania was planned a few days before we arrived. I tried to bring some food but what were we going to eat there? Well, to make a long story short, our 2 day visit was wonderful and we had a chance to visit St Mary's school where I ended up teaching at, Sion gave us a grand tour of Berega Hospital and the grounds, as well as the village itself. And as we were leaving, I remember thinking to myself that I would really like to come back. I wish I could do something meaningful like Sion and Liz have been doing. It would be difficult to commit to something long term here since Jon just got a job offer in Abu Dhabi and we were moving there, but even for a few months of my life, I would like to do something good....
So here I am looking back at how it all started. Besides anything I have done here, I have to say that one of the most personally meaningful thing that I have achieved is meeting a true friend for life! And for this I have to dedicate this post to my dear friend Sion, the true volunteer doctor who is giving a year of his life to work at a village in Tanzania. If it wasn't for him being such an inspiration, I would not be here and for those of you who have not yet read his blog, please go ahead and read it (www.doctorwoctor.blogspot.com)
Living next door in this rural African village for 3 months, I'm glad I got to know him the way I have and he's one of the most remarkable, noble person I know and will always admire him for his passion and his warmth and genuine care, the many lives he's saved here, and most importantly thank you for being my friend.
I will miss the evenings; our discussions and frustrations on how we can improve things here, the depressing days talking about poverty and death, the happy moments celebrating the small successes....and the many drinks in between. Whenever I had doubts about the work I'm doing or crying over the sad reality here, you've always encouraged me and provided moral support...although you are doing so much more than I have ever achieved here. I have learned so much from you and you will always be part of my memory of a great adventure here.
Thank you Sion, this one's for you! Oh and happy birthday on Sunday!
We're going to party Berega style! =)
I grew up mostly in big cities. I was born in Seoul, grew up in Jakarta, Hong Kong, Chicago, and recently lived in Tokyo, Dubai/Abu Dhabi, Shanghai, Suzhou, Shenzhen, where the smallest city I've lived is probably Dubai, a population of 2 million and the largest is probably Tokyo with almost 30 million people in greater Tokyo.
How on earth did I ended up here in Berega a population of somewhere between 8000-10000 people...
Many of you have asked me how I ended up here and why I am doing this and here is my story.
Jon and I travelled to Tanzania in September to spend some time with our friends who had just moved to Dar es Salaam to teach at the international school here. We were in Dar for a week or so when we went to Zanzibar, an island just off the coast 2 hours by ferry. On our last night in Stonetown Zanzibar, we were at the night market there trying some local seafood. I noticed Jon talking to another foreigner and he introduced me. "Ann, this is a British doctor volunteering in a small village here in Tanzania." I remember thinking..'yeah right, a volunteer doctor...ha!' Because until then, I've never met anyone, a doctor especially, who chose to live in a rural village in Tanzania for a year! Anyways, I spoke a little to this 'doctor' and he seemed harmless and lonely and he was alone so we invited him to go with us for a beer, just down the beach. We had a couple beers with Sion and he told us a little about the village he's working at, Berega.
As we were leaving, we exchanged our email address and went our ways. The next day he sent us a nice message thanking us for paying for his drinks and sent us a link to his blog. When I got back to Dar, I read his blog and was pretty shocked at what he's written and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I read it out loud to Jon and then to Elif and anyone who would hear me. I kept wondering how this could be true....how people had to walk hours and hours to get to the hospital, where it wasn't uncommon for mothers to die giving birth, and people had to carry the bodies home on the back of a motorbike. Things that I remember reading about somewhere, but never imagine it still happening all around. I told Jon that before we leave Tanzania, I would really like to visit this village. We just had a few days left and quickly arranged to meet with Sion, as he was on his way back from Zanzibar finishing his vacation. We met him and Liz who's the American teacher who's been living here for 3 years, and took the 6 hour bus together to Berega. I remember being excited to visit this village and also scared at the same time. Sion told us that he had no electricity and what about malaria? We weren't on any medication as this trip to Tanzania was planned a few days before we arrived. I tried to bring some food but what were we going to eat there? Well, to make a long story short, our 2 day visit was wonderful and we had a chance to visit St Mary's school where I ended up teaching at, Sion gave us a grand tour of Berega Hospital and the grounds, as well as the village itself. And as we were leaving, I remember thinking to myself that I would really like to come back. I wish I could do something meaningful like Sion and Liz have been doing. It would be difficult to commit to something long term here since Jon just got a job offer in Abu Dhabi and we were moving there, but even for a few months of my life, I would like to do something good....
So here I am looking back at how it all started. Besides anything I have done here, I have to say that one of the most personally meaningful thing that I have achieved is meeting a true friend for life! And for this I have to dedicate this post to my dear friend Sion, the true volunteer doctor who is giving a year of his life to work at a village in Tanzania. If it wasn't for him being such an inspiration, I would not be here and for those of you who have not yet read his blog, please go ahead and read it (www.doctorwoctor.blogspot.com)
Living next door in this rural African village for 3 months, I'm glad I got to know him the way I have and he's one of the most remarkable, noble person I know and will always admire him for his passion and his warmth and genuine care, the many lives he's saved here, and most importantly thank you for being my friend.
I will miss the evenings; our discussions and frustrations on how we can improve things here, the depressing days talking about poverty and death, the happy moments celebrating the small successes....and the many drinks in between. Whenever I had doubts about the work I'm doing or crying over the sad reality here, you've always encouraged me and provided moral support...although you are doing so much more than I have ever achieved here. I have learned so much from you and you will always be part of my memory of a great adventure here.
Thank you Sion, this one's for you! Oh and happy birthday on Sunday!
We're going to party Berega style! =)
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