TO NEW HORIZONS…

My adventure with Médecins sans Frontières finally starts. It is my second day in Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic (CAR). It is complete disorientation…

I left Ottawa in Ontario, Canada on Sunday April 7th, 2013. Heartbreaking goodbyes – I leave behind my husband and two boys (9 and 11 years old).  The whole family is behind me 100% for this project but one is always left with some residual feelings of guilt to leave them in Canada while going away to help the less fortunate in Africa. I guess this is all part of the experience…

The experience…why now, why so far? I have always been a generous individual, one who gives her time and loves to help. So far, my nursing profession has always satisfied this need to share and help people that inhabits me. But lately, I just wanted to give back more.

We usually hear about these far away places where the needs are so vast and the resources so few. In a country like Canada, we are bombarded daily with this kind of information and frankly, we are starting to show some imperviousness towards it. We hear the demands but choose to not react to them. Sadly, I think this is an unfortunate reality of « privileged individuals ».

Thus, I decided to participate in a humanitarian mission. But where to start?  A few hours of research was spent in order to find the organisation that would best fit my set of values. Médecins sans Frontières (MSF) sounded pretty good and looked like it would meet what I was looking for in terms of ethics and principles.  I was very lucky as an information session would take place in Ottawa shortly – so I attended.  I was not disappointed – MSF IS the organisation that resonates the most with me…Why? Because of its principles and values of impartiality, neutrality, independence and its response to the most urgent human medical needs with the greatest dignity.

Quickly follows the electronic transmission of my application, the interview (one and a half hour!), the approval and hiring by MSF, some training in Toronto, Canada (Welcome Days) and Bonn, Germany (Pre Departure Training) and finally, the big departure! All this in less than three months! When things are meant to happen, they happen! And fast!

So here I am, in Bangui, Central African Republic, for the next six months.

And my adventure needs to be followed…

Until next time!

Janique