Martes, Hulyo 24, 2018

Haiku

i
Glorious December…
ought to ponder, doubt no more,
thou shall contemplate.
 
ii
Seek intervention,
behold and put it to test,
lost nothing on it.
 
iii
Keep my fingers crossed,
east will meet the west in nigh,
a proud splendor day!
 
iv
Prepare to meet all,
in abode of queen afar,
memorable one.
 
v
Utter your wishes,
greetings will now be adieu,
see you in a while.
 
vi
Left my home out there,
no sorrow but full of hope,
no room for despair.
 
vii
Serve humanity,
embrace changes in three-fold,
change for the better.
 
viii
Eyes having no glare,
stomach aches every night,
half dead, half alive.
 
ix
Take my hand and rise,
we stay, we walk on same ground,
from morning ‘till dawn.
 
x
Each day will perish,
memories will never fade,
treasure worth keeping.
 
xi
Not in our days,
grandeur chance will be offered,
thanks to the Father.
 
 

Let me interpret to you the meaning of the above haiku.
 
i. It was December 2017 when the application for GSK PULSE Volunteer Partnerships opened. My line manager asked the whole team via email who among us were interested on it. I replied immediately stating that I was 70% interested. Suddenly my line manager asked me why it was 70% and I told her that there were a lot of works I might possible left with the team should I be selected on PULSE. She told me that we were going to think and plan about it on the upcoming month. That made me felt 100% interested on PULSE. After that our Finance Service Line Owner (SLO) gave the green light for me to apply.

My email to my line manager last Dec 2017.
 
 
ii. I started my application. I scanned through the long list of questionnaires. All applicants were required to answer the questions with at least 250 words. During my vacation leave last December, I was answering one question per day. I focused on all the information I was going to share and looked back on my previous volunteering background and any event/experience that would be useful on my application. I submitted my fully completed form on the last day of the application. Finance was busy during December and January for the year end close, hence my priority was closing instead of my application :)
 
iii. Here comes the month of February. It was midnight when I saw an email from the PULSE Team. I felt my heart was pumping so fast. With my fingers crossed, I opened the email and read it. Yay, I was selected on the first stage of application. After a week, I had a meeting with the PULSE Team for the possible assignment. I selected Malawi for my possible assignment, not because of the country but rather the Finance scenario given to me. I considered the perspective where I could help my NGO and where I could leverage my skills to create a long-lasting impact for them and the community. On March, my profile was matched on that NGO - Partners in Health in Neno, Malawi. I was so happy and immediately confirmed my willingness for that NGO. After another week, I had my interview with my NGO and they immediately confirmed me as well as their PULSE Volunteers. It's a proud splendor day for me indeed! "East will meet the west in nigh" - this was just a depiction of myself coming from the Eastern part of the world and going to the Western side to be a volunteer.

iv. It was May this year when 54 out of the total 66 PULSE Volunteers met in GSK House in UK. It was a memorable experience for everyone where we met personally the PULSE Team and amazing previous PULSE volunteers. Different stories from different people were flourishing on that 3-day seminar workshop.

v. As my departure date was already confirmed, I was counting my remaining days in Malaysia and spending it with everyone. It's gonna be a new adventure for me and everyone was wishing me to do all the best and enjoy this once in a lifetime experience.


Wakanda Forever! Team Pinoy in Malaysia during my farewell dinner.

vi. June 14th was the day when I left my home in Malaysia. A 20-hour flight including 3 lay-overs in Singapore, Ethiopia and Zambia was not a joke. It was my first time to experience that kind of flight. And on the following day, 3:00 PM local time, I had safely arrived in Malawi - The Warm Heart of Africa.

vii. As I embarked on this journey on foreign land, I wanted to be an agent of change - change my self, change community and after my assignment, change GSK.

viii. My first two weeks with my NGO in Neno District, Malawi was an eye-opener not only for me but also for everyone who were reading my PULSE blog and this blog. There were people living with diseases and illness. There were people out there sleeping at night without any comfortable bed and blanket. There were people I witnessed without food in the past few days.


ix. To give hope, Partners in Health established its presence in Neno, Malawi 10 years ago, and it continued to support the community together with the Ministry of Health. PIH stayed with the community to deliver quality health care service to the people of Neno District.

x. As days passed by on my PULSE assignment, I heard a lot of inspiring stories from different people. I enjoyed working with PIH and built a strong relationship. I created memories with them in the past 5 weeks I was here. These memories were worth to be cherished.

xi. Thankful for GSK and PULSE Program to be part of this once in a lifetime experience. Not all were given the chance to have this kind of experience.

To God be the glory!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Miyerkules, Hulyo 4, 2018

Call of Nature


“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.” – John Muir

 

Second time around in the field…
 
Being a new joiner in Partners in Health, I was given the privilege again to be out in the field for one whole day. I joined the CHW Team (Community Health Workers) and Finance Team (Yay! My Team!) to deliver the monthly stipend of CHW on Upper Neno. There were seven health facilities visited by our team last 27th June 2018. There was also a team who visited the other seven health facilities on Lower Neno side.

 

The seven sites were far from each other. We travelled from one site to another and passed through one mountain to another. Aside from the normal scene wherein all the CHW from each health facility gathered around for a couple of minutes and received their monthly allowances, I couldn’t help but admire the beauty of the Upper Neno area.

 

It’s a hidden place for the visitor to explore. Come and join me enjoy the nature here in Neno, Malawi.

 
Nsambe is breath taking!

 
 

Nsambe, Neno District, Malawi

Look closely. There is a village on the slope of the mountain. (Nsambe, Neno)

 

The good thing about Nsambe is the presence of Pine Trees! It’s really cold up here.


 
Do you want to travel the border of Malawi (left) and Mozambique (right)? I do not know who owns the road now! Malawi or Mozambique? J


 
Here is a glance from Dambe.



The view from Dambe Health Facility of Partners in Health.

The nature is really calling me to stay longer here in Neno, Malawi! See you again on my next story here in my blog!

The Road Less Travelled

“Partners in Health believes that there is a thin line between health and poverty.” – POSER Manager
 
Not a Finance person for one day…
 
It was Tuesday morning (26th June 2018), the sun was shining bright and cold breeze could be felt as well. I was standing in front of one of the Partners in Health Facility in Neno with backpack containing bottled water, food and some personal stuffs. I did not bring my laptop and would not be going to Finance office. It was the day that I would be joining the PIH Team to do home visit on some families they were supporting for the POSER or Program of Socio Economic Rights.
 
Through POSER, PIH strives to alleviate suffering of people by providing comprehensive community-based care programs as a human right issue. It also helps to break the cycle of poverty and disease by addressing the needs of the poor through improved access to education, direct cash for in and out patients, cash for food supplements, housing, vocational skills, goats pass on and others. (citation needed)
 
One hour away from Neno, we had reached Ligowe and its nearby villages. The team went to the first house. They started to interview the head of the family, filling up preliminary application sheet and collecting more information to put through on their data base. Even though they were talking in their local language, one of the team members explained to me in English some of the important information provided to them. During their discussion, I could feel that the family really needed support and assistance from someone like PIH.
 
The center of Ligowe during the visit with POSER Team.
 
 
There were also families living with some diseases like HIV, tuberculosis, asthma and malaria. Hence, they could not fully help themselves as well to provide food and school support for their families. One family I met did not even eat for a few times in the past month. Their food supplies were not enough for them.
 
As we go along, we reached the next house and then the other until the last family. Based on my count, we had visited around 6-8 families from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm that day. The geographical area of Neno and nearby villages were mountainous. The road was dusty, small and big rocks could be found and we needed to traverse the side of one mountain to another. This was also a challenge for PIH to reach all the families on the area. We even walked for several minutes just to reach a family as the service vehicle could not pass through. The villages were also far from each other, making it difficult to reach as many families as they could.
 
 
 
 
It was a great experience for me to be involved in this one day activity. But, I literally did not know what’s the plan of the government here for their people. Some families were dying out there trying to survive each day of their lives. They were asking for help. They were looking for someone who could alleviate them on their current situation. They wanted to live longer just like us.
 
Partners in Health cannot do it all alone. This NGO also needs “partners” to help them lift the living condition of the people here in Neno, Malawi. And I hope it’s YOU, who will be PIH’s next “partner” to take the road that is less travelled.

My Own Version of "The Kindness Diaries"

“In the end, only kindness matters.” – Jewel / The Kindness Diaries
 
The Kindness Diaries is a regular television program in Travel Channel. Leon Logothetis, the host of the show travels around the world using his vehicle named “Kindness 1” and fully depends on the kindness of people to survive. Amazing stories around the world from different people can be witnessed on each episode and it’s all about KINDNESS.
 
KINDNESS 1. Leon Logothetis felt the excitement after his vehicle had been repaired by good people in one of the episode of the program. Photo taken from Netflix.com.
 
It was that day…
 
It was Sunday 17th June 2018 when I was scheduled to depart from Blantyre City to Neno District where my NGO Partners in Health (PIH) was operating. The place was between 2 to 2.5 hour-drive from the city. And it was like a roller coaster ride!
 
The driver from the NGO picked me up at the hotel around 1:30 in the afternoon. We drove back to Chileka International Airport to pick up another PIH staff – a doctor from the main headquarter. But it was only around 3:30 in the afternoon when he arrived and we immediately proceeded to our destination.
 
The first hour of travel was fine. We used the national road towards Neno District. But the remaining time was different. Imagine an off-road trail for 4×4 vehicle in a mountainous area that you need to take for 1 hour or more. I saw different kind of picturesque scenes: a safari-type of environment (but no lion, tiger, elephant, giraffe or zebra lol), a gentle river which the vehicle crossed (it’s summer so it’s fine but not advisable to cross it during rainy season), steep up and down trails with rocks, the mountain which was very close to the road and the people living on the area who were busy with their afternoon stuff and waving their hands to us.
 
FINE AFTERNOON. PIH vehicle crossed this river during our travel to Neno District.
 
We arrived at the Pamthunzi Guest House around 6:00 pm. It was already dark that time since the sun usually set at around 5:30 pm. We were welcomed by 2 caretakers of the house, who used to guard the area as well. It was a bungalow-type house with six rooms and two bathrooms with shower. Each room contained a single bed with mosquito net, table, chair and closet. The kitchen was equipped with micro wave oven, refrigerator, gas stove, sink, table good for six persons, bread toaster, utensils, coffee, bread, cereals, oil, soy sauce, vinegar, salt, pepper, tomatoes, eggs and water dispenser. The good thing about the house was a table outside to stay in to relax and watch the surroundings.
 
Fast forward on 18th June 2018.
 
An Act of Kindness
 
I woke up early to prepare my breakfast and get ready to head on the office. But I did not know where the office of the PIH was. I heard from Sylvia and my housemate that it was five-minute walk only. But on which direction? North, East, West, South? My housemate went out earlier and I did not notice which direction he took. Now you’re going to witness again the kindness of the Malawian in the next paragraph. Please continue reading
 
In that morning, there was a lady cleaner in the house. It was part of service provided by PIH in the guest house every day. I asked her where the hospital was. Unfortunately, she could not speak English but she understood my question. So, she pointed out where the hospital was but I could not see it. I was standing outside the house, looking on the direction where the hospital was and trying to figure out how to go there. It was like around 3 minutes thinking how should I proceed. Suddenly she was trying to get my attention by waving her hand and putting it into her chest area. It was a signal that she was going to accompany me to the hospital personally. I was deeply touched by her act of kindness. I was thanking her so many times to show that I really appreciated her effort of bringing me at the hospital. After that she went back to the house to continue cleaning it.
 
FIRST MORNING IN NENO. This is the typical road in Neno District where the PIH is located. No concrete road can be found here. At the back is the Neno Hospital.
 
The Office: Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (APZU)
 
Few hundred meters away from the hospital is the office of Partners in Health (PIH) or locally known as Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (APZU). It’ a non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. It works globally to bring the benefits of modern science to those most in need and to serve as an antidote to despair. It has also other programs in Haiti, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Navajo Nation, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, Liberia and Lesotho.
 
PIH started in Malawi in 2007. It was supporting the Ministry of Health (MOH) to serve a catchment area of 165,000 through 12 health centers and 2 hospitals in partnership with sister organization. APZU was in Neno with an office in Lilongwe for Partnership Officers and Non-Communicable Disease Technical Assistant.
 
 
It was great but not so busy day on my first day in the office. Great because I met a lot of people who were cheerful and full of energy. But I could not recall all their names. Not so busy because it’s only my first day. Not so much work to do yet. Just started reading the finance manual or finance process and of course observing what the people were doing. It was a warm welcome by everyone especially in the Finance Department. They already prepared a table for me as my work station.

 
The morning was more of introducing me to different departments by the HR officer. Configuring my laptop. And again, observing what’s happening in the office. I also had a good chat with some good people. In the afternoon, an orientation meeting had been conducted by the same HR officer to provide me insights regarding the organization and some of the policies. I then continued to read the finance process and raised some of my concerns as well to the HR and Admin officers. They were both willing to help me address my concern immediately. It’s like they wanted me to really experience that PIH and Malawi could be my new home – which of course it was.
 
After office hour, the finance manager accompanied me to the nearby market place to show what could be found there. It was only beside the hospital. He was more willing to show it to me during lunch time since it was already dark that time when we went out to the market place. I just bought the prepaid load for my local sim card to call a restaurant to deliver food for me at the guest house. Yes, there’s a restaurant nearby which delivered food for everyone.
 
It was great day indeed. The people, the culture and the experience were amazing. It’s not a fast-phased environment but time was fast if you’re spending it with awesome people. At the end of the day, indeed, only KINDNESS matters.

Martes, Hulyo 3, 2018

Touchdown

“A nation’s culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people.” – Mahatma Gandhi
 

After more than 20 hours of travel time from Kuala Lumpur plus the lay-over in Singapore, Ethiopia and Zambia, finally on 15th June 2018, I reached Malawi – The Warm Heart of Africa!


My first view of Malawi

It was a hot Friday afternoon when I arrived at Chileka International Airport. An immigration officer approached me, checked my passport details and stared at me for a few seconds. Suddenly, he told me that someone was waiting for me outside to bring me to my hotel and it was arranged by my NGO Partners in Health. I felt the comfort and the warm welcome by the Malawi people as I set foot for the first time.
 

On my way to the hotel, I observed the environment and the people. Everyone was busy. There were a lot of happenings in the surroundings. There were vendors at the side of the streets. People were enjoying just having a good talk with each other. The public transport terminal was full of people trying to get a spot on the mini bus. It was a typical Friday afternoon probably.
 
When my service car stopped at one traffic light, I looked at one vendor holding a live rabbit. He smiled at me and tried to sell the animal. I just smiled back to him and of course I would not buy that. Might be illegal to buy such kind of animal in this country. When I checked in on my hotel at Blantyre, the staffs were very accommodating (of course, they were trained to do it lol) and welcoming. And after a few minutes, I headed on to my room, checked all my belongings, took one good damn shower, enjoyed the dinner and finally slept in a soft bed. It was very relaxing.



AFROCHOC. Delivered personally by hotel staff in my room & reminding me to close the window at night to avoid mosquito bite.

 
On the following day, I decided to go for a walk at the city center. I was looking for a shop or store to buy a local sim card and wanted to buy some grocery items to be brought in Neno where my NGO site is located. It was surprising that most of the people I met and passed by on the streets were smiling and greeting me. I smiled back to them since they were really the proof that the culture resides in the heart and soul of its people. Not far enough from my hotel, there were two lady security guards who asked where I was going. I told them I was looking for a shop to buy for a local sim card. They pointed me at one shop to check. Even though they were not sure about the shop but the effort of helping a visitor on their country like me was sufficient to feel and experience their hospitality. Indeed, all of them showed what the Warm Heart of Africa was.


A glimpes of Blantyre City Center from my hotel

I knew I only started my adventure here in Malawi as a GSK PULSE Volunteer. It was only my first two days and I felt like there’s something more this place and the people could offer. Something that would tell me that this could be another home for me. Something worthy to be here and something to be I can be proud of.
 

Be with my journey (through my blog) at the Warm Heart of Africa as a GSK PULSE 10 Volunteer with Partners in Health in the next six months. Let’s discover together Malawi and share our God-given skills to those most in need.
 
 
 

Haiku

i Glorious December… ought to ponder, doubt no more, thou shall contemplate.   ii Seek intervention, behold a...