August 8, 2014

4846 Views

A Travel Nurse Volunteer in Liberia: Local Foods

Posted on August 8, 2014May 7, 2021 by The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse Volunteering in Liberia with Cross Cultural Care

As you probably already read, The Gypsy Nurse is volunteering in Liberia. I plan to bring you along with me; virtually and give you a ‘feet on the ground’ accounting of the entire process.

CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS SEGMENTS OF THIS SERIES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AS A TRAVEL NURSE VOLUNTEER IN LIBERIA.

On a Mission for an Authentic African Meal

Two volunteers arrived unexpectedly on my second night in Monrovia. Sally and Stan. They have been working out at Robertsport for about the past three weeks. Sally is an RN, and Stan is working with C3 to set up a rainwater catch system to increase water availability. The Locals are currently bringing water from the nearby river to the hospital for things like flushing toilets and washing hands.

Sally and Stan were on a mission to find some local food for me for dinner. Anyone that knows me knows that I am not fearful of street food, and I generally seek it out. Sally and Stan are no different. We ended up sitting on benches along the side of the road and eating with our bowls in our lap. The food was amazing, and fortunately, there were no ‘after-effects’ from the street food.

Food Name: Cassava Leaves

Summary: This dish is from the via tribe and happens to be a national favorite of most West Africans. Although cooking methods varies by country, all west Africans love their cassava leaves. In Liberia, it is cooked with assorted meats, onions, hot peppers, and palm oil. It is served with rice. –
This is one of the dishes that I had for dinner last night. Mine was served over white rice and had a wonderful flavor.

This is another dish enjoyed last night which is cassava leaves ground in palm butter. Again with wonderful spices and flavor and served over rice.

Cassava Roots and leaves are utilized for many of the local dishes. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassava: According to the article, cassava contains cyanide and has to be prepared properly to release the cyanide and avoid poisoning. Fortunately, I avoided any cyanide poisoning.

C3 – A Day in the Life of the Volunteer

The MoH here in Liberia has provided financial assistance for C3 to provide the volunteers with assistance to make life in Robertsport just a little easier. I’m provided with a cook and a cleaner. Jebba currently fills both roles for me. She cooks 4 days a week and cleans 3 days a week.

I have to say that although I love having the help, it’s a weird feeling to me to have someone cooking for me. For whatever reason, the cleaning doesn’t bother me; I’m unsure if this is because I’m not at home while she cleans or because this is a service that I’ve paid for in the states. I will say that although having a cook is a bit uncomfortable for me, the food has been amazing, and I’m thrilled to have her. It’s been a wonderful experience to have someone cook local foods for me, and I’ve found that I have enjoyed everything that’s been prepared.

The only thing that is a bit unlikable regarding the food is that there are many bones in the fish. I’m a bit spoiled as my dad is a fisherman, and he has always filleted the fish and removed all of the bones for me. The locals eat various fish from the Barracuda that is wonderfully large and meaty (and my preference) to dried and smoked fish, which tends to have many more bones and much less to my liking.

If you are familiar with Liberian history, the US sent many of our slaves here after being freed in the United States. Many of Robertsport’s population are descendants of these slave families. I think because of this, it makes it difficult to have one of them waiting on me. Let me give you an example:

Jebba comes to the house on Monday through Thursday evenings arriving around 5 pm. I’m usually playing cards with the local children while she cooks.

She then serves my dinner and sits to the side, scraping the bowls and eating from them. I’ve offered her to sit and eat with me, but the closest she has come is to sit away from the table in one of the chairs instead of on the floor next to the kitchen. After I finish eating, I generally pack a small amount for lunch the following day and offer Jebba to take the remainder home for her and her family (she has two girls at home that sometimes come with her).

Local dishes that I’ve tried to date include:

Cassava and Cassava Greens
Potato Greens
Eggplant Soup
Fish, fish, and some more Fish! (It’s a fishing community, after all)!

By The Gypsy Nurse

August 3, 2014

6873 Views

A Travel Nurse Volunteer in Liberia: The Adventure Continues

Posted on August 3, 2014November 10, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse is heading to Liberia with Cross-Cultural Care as a travel nurse volunteer

As you probably already read, The Gypsy Nurse is volunteering in Liberia. I plan to bring you along with me; virtually and give you a ‘feet on the ground’ accounting of the entire process.

Obtaining A Liberian Nursing Permit

I’m waiting for Wilfred, my local contact to arrive for my nursing permit. Wilfred is handling the obtaining of my permit for me today. I’m hoping that he will also be able to assist me with finding some groceries and acclimating to the area of the city where I am. There are no local addresses so I’m a bit concerned about leaving and finding my way back. Normally, I would just wander out and explore with an address in my pocket to hand to a taxi when I’m ready to come home but without an address, I’m unsure how to proceed.

Just as I’ve typed this out, the neighbor introduces himself; Syed a Lebanese. He is living and working here doing ‘construction’ somewhere nearby. After our introductions, I ask him about finding a taxi and he offers to come back around 11am and take me to the grocery. The taxi’s are not good is the best I can understand.

There was some miscommunication between myself and Wilfred. I thought he was coming to the apartment and he thought that I was coming to his office…. We got it figured out and I ended up taking Syed up on an offer to drive me to the hospital and meet Wilfred at the office.

Side Trip to Immigration

After Wilfred and I tracked down my nursing permit we then headed to the immigration office to pick up another volunteer Visa. I have to say, if I had been in the immigration office alone, I would have been quite intimidated. It’s a simple block building with dark stairs, concrete walls, and authoritative desks. There are very little welcoming features and I imagined what it might be like to be interrogated here….fortunately, the smiling faces of the immigration workers made up for the unwelcoming façade of the building.

Following our jaunt to the immigration office, Wilfred and I enjoyed a great lunch of falafel and shwarma sandwiches at a local ex-pat place. I’m told that they have a great Friday night ex-pat dance crowd…unfortunately, I’ll be gone on Friday.

By The Gypsy Nurse

May 31, 2014

4277 Views

A Travel Nurse Volunteer in Liberia: Clean Water

Posted on May 31, 2014November 10, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse is heading to Liberia with Cross Cultural Care as a travel nurse volunteer.

As you probably already read, The Gypsy Nurse is volunteering in Liberia. I plan to bring you along with me; virtually and give you a ‘feet on the ground’ accounting of the entire process.

Check out the PREVIOUS SEGMENTS OF THIS SERIES if you would like to read more about my experience as a Travel Nurse Volunteer in Liberia.

It’s a premium product here: Clean Water

Robertsport is surrounded by water…with Lake Piso (the largest lake in Liberia) feeding into the Atlantic Ocean. However, there is no running water in most of Robertsport. The locals obtain water for drinking, laundry, cooking and bathing from a local stream. Although there is a huge lake of water…the lake water isn’t safe due to the lack of sanitation. I would assume that garbage and sewage permeate its waters.

At the C3 House here in Robertsport, there is a specific system for maintaining clean water for drinking and cooking. Water is delivered twice weekly from an old UN water storage outside of town. This water is ‘chlorinated’ and utilized for drinking and cooking, dishes and laundry. It’s delivered on Monday’s and Thursdays; rationing is key. The local rate for a 5 gallon container of delivered water is $35LD per container. (The current conversion is $85.5LD:$1USD) So, for aprox $2 USD you can fill 10 gallons of water.

The Kuwaa Mission has also been at work at the C3 house

Stan, one of the Board of Directors and volunteers was at the house shortly prior to my arrival and set up a filter system for the C3 residents to be able to filter water. Water can be brought from the stream above the hospital then filtered to obtain additional clean water for drinking. Although a bit slow, the filtration process is pretty easy.

Please visit the Kuwaa Mission on Facebook to read more about the work that they are doing in Liberia.

Water Filtration Process

Note: Do not filter more than 2 days worth of water at a time, due to safety reasons.

Stan also began to place gutters on the C3 house in order to be able to collect rain water during the rainy season. Prior to being able to collect rainwater, C3 was paying for water and using the delivered water for washing.

On a Personal Note:

I awoke around 3am on Saturday with a downpour outside. With water being a primary concern, my first thought upon waking was all the rainwater that was going to waste. I quickly climbed out of bed and set the collection container beneath the gutter to collect at least some additional water. When I next awoke at 7:30am, the sun was already shining and the collection container was full. It’s a process to move the water as I’m not as strong physically as I would like to think. The process (for me) involves moving the water from the large collection container to a smaller 5 gal bucket then to the bathroom water container which is a 30 gallon plastic can with lid.

Having a new supply of bath water, I felt good about taking a luxurious bucket shower using my fresh rainwater…I’m hoping for additional rain tonight.

By The Gypsy Nurse

May 27, 2014

4059 Views

A Travel Nurse Volunteer in Liberia: Simple Acts of Kindness

Posted on May 27, 2014November 10, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse is heading to Liberia with Cross Cultural Care as a travel nurse volunteer.

As you probably already read, The Gypsy Nurse is volunteering in Liberia. I plan to bring you along with me; virtually and give you a ‘feet on the ground’ accounting of the entire process.

CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS SEGMENTS OF THIS SERIES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AS A TRAVEL NURSE VOLUNTEER IN LIBERIA.

I’ve arrived in Robertsport….
Lake Piso and the Atlantic Ocean are both able to be seen from my provided housing, and the views are beautiful. The people I’ve met so far are just as beautiful.

I arrived on a Friday and barely got my things unpacked before the community came out to give me a welcome. School lets out around noon and the children (upon seeing a new face) all stopped by to say hello on their way home. At one point, I believe that all the children in Robertsport may have been on my back porch… All with beautiful smiling faces, although some are very shy. There are several that I can already feel an affinity toward and hope to learn all the names and be able to develop relationships.

Every child that arrived requested water to drink. It’s not advisable to give things to the locals (including water) as it creates a dependency as well as the fact that it’s impossible to provide for everyone. Although necessary, It’s been extremely emotionally difficult to tell multiple small children ‘no’ when they ask for something simple like water.

The reception was almost overwhelming…especially when combined with the heartbreak of having to deny a simple item like water. At one point, I had to retreat to the sanctuary of my room to gather my thoughts and convince myself that I was doing the right thing.

The Sugarplum

I don’t know how to explain the importance that this simple fruit will forever hold for me. After spending the day acclimating to the people, the heat and the local environment a small boy runs up to me while I’m reflecting on the days events. It’s nearing dark. There have been so many small children through that I remember if I’ve seen him before. He holds out his hand and in it is a ripened sugarplum…he wants me to take it. Having been in many developing countries where all the children are trained to ‘sell and beg’ I smile and ask him ‘how much?’, automatically assuming that he is wanting something from me. He looks at me strangely, saying nothing. I ask again, and he smiles as he lays the sugar plum on the table and runs off in the near darkness.

The wonders of a simple act of kindness…

By The Gypsy Nurse

May 24, 2014

4392 Views

A Travel Nurse Volunteer in Liberia: The Acclimation

Posted on May 24, 2014November 10, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse Volunteering in Liberia. A travel nurse volunteer with Cross Cultural Care

As you probably already read, The Gypsy Nurse is volunteering in Liberia. I plan to bring you along with me; virtually and give you a ‘feet on the ground’ accounting of the entire process.

Acclimation Phase: The Language

The first week here in Liberia has reminded me of the first week of a new hospital contract. Getting to know the staff at work and remembering names is always a challenge for me. Simply figuring out the general processes and workflow at any hospital is always a challenge.

Here, it’s just slightly more difficult. Even though the local language is English, the English spoken here is much different than US English. I would equate it to a somewhat ‘Caribbean’ feel. The words are jumbled together, and the pronunciation is slightly different. Sentence structure is totally ignored; sounds are left off of the ends of words, and for me, their speech seems very fast. An example would be ‘How are you doing?’ In the local dialect, they would say something similar to ‘How ooo gittinon?

Please realize, I don’t bring this up to make fun, degrade, or anything of the sort. The language here has been a major challenge for me. I’ve traveled quite a lot to foreign countries where English is not a primary language and several of them where English is seldom spoken. I anticipated some difficulties in acclimating to the local community, but I never expected the language to be as big of a barrier as it has been for me.

I’ve been very frustrated with myself and my lack of comprehension of the language. It’s interesting when I travel (for example) in a Spanish-speaking country, I don’t have much difficulty understanding and getting my needs met. Rarely do I get frustrated with conversation or my lack of understanding. Here, I have been completely frustrated with my inability to understand the locals. I find that I have to request that they repeat nearly everything that is said. Following a conversation between several locals is nearly impossible and speaking to someone via phone is a lost cause.

Acclimation Phase: The Nurses Role

C3 is a young organization. They have been serving St Timothy’s Hospital in Robertsport for (I believe) only two years. Most of the previous volunteers have been physicians or advanced practice RNs. Due to this, the role of the RN is not clearly defined. During my first few days at the hospital, I felt I was pushed extremely beyond my comfort level. Working in the emergency department, the nurses basically appear to run with little to no physician or P.A. (Physician Assistant) assistance. The nurses are ordering treatments, medications and making decisions on admissions. In the O.P.C. (Outpatient Clinic), where I worked on Tuesday, I was operating basically as a general practitioner/physician, doing assessments, ordering lab work, writing prescriptions to be filled, and determining the time-frame for the patient to follow-up.

This was extremely stressful for me. I do not operate this way in the states, and something felt wrong about making decisions of my own accord. I will say that I asked MANY questions and had the P.A. on duty check over my assessments and orders.

Acclimation Phase: Why am I here?

As I mentioned previously, C3 is a young organization and newly operating in Robertsport. The Nurse volunteer’s role has not yet been fully defined, and I’m feeling the lack of definition as I begin my volunteer time here.

Having worked at St Timothy’s for the past several days, I have asked myself this question time and time again. Why am I here? The ER appears to run well, the OPD meets the community needs, and the inpatient unit (which is mostly pediatrics) nearly has more nurses at a given time than they have patients.

I’ve spent a lot of time considering what the Nurse’s role ‘should’ involve here in Robertsport. Working alongside the current staff has enabled me to identify several areas in which there could be some improvements from sanitation to general processes. I do not feel that the community needs me as a staff member; they really have adequate staff as far as the nursing staff is concerned.

The community and the hospital need better processes, organized procedures, and suggestions on how to improve. How does this get achieved? This is the bigger question. I’m totally unsure at this point how receptive the current staff is on ‘change.’ Having worked as a Travel Nurse for the past 10 years, it’s been ingrained in me to ‘leave it alone when it comes to attempting any changes. As a traveler, the hospitals are generally not very receptive to changes and certainly not from someone (like myself) that is only at the facility for a short period of time.

Will the staff here react the same?

It’s also interesting to note that I feel my acclimation is phasing out exactly like a typical travel contract. See my recent article Life: 13 weeks at a time – as a Travel Nurse.

Personally Speaking:

I think it’s important for the reader to note that I am on a solo volunteer trip. There is no C3 support staff here in Robertsport. I am currently the only volunteer (although there is another volunteer arriving at the end of the week). I am in communication via email and phone with Dr. Montana (founder of C3) who is available to me 24/7 as needed.

I consider myself a pretty independent person when it comes to traveling solo. I’ve traveled solo in multiple developing countries including: Vietnam, Guatemala, Mexico and Panama. I have to say that so far, this experience has been quite a challenge for me on a personal level and has pushed me near my limits. I’m hopeful that these feelings are all a part of my ‘acclimation’ phase and will soon pass as I adapt to the local environment. It’s also interesting to note that the things (lack of supplies/patients dying/local living conditions/etc.)that I thought would be my biggest challenges in adaptation, have not been. So, perhaps once I am through the acclimation phase and figure out what my role here is, I’ll feel less pushed to the limit.

By The Gypsy Nurse

May 20, 2014

6117 Views

A Travel Nurse Volunteer in Liberia: The Adventure Begins

Posted on May 20, 2014November 10, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse in Liberia with Cross Cultural Care. A travel nurse volunteer.

As you probably already read, The Gypsy Nurse is volunteering in Liberia. I plan to bring you along with me; virtually and give you a ‘feet on the ground’ accounting of the entire process.

CHECK OUT THE PREVIOUS SEGMENTS OF THIS SERIES IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ MORE ABOUT MY EXPERIENCE AS A TRAVEL NURSE VOLUNTEER IN LIBERIA.

It’s nearly dark upon my flights arrival into Monrovia.

A small international airport set about an hours drive from the city. Not unlike most developing countries that I’ve been in there is a myriad of others standing at the airport exit calling out and hoping to charm me into their car for the trip into the city. My driver Alpha is there as planned with a sign and a smile and a small wave of relief comes over me.

The drive is simple, one main road from the airport to the city with a couple of turns until we arrive at the expat apartment that Dr. Rob (as Alpha refers to him) has set up for me. The road is well paved and I attempt to gaze at the darkened surroundings as we weave in and out of traffic and around the many pedestrians waiting for taxi’s on the side of the road or casually walking to their destinations.

Along the ride, Alpha and I talk about our families and other simple subjects. After hearing that I’ve never been to Africa before, Alpha comments that ‘black’ people surround me. I’m learning the dialect and catch only part of what he is expressing but I think he is concerned either for my safety or my comfort in being one of only a few ‘white’ people. He expresses how he would be uncomfortable surrounded by only ‘white’ people if the situation were reversed. We laugh together about how drastically I stand out in the crowd.

The arrival at the apartment

It’s a bit uncomfortable…this is someone else’s home and I’m here alone. The current resident is likely ‘in the bush’ and I’ve been unable to call him (as Dr Rob recommended) because the phone that is left for me is uncharged.

I’m thankful that I saved the sandwich from the flight for my dinner as it’s full darkness, I am tired and I’ve been told that it isn’t safe to wander from the apartment on foot after dark. My first concern is the water…is it safe to drink the tap water? I haven’t gotten any bottled water other than the small amount that is left over from my flight. Finding an empty water bottle in the cabinet, I fill it and add one of the water purification tablets that I’ve brought with me. It takes 4 hours before it’s safe to drink so I shower and climb into bed to read.

The first morning after my arrival is beautiful.

The sun sits low in the sky and the heat and humidity are tolerable. I manage to make a cup of coffee and sit on the deck to take in the surroundings. I’m staying in an ‘expat’ apartment. It’s air-conditioned and very nice. The apartment complex consists of 16 units and is fully gated with a local ‘manning’ the gate to allow residents in/out.

As I sit on the balcony drinking my coffee and having my last granola bar for breakfast, the locals are beginning their daily work; a housekeeper arrives at the apartment across from me and begins sweeping, a young boy cleans one of the cars from a small bucket of water and another young boy tends to the plants, watering them. The activities put me mildly at ease…it’s all very normal.

By The Gypsy Nurse

May 12, 2014

3878 Views

Volunteering In Liberia: Educating the Community on Ebola

Posted on May 12, 2014November 13, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse is heading to Liberia with Cross-Cultural Care as a travel nurse volunteer.

As you probably already read, The Gypsy Nurse is going to volunteer in Liberia. I plan to bring you along with me; virtually and give you a ‘feet on the ground’ accounting of the entire process.

IN THE PREVIOUS SEGMENT OF THIS SERIES OF ARTICLES, I SHARED RECENT INFORMATION ON THE EBOLA OUTBREAK AND MY DECISION TO FOLLOW THROUGH ON MY COMMITMENT TO C3 TO VOLUNTEER. Find out more about the Ebola outbreak here!

Post by Cross Cultural Care.

______________________________________

Along with volunteering, The Gypsy Nurse plans to bring to you; the reader, an inside peek at this volunteer opportunity. With an emphasis on the people served, the cultural differences, and the impact that Cross Cultural Care is providing to the communities of Grand Cape Mount. Liberia. I am excited to have this opportunity to utilize my nursing skills to assist Dr Montana in his vision to provide training, mentoring, and growth of skills as a strategy towards lasting change and improved healthcare access for the communities served by St Timothy Hospital. If you would like to contribute to the ongoing efforts of C3, you can donate HERE.

As always we will keep you updated here on our volunteer trip and what transpires. And keep you informed on the Ebola outbreak. Keep checking back for more information.

THERE WILL BE MUCH MORE INFORMATION TO COME AS I SHARE WITH YOU THE ENTIRE PROCESS TO GIVE YOU A “FEET ON THE GROUND” PERSPECTIVE.

By The Gypsy Nurse

April 28, 2014

4979 Views

Volunteering in Liberia: Obtaining Supplies from SOS

Posted on April 28, 2014November 13, 2023 by The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse is volunteering – heading to Liberia with Cross Cultural Care

As you probably already read, The Gypsy Nurse is going to volunteer in Liberia. I plan to bring you along with me; virtually and give you a ‘feet on the ground’ accounting of the entire process.

In the Previous segment of this series of articles, I shared recent information on the Ebola outbreak and my decision to follow through on my commitment to C3 to volunteer. In this segment, I’m going to share some additional preparations that are being taken.

As you may already know, this is my first such trip. I’ve traveled extensively through many impoverished areas but haven’t until now, volunteered. I was totally unaware of the resources available. In light of the Ebola outbreak in Western Africa, I wanted to bring along some PPE (personal protective equipment) for use at St Timothy’s hospital where I’ll be volunteering.

A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO ATLAS MEDSTAFF

Upon hearing about the upcoming medical mission trip to Robertsport, Liberia; I was contacted by Rich Smith, Senior Managing Partner at Atlas Medstaff with a request to assist. After some discussion, Atlas Medstaff agreed to cover the cost for the hand-carry supplies that I was able to obtain.

Now…where to find supplies?

My first stop…a former employer; Floyd Memorial Hospital (FMH). I checked in with the staff that I previously worked with at FMH in the Home Health Department. They were excited to hear about my upcoming trip, unfortunately…they were unable to provide any supplies. FMH (as well as many other hospitals in the Louisville, KY and Southern IN area) send all of their medical surplus supplies to an organization named Supplies Over Seas (SOS)

The staff at FMH directed me to SOS

Supplies Overseas (SOS) “Delivering a World of Health and Hope”

SOS IS A 501C MEDICAL SURPLUS RECOVERY ORGANIZATIONS (MSRO) LOCATED IN LOUISVILLE KY THAT SUPPORTS SHORT-TERM MEDICAL MISSION TRIPS FOR INDIVIDUALS AND GROUPS THAT PROVIDE HEALTHCARE ALL OVER THE WORLD. SOS IS ONE OF A GROUP OF MSRO’S LOCATED THROUGHOUT THE US.

We were given a wonderful overview of the mission and day to day activities at SOS. Having arrived to the facility with no appointment, I would like to give a special thank you to the Volunteer staff members that assisted us; Melissa Mershon, President & CEO and Bill Roof, Warehouse Specialist. Both of these individuals showed the upmost excitement in sharing the mission of SOS.

SOS was able to provide us with a variety of much needed supplies to hand-carry with me to St Timothy’s Hospital. The entire process was very simple. A quick application, a small fee for the supplies and we were off with a loaded trunk full of gloves, gowns, and masks.

_______________________________________

Along with volunteering, The Gypsy Nurse plans to bring to you; the reader, an inside peek at this volunteer opportunity. With emphasis on the people served, the cultural differences and the impact that Cross Cultural Care is providing to the communities of Grand Cape Mount. Liberia. I am excited to have this opportunity to utilize my nursing skills to assist Dr Montana in his vision to provide training, mentoring, and growth of skills as a strategy towards lasting change and improved healthcare access for the communities served by St Timothy Hospital.

THERE WILL BE MUCH MORE INFORMATION TO COME AS I SHARE WITH YOU THE ENTIRE PROCESS TO GIVE YOU A “FEET ON THE GROUND” PERSPECTIVE.

By The Gypsy Nurse

April 14, 2014

7741 Views

Volunteering in Liberia: Understanding the Risks

Posted on April 14, 2014April 20, 2022 by The Gypsy Nurse

The Gypsy Nurse is heading to Liberia with Cross Cultural Care

As you probably already read, The Gypsy Nurse is going to be volunteering in Liberia. I plan to bring you along with me; virtually and give you a ‘feet on the ground’ accounting of the entire process.
“Cross Cultural Care (C3) is an international non-government organization (NGO) that pairs western health care providers with medical staff in areas of the developing world to assist with medical training and health capacity building.

Cross Cultural Care (C3) was founded by Dr. Robert Montana, an American Emergency Medicine physician who decided to create such a program while volunteering in North India.” – http://www.cross-culturalcare.org/about/

The Gypsy Nurse will be spending the entire month of May 2014 in Liberia. I’ll be volunteering with C3 in Robertsport, Liberia.

In the previous article, we discussed the ‘To-Do List.’ I’m still working through all of the paperwork. My renewed passport came back and is now on it’s way to the Liberian Consulate in D.C. for my visa. I’ve filled out all of the appropriate forms for my Liberian Nursing Permit. I’ve faxed, emailed, and made copies of everything I can think of. I think I’m done with the paperwork! Now it’s just a waiting game to see if my Visa and Nursing permit come back without any issues.

Understanding the Risks

I knew that heading into Liberia would expose me to many diseases that I’m unaccustomed to. From Malaria, Dengue Fever, Yellow Fever, Typhoid, etc., there are certain risks one takes when traveling to a developing country. This is not totally new to me as I’ve previously been vaccinated for many of these due to my personal travels in Vietnam and South and Central America. It is best to understand the risks beforehand to educate yourself about these diseases.

What I didn’t know was that an outbreak of the Ebola Virus would be spreading in the wake of my arrival.

I have to be honest…hearing about the outbreak of this highly contagious hemorrhagic fever gave me a moment of pause. I had to seriously weigh the options on whether or not to follow through with my commitment to C3 to volunteer. Dr. Robert Montana, the founder of C3, personally emailed me to update me on the situation and informed me that “You should be aware that there is NO CRITICAL CARE in Liberia even in the capital and air evac may be impossible if you are suspected with the disease.” and allowed me to back out of the trip if I so chose.

I’ve spent the past week researching the disease and considering my options. As of April 4th, there were two confirmed and several un-confirmed Ebola cases in Monrovia (the capital in which I’ll be arriving). There were no current reported or suspected cases in Robertsport, where I’ll be volunteering. Guinea’s bordering country is where the outbreak is currently the worst, with a few cases in both Liberia and the border country of Sierra Leone. Many agencies are currently assisting the Liberian Ministry of Health in efforts to confine the spread. UNICEF, MSW/Doctors without Borders, WHO, and multiple NGO’s are involved in the containment efforts.

Based on the current information available…

I’ve decided to follow through with my commitment to C3, baring any drastic changes in the current situation. I knew when I volunteered that there was a possibility of contracting a deadly disease; the fact that there is a current outbreak will make me more vigilant in my personal protection and care of others. Understanding the risk has made me more aware of the situation and cautious.

In light of the information I’ve received, my packing list has changed slightly to include: masks, gloves, goggles, and a supply of hand sanitizer.

_______________________________________

Along with volunteering, The Gypsy Nurse plans to bring the reader an inside peek at this volunteer opportunity. With an emphasis on the people served, the cultural differences, and the impact that Cross Cultural Care is providing to Grand Cape Mount’s communities. Liberia. I am excited to have this opportunity to utilize my nursing skills to assist Dr. Montana in his vision to provide training, mentoring, and growth of skills as a strategy towards lasting change and improved healthcare access for the communities served by St Timothy Hospital. If you would like to contribute to the ongoing efforts of C3, you can donate HERE.

There will be much more information to come as I share the entire process with you to give you a “Feet on the Ground” perspective.

On a Mission for an Authentic African Meal

Food Name: Cassava Leaves

C3 – A Day in the Life of the Volunteer

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The Gypsy Nurse is heading to Liberia with Cross Cultural Care

Understanding the Risks

What I didn’t know was that an outbreak of the Ebola Virus would be spreading in the wake of my arrival.

Based on the current information available…

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