Surgeon Noonan Volunteers Set to Depart for Tanzania

Six students from UCC to volunteer for four weeks at OLA run health facilities.

Five of the six medical students who will volunteer their time and skills at OLA clinics in Tanzania. Clockwise from top left are: David O'Connell, Finbarr Crowley, Oisín O'Sullivan, Eve Mallon and Jane Burns. Missing from picture is Ruth Kelleher.

Six medical students from University College Cork are today making final preparations ahead of their summer placements at OLA-run clinics in Tanzania. The students are all members of the Surgeon Noonan Society at the third level institution. Tomorrow, Saturday 10th June, the group will depart Ireland and make the 7,000 kilometre journey to the city of Mwanza, located on the shores of Lake Victoria in northern Tanzania. After acclimatising at the OLA House in Mwanza, the second largest city in Tanzania, the group will travel to the rural areas of Bugisi and Mwamapalala – home to the OLA medical missions.

This year’s volunteer group will continue the long standing relationship between the OLA Sisters and the Surgeon Noonan Society. The group is made up of students from across the island of Ireland with Ruth Kelleher from Co. Waterford, Jane Burns from Co. Galway, Eve Mallon from Co. Down along with Cork natives Finbarr Crowley, Oisín O’Sullivan and David O’Connell.

The Surgeon Noonan Society was set-up in 1977 to enable fourth year medical students to travel to Africa for their summer electives. The elective requires all students to complete a four week placement at any hospital – in Ireland or worldwide.

'excited and a bit nervous'

Jane Burns took some time from her preparations to share some thoughts on the upcoming volunteer mission:

“I’m very excited and a bit nervous of the unknown!  I would not normally be the adventurous but experiencing a new culture and environment appeals to me. All the group has been busy preparing since last September. We’ve organized many fundraisers. The Surgeon Noonan Society would be very well known in Cork and surrounding counties. I also held a coffee morning in my home town of Portumna and people were very generous.”

Fifty medical students in total from the Surgeon Noonan Society will complete their four week elective in Africa this summer. Ghana, Malawi and Zambia are among the other countries to which the students will travel.

Special surprise

Jane also explained that the group will be bringing some basic medical supplies along with a special surprise for the children:

“This week we have been all preparing the medical kits that we will bring with us. It includes catheters, incubation units, test tubes, needles, HIV kits, scrubs, gloves – many of the items were donated by the Bon Secours Hospital and CUH in Cork.

“The UCC Knitting Society has also got involved. They invited us along to one of their knitting events so we could knit some teddy bears which we could bring to Tanzania. The Knitting Society has also knitted many teddies for us over the last number of months!.”

In preparation for the mission, the group completed an orientation day with Sr. Eileen Cummins at Ardfoyle Convent last April. Preparations are also continuing in the OLA mission areas ahead of the arrival of the medical students who will volunteer their time and skills at the OLA health facilities in Bugisi and Mwamapalala. The OLA Sisters have been present in Tanzania since 1991. Education, healthcare and pastoral outreach are the main focuses of the OLA mission in the east African state. All funds raised by the Surgeon Noonan volunteers will be used to improve the OLA clinics in both villages.

Volunteer Orientation Day at Ardfoyle: Back row (from left): Sr. Eileen Cummins and Jane Burns. Front row (from left): Finbarr Crowley, Ruth Kelleher, Oisín O'Sullivan, David O'Connell and Sr. Anne Cahill. Missing from picture: Eve Mallon.

Links

• Click here for more on volunteering with OLA
• Gordian Barry volunteered in Tanzania during summer 2016. Click here to read about his experiences.
• Click here to read about the HIV Aids 'Test and Treat' project being rolled out bu the OLAs in Tanzania
• Click here to visit the Surgeon Noonan website