Volunteers Remember

 

Two volunteers relive their 2012 Tanzanian experience. 

Five years ago, Kate Duncan, Briana Casey and Rhea O’Regan travelled to Tanzania. At the time, all three were studying medicine at Queens University Belfast. They volunteered their time and skills in the OLA mission area of Bugisi for seven weeks. Here Kate and Rhea relive their Tanzanian experience.

Rhea O'Regan and Briona Casey.pngRhea O'Regan (left) and Briana Casey with children of the Bugisi community in Tanzania. Summer 2012.

Rhea O'Regan

Landing in a small African airport late one night in early July and being welcomed by Sr Eileen and Sr Kate will always stand out as one of the many fond memories I have of my time spent in Tanzania.  When people ask me what my time in Africa was like I never know where to start.  From the beginning of our trip to the end however, I can honestly say I enjoyed every moment of my time spent there and have incredible memories which I will carry with me for life. 

Working in the OLA Clinic in Bugisi for nearly seven weeks was definitely one of the best experiences I've ever had and I would go back in the morning if I could.  The people I met, especially those suffering with HIV-AIDS, will always stand out as being some of the most generous and kindest I have ever encountered.  Their stories of life in Tanzania and the hardships they faced on a daily basis made me realise how much we have to be thankful for.  I will never forget the children we met and the looks of amazement on their faces when we took out our cameras to take photos of them.  Our journeys to patient's homes and visiting outreach clinics with Sr Kate were always a fun experience, you just never knew where you were going to end up once you got in the ambulance! It's definitely a place I'll return to in the future.

Kate.png

Kate Duncan with children of the Bugisi community. Summer 2012.

Kate Duncan

In the summer of 2012 Rhea, Briana and I travelled to Bugisi, Tanzania for the summer of our lives! We worked along with Sr Kate in the dispensary and loved every second of it! It's hard to believe how quickly the years have gone but we're still laughing about some of the times we had.

Life in Bugisi is worlds away from Ireland yet in no time at all we felt right at home and part of the community- trying our hand at Kiswahili, bargaining at the market and of course sampling the best local food- Mandazzis! We learned so much from our seven weeks at the clinic with Sr Kate- gaining experience of tropical diseases such as malaria that we would never come into contact with at home, seeing common diseases in their late stages that with treatment in Ireland are rarely seen, and learning how to put our clinical knowledge into practise without all the latest equipment that we take for granted at home. I think what stands out for me the most was just how welcome we were made by everyone in Bugisi and how even though people had very little they were still so generous. We really had the best summer ever with lots of laughs everyday in the clinic, especially on our little adventures with Sr Kate. It is funny how you go out to Africa with the intention of helping and spreading what knowledge you have to those less educated yet end up learning more than you could ever imagine and probably gaining more from them than you could ever give back!

 

Kate, Briona and Rhea have all since qualified as medical doctors. The three are currently on a stint working in Brisbane, Australia.


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