It's like I landed smack-dab in the middle of Mozambique. Or some other strange country. I scarcely recognise anything in this strange place. The people speak a strange language and half the time I have no idea what is going on around me. There are NO resources, NONE AT ALL!! There's nothing to do proper OT with. There are no standardised tests, no gorniometer, no referral procedure, no nothing... I have no idea what I'm doing half the time as the tools that I'm used to are unavailable and no one teaches me wrong from right. It's crazy. To be the most hardworking person within a 50m radius....totally new for me:-)

But interesting... I'm learning new ways. I'm supervising students! Crazy, as a little more than I week ago I still was a student. Now I'm telling them what to do. So today I lugged all my books to work as I refuse to treat someone again when I have no idea what I'm doing. I cannot send someone home or back to the ward knowing I made no difference. It's not fair. And it drives me nuts as most of the people at work get paid the same as me or more but never do anything useful. Every idea I pitch to them is fine, as long as they can sit in their offices and have tea. Okay, maybe I'm exaggerating a little bit, but not a lot though... It's unlike anything I've seen before. The problem is not a LACK of skills, but a lack of people willing to use their skills. Just because people are poor and dont pay for healthcare doesn't mean they can receive inferior treatment. In fact, they use most of their money to just travel to the hospital, so they should be given special care!

So I'm continuing to try my best... Or actually, I'm shoving my "best" up a notch or two and seeing what more I can do. I just hate the feeling of not having made a difference. And I pray to God that I don't become unmotivated.

I like children a lot so I will take it upon myself to see children in the paeds ward and to give education to the mom's of newborns. There's also a place where disabled children are being taken care of and they have NOTHING. Not even proper beds. No toys. No posters on the walls. So if you have something you would like to donate please contact me. They are in more desperate need than the usual term desperate need....