My wife and I both work at a local hospital. Given the patient population and limited resources it is easy to understand how the hospital staff is overstretched. One may attribute that to a lack of desire of our colleagues, however this is not the case. My background is in laboratory science. Our hospital normally does not have the resources required to offer any sort of pathologic tests. However, one day surprisingly I was able to procure some eosin stain. I stained a sample from a patient. When the chief surgeon heard about what we were doing he ran to the lab and demanded to see it! He mentioned that he had not seen this test done for quite a while. He was so excited and was unaware this was possible at our facility. Per the stain he changed the medication which he had prescribed to another. It also greatly encouraged me too. That yes, my colleagues were overstretched but they still had the same desire to offer to their patients quality care. It is indeed a privilege to work with a staff that, despite challenges, are all working toward the same outcome.

I’m grateful to be able to work along side one of the doctors at berbera regional hospital. He’s bright and energetic. Always reading up on diseases and treatments, and he desires to grow in knowledge and is always asking for extra teaching! It was a privilege to accompany him as he went the extra mile to do a ‘house call’ to a girl who was improving but who lived on the beach under a thorn tree. He wanted to see where she lived as part of his discharge planning which showed his diligence and care for his patients!

It was the last normal day of class. I could sense a strange new energy surging through the air as class started. When the students started doing their work, I knew something was up as one of them asked me, “Teacher, after class I want to say something to the whole class.” “Okay, but first focus on your work,” I responded. When class finished, this same student came up and gave very nice words of appreciation for the year, while other students bustled to bring in a cake and gift. Then we all celebrated by taking a class photo together. It was sweet to see the relationships that were built and the appreciation of the students for the school year.

I started volunteering in Somaliland as a nurse in 2020. Shortly after arriving, the COVID19 pandemic came onto the horizon, and I was thrown into attempting to prepare for the crisis with local colleagues. I was blessed by the way that the hospital cared for me, going so far as to find housing for me. I ended up living with a handful of Somali women who also worked at the hospital or in town. They quickly became friends of mine and we developed trust in one another by sharing our cultures and our hearts. I have found that facing the joys and hardships of daily life has been made much easier by the comfort of being able to do these things alongside friends. Learning about and becoming part of the community here has been a highlight of my experience.

When I first arrived in the Horn as a university lecturer, I would never have guessed that I’d discover such a friendly and welcoming community. I’m blessed with experienced and reliable colleagues, but we’re also able to have fun. I have a sweet tooth, so when I discovered that there was a lovely little ice cream shop next to the university, I soon developed a new habit. Much to my surprise and joy however, it didn’t take long before my guilty pleasure began to catch on. And soon there was a little group of us who’d sneak out between lectures (and sometimes before lunch!)