Off to Timor-Leste. . .
I am writing from home here near Yungaburra and my mind is in a swirl anticipating and planning for the coming months of travel and work experiences. This time next week I will be in Dili, in Timor Leste (East Timor). I am eager to sink my teeth into a few projects and experiences again. Ultimately I want to be able to work in the realm of public health for longer stints of time and commitment, but I’m not ready for that currently. My strategy now is finding short term opportunities which will give me a variety of experiences and give me a stronger foundation to draw upon in the future.
I am writing from home here near Yungaburra and my mind is in a swirl anticipating and planning for the coming months of travel and work experiences. This time next week I will be in Dili, in Timor Leste (East Timor). I am eager to sink my teeth into a few projects and experiences again. Ultimately I want to be able to work in the realm of public health for longer stints of time and commitment, but I’m not ready for that currently. My strategy now is finding short term opportunities which will give me a variety of experiences and give me a stronger foundation to draw upon in the future.
Megan Counahan, a friend from my Nitpickers: Head Lice Education and Prevention chapter, is now an epidemiologist with WHO in Timor Leste. She has kindly invited me to visit her in Dili and has arranged for me to accompany teams doing clinical and public health work in several districts of the country. I’ll know more details upon arrival on January 20th, but one week will be spent on the island of Atauro with an MD and nurse midwife running clinics.
Facts about Timor-Leste:
Full name: Democratic Republic of East Timor
Population: 857,000 (UN, 2005)
Capital: Dili
Area: 14,609 sq km (5,641 sq miles)
Major languages: Tetum and Portuguese (official)
Indonesian and English (working languages)
Major religion: Christianity
Life expectancy: 56 years (women), 54 years (men)
Monetary unit: 1 US dollar = 100 cents
Main exports: Coffee, marble, potential for oil exports
GNI per capita: $750 (World Bank, 2006)
For more information on Timor-Leste check this BBC link:
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Tuvalu. . .
By mid-February I’ll be heading to the island nation of Tuvalu in the Pacific. I’ll be a member of a research team from James Cook University studying lymphatic filariasis. There will be other teams working concurrently around the world (French Polynesia, Ghana, Nigeria, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Malaysia and Zanzibar) on this devastating disease which affects 120 million people. Interestingly, the base of operations is Smith College in Massachusetts.
At the end of March I hope to return to Kashmir to the same region where Judy and I were last year. I would be going to schools in the region to give lessons regarding health issues. The plans for heading there are still pending due to the political circumstances.
I’m grateful for these opportunities and excited to share them.
I should be able to check emails periodically and make blog postings. I will be eager to hear news from everyone, so please write when you can: helenweld@gmail.com or post a comment on the blog if you have a gmail address.
Helen
At the end of March I hope to return to Kashmir to the same region where Judy and I were last year. I would be going to schools in the region to give lessons regarding health issues. The plans for heading there are still pending due to the political circumstances.
I’m grateful for these opportunities and excited to share them.
I should be able to check emails periodically and make blog postings. I will be eager to hear news from everyone, so please write when you can: helenweld@gmail.com or post a comment on the blog if you have a gmail address.
Helen
1 comment:
Dear Helen......once again we wish you well as you travel on your intrepid journeys, assisting with clinical & public health work in those far off places, often under difficult conditions....we know that you will always be an invaluable asset to any team (besides being the best organizer extroadinaire!)
Lots of love,
sue & john xx
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