A visit to Umpiem

Today a friend and I returned to one of the English language education programs at Umpiem refugee camp. It's home to around 15,000 people, nestled up in the mountains. Last time I came (in 2007) I helped with a first aid course. This time it was more general health. They've had some anatomy so we talked about the locations of different GI problems that are common here and other things. We also answered lots of questions.

Umpiem really is a pretty place, it's just too bad so many people live there. The students spoke excellent English and didn't seem to have much trouble understanding as we talked about gastritis, reflux, worms etc. Some of their questions involved nutrition which was difficult because they have such limited access to meat, fruits, and veggies (ie anything but rice). One guy asked if it was okay to be vegetarian. I had to say "if you can replace meat with beans etc, it's fine. But here you should probably eat anything you can get your hands on." Most students agreed that this was the diet they plan to pursue.

An odd moment was at lunch. I was sitting with another med student and the teacher at the program at a tea shop on a hillside in the camp. It's just odd to look out and realize you are enjoying a nice lunch in a refugee camp, especially when they are playing an Aerosmith's Greatest Hits album in the shop. It's just surreal.

It all seemed to be a success and I hope to go back at some point. It was also nice to have a day where I didn't have to try and stay focused or busy. I left home around 7am and returned at 6pm and it flew by. Days at the clinic (just like any hospital when one is a student) tend to drag by.