Little Piece of the Puzzle

I've arrived! After a hectic journey, I've finally made it to Noepe, Togo. Let's start at the beginning of the story because its worth sharing. We left Worcester last Thursday to head to the Cape Town Airport to begin our journey. To save money we booked the flight with the most amount of layovers lol. First we stopped in Johannesburg where we sat on the plane for an hour waiting on the tarmack for other people to board. Then we headed for Addis Ababa, Ethiopia where it was smooth sailing. I enjoyed a couple movies on the flight, slept and relaxed. Then that came to a crashing halt as we arrived in Nigeria... Apparently we booked a flight with an airline they said did not exist haha. After fighting for two hours with the airport staff and the plane being held up for us, they gave us tickets with a different airline and we boarded and took off. Because of our delays in Nigeria our luggage did not make the flight leaving me to spend my first night sleeping in my underwear with a bath towel as a blanket. Thank goodness its warm! Atlast we got a call late Saturday that our bags had arrived! Woohoo! When we got to the airport the two baggage guys were drunk and said they didnt know where our luggage was. We had to physically go to the back area (where no man ever gets to go haha) to pick up our pieces that had been sitting there all along. Oh the joys of travel! All of this to say that life is a journey. There are going to be bumps along the way but its what makes you stronger. It also makes for a good story. Nobody ever wants to hear you say, ya everything went perfectly... They want to hear the crazy stuff, because that's what epic stories are made of. If you can, enjoy the journey, don't rush to the next thing when life is easier. Embrace the difficulties, learn from them and try to have some fun in the meantime. In a nutshell that is the beginning of this adventure, one I cannot wait to see unfold. 

We have been in Noepe now for a few days and were given a run through of what to expect from our time here and I'm so excited to get to work. I will be working in the clinic 5 days a week and on the side doing teachings on health, sanitation and wound care to the locals. We might also have the opportunity to work alongside a school teaching children. The clinic has been closed since arriving as the amazing woman (they call Mama Amy) has been away. It will be reopened on Monday where we'll get incredible experience dealing with malaria, TB, typhoid and any other tropical disease you can imagine. We will also be giving vaccinations, doing wound care, and assisting with the possibility of performing child deliveries. They deliver about 5 babies a week! People come from all of the surrounding villages to come to the clinic as this is the only one available to them. 

Because we're not able to work in the clinic quite yet they didnt want us just sitting around, so they put us to work. I've had the privilege of working and learning a lot in the kitchen alongside this amazingly strong woman named Abigail. She came here from Ghana to work and go to school. She has graduated, gotten married and now runs the kitchen on base. Im inspired by her strength and her passion for cooking.

                  The lovely Abigail

     Me working hard cutting vegetables

I also participated in some physical labour jobs since ive been here, and let me tell you... These people work hard! We picked up trash from around the base and then had to sort garbage! We needed to sort the garbage into recycling and compost and then take them to the appropriate areas... After dumping the mucky slawp and what remained of the vegetables you have to hand wash the bins. Not my favourite job haha. But you certainly feel like you've earned your dinner that night.

             Trip to the Noepe market

Since arriving I've heard a lot about the area and the surrounding villages and I'm looking forward to learning more. One of my favourite discoveries was hearing about the water pump. This area was is need of a clean water source, so a group of missionaries raised the funds and built a safe water pump where everyone from surrounding villages could access it. To my amazement the story gets better... The local people came to the missionaries and asked if there was any way they could contribute. So a deal was made. A man has been designated the controller of the water and they keep it locked during certain hours so that the pump does not get abused. Also people pay (a very small fee) each time to retrieve water because they value it so much they wanted to be able to pay for it themselves if it ever broke. They did not want to rely on other people to take care of it, they wanted to take ownership and take care of their people. So this man who recieves no money for his time, collects the money and locks and unlocks this pump every day to make sure these villages always have access to a clean water source. My mind was blown when I heard this story. 

       This is the beautiful water pump

Well my friends, I hope you have enjoyed following me on this journey yet again. I'll do my best to update you but our internet access is unreliable. I love you all and miss you tremendously. Until next time :)

Meghan

Heal with LOVE

The lovely IPHC ladies on our last night before outreach

This past week we've had classes morning and night with meetings in the afternoons and I am beat! It's crunch time! This is it! This is the moment I've been working so hard for... I can almost see the finish line! We had our last exam Monday night and I'm so glad that's over with! Now it's real!! We head to Togo on Thursday at 8pm... It's been a tough go getting to this point but I'm finally here, and it feels soooo good! (Victory dance to come later... And you should all know by now, I've got some awesome dance moves haha)

                           An amazing day at Hout Bay with wonderful people

I'd say the most difficult thing about this past week besides the intense amount of class work, packing and preparing for Togo is saying goodbye to such amazing people! I've really grown to love this place and the people here have made this experience one of a life time! Over the past three months I've been so blessed by the incredible adventures, the opportunity to learn and laugh harder then I have in a while. 

I've always known this about myself but it's becoming more and more obvious in my life all of the time. I thrive off of my relationships. I need people in my life or I'll go crazy. Meeting people who are like me, who also just want to make an impact on this world really inspire me. I've been encouraged and grown so much by these friendships that my mind is blown. I'm truly thankful for the impact they've all had on my life. 

                            Packing up supplies for Togo

Over the past three months I've gained a lot of knowledge about health care in developing nations and am so excited to put it to use. I actually got a little practise yesterday when a soccer game went wrong and one of the guys got his face stepped on with a cleat. Hurray for butterfly stitches! One of the most valuable lesson I've learned since being here is about the idea of healing with love. That we look at the whole person, and our motives are to actually help people. I know the power of love , but to apply it to health care is a new concept. If you listen compassionately, and give people the time and care they need there is a lot that you can do for them, even if you can't heal them with medicine. I hope that I can be an example of love in the field and touch lives everywhere I go.  

The last few weeks we've learned about prenatal care, stress management, first aid, and now we're learning about venomous snakes and spider bites! It's pretty fascinating and scary at the same time. I now feel fairly prepared for anything we could see in the bush bush. 

A few things I've learned about our time in Togo is pretty exciting. We will be working at the clinic in Noepe every day, and teaching a lot of practical skills in the village. Fingers are crossed to deliver a baby, because that would be an incredible experience. We will not have running water and will be showering from a bucket. We'll be living a very simple life without the pleasures of our western world. Our laundry will be hand wash only and the temperatures are around 40c every day. Im actually really looking forward to a time of being unplugged and just purely focused on the medicine. I hope to connect to wifi but I really don't know what to expect. I will do my best to keep in touch via my blog and Facebook/Instagram with some amazing stories and photographs. 

               The Cape of Good Hope... Where the Atlantic and Indian Ocean meet

I realized that over the course of my time here I've talked very little about my adventures, so I wanted to elaborate about some new and incredible experiences I've had. Since arriving I've had the pleasure of traveling from Worcester into Cape Town and really seeing the beauty of this place. I've had the chance to kick some butt and get some huge bruises paint balling for my first time. 

The wild life is incredible here! I can't believe that when you just go out for a hike or a picnic you get interrupted by an ostrich... Some of my favourite places I've experienced here are Hout Bay, the old biscuit mill, Cape Town board walk, waterfall hiking at Limietberg, and for the first time ever ... shark cage diving in Dansbaai, and the list goes on! The adventures and experiences are limitless here! 

Well my friends it's time for me to pack and get on a plane. I will do my very best to stay in touch! Thank you for all of your love and support on this journey! And I cannot wait to talk, with you again :)

Meghan

Live for Today

                                        This is a photo of the beautiful Hout Bay

Hey friends :) I really hope we're still friends lol, I realize I haven't been regularly posting in my blog. Coming here I had the best intentions but then you get into the thick of things and your priorities completely change. For the past few weeks all I've thought of is the cardiovascular system, the urinary system, diarrhea, ENT, anatomy, patient exams and history taking. It's been a whirlwind of exams, studying and yes it finally happened, Meg the put together Canadian had a melt down haha... Don't get me wrong I'm having the time of my life but the stress of this process finally got to me and resulted in me crying like a baby for a few days haha. Which ended up bringing me to a place of being completely frustrated, angry and raw. I think when you get to that breaking point things in your life become more obvious even though you didn't see it before. For example I had no idea that I was still struggling with trusting people until one little miscommunication happened and it triggered an irrational response on my part. You're meeting all of these new wonderful people and you're getting to know them on a deeper level and they are getting to know you, the real you and that can be scary. It's a crazy revelation about myself I didn't know was there. But it's a good thing. When you get to a point of frustration and then breaking you realize the things in your life you want to change. I think that this is where real change can happen, not only in your own life but in the lives around you. It makes you realize it's ok to be vulnerable and it's ok to dream and reach for the stars. If you do fail, at least you tried and in my opinion dreams are worth pursuing even if they don't turn out the way you expected. It just means you got to learn something, grow in the process and probably have a lot of laughs while doing it. Which brings me to, living your life for today... Why worry about tomorrow when you don't know what tomorrow holds? You just need faith that everything is going to work out the way it's supposed to. Enjoy the journey, enjoy the process, let the tears come if they need to, let the pain happen and then move forward. Don't let your failures or flaws stop you from your destiny. That's my little motivational moment from Meg :) 

                                My new friend Nicolas :) this was an incredible moment! 

On a much happier note the past few weeks have also brought a lot of joy, encouragement, satisfaction and knowledge. Some people here call me the Girl Scout because I actually knows how to tie knots haha... I love it! I love that my passion for the outdoors and my survival skills are paying off in all areas of my life. And it definitely gives me a certain cool factor lol. One thing I found fascinating is learning how to do an emergency tracheotomy with a pen in a life and death situation, as well as using the heimlich maneuver for a severe asthma attack. Who knew?! My mind is constantly being blown every day I'm here. 

Yesterday we had the opportunity to go to a blood transfusion clinic and see the lab. We got to watch as they seperated the white and red blood cells in fascination. Then for the first time in my life I was able to donate blood. In Canada I have tried to give blood on multiple occasions but I couldn't because I'd just travelled or I got my nose pierced, or at got a new tattoo....well this time it worked out and I feel so lucky to be able to contribute. One donation can save three lives! If you are able and willing you should donate blood the next time you can :) on a side note the snacks are delicious and the chairs recline haha...

I'm sure all of you are anxious to know what I'm going to do with all of my new acquired skills. We have 4 weeks remaining in our lecture phase of the school and then are going on our practical outreach to... You guessed it! Togo! I know you're wondering where that is haha... It's in West Africa between Ghana and Nigeria. We will be working in a clinic in Noepe for 4 weeks and then heading into the bush bush :) Of course all of you who know me well, this makes me extremely excited! I'm going to be helping people as well as living off the grid in a remote village in West Africa! This is a dream come true for me! As details unfold over the next weeks I'll only be more and more excited about what lies ahead. 

Over the last few weeks I've had the opportunity to go into the community and work with some local outreach groups. One is called Treasure Kidz, it's an organization here in Worcester that brings in kids for an after school program of tutoring as well as teaching them soccer. It gives the kids a chance to be physical as well as improve their studies, building their confidence in themselves. Most kids here don't graduate high school and if they do it's because you only need 30% to pass. I also had the chance to participate in a local outreach and love on some kids in the projects. Some of the DTS students prepared games, songs and dramas for the kids and it was a blast! Of course I left there in tears but was touched by their smiles and the fact that they keep talking to you in Afrikaans and you can't understand a word haha, it's adorable :)

I hope you're going to continue following my journey, praying with me, sending happy thoughts my way and encouraged by the words you're reading. Through this process I hope I can make a difference in many lives, and not just the ones I'm meeting here. Be inspired! If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask. 

Love Meghan :)

It's a beautiful life...

I have to admit that going back to school at the rip ol age of 31 has not been easy. There have been late night cram sessions, countless hours of class work, pounds of chocolate being consumed, Insanity workouts 5 days a week to make up for the chocolate eating, numerous assignments to be completed, and massive amounts of coffee to keep up. At certain points I've felt like I'll fall flat on my face. And then I remember why I'm doing this... To see lives changed and made better, and to make a difference. This purpose is far greater then my feelings of exhaustion, brain overload, and my desire to leave my homework and go play outside. 

When you start a new phase of your life you are in a position of telling people your story. Everyone is new and knows nothing about you, you're starting relationships from scratch. You can be whoever you want to be. Nobody has any idea that the confident, happy go lucky and full of life person is who you are now but wasn't always. You can choose to tell them whatever you like and there is no need to share your past mistakes. But then you realize that those scars are what make you who you are. The things you've been through in the past can be worn proud and without shame.  For a long time I was afraid people would always see me as the divorcee. That word haunted my past. For me it was just scary.... And it wasn't because I wasn't married anymore it was scary because it left me absolutely alone and so unsure of who I was. It's been a journey with many ups and downs, many mistakes made and lessons learned... But it was also of self discovery and relearning who Meghan is. I have no regrets and think my life is purely beautiful. How can I complain as I write this blog from Worcester South Africa. 

 Part of what I'm doing here is preparing to work in remote places where they have no doctors and little to no access to medical supplies. We are creating teachings to bring to clinics about water and sanitation, dehydration prevention and treatment... As well as learning about things we would only see in Africa, like the guinea worm. Google it if you can handle a worm that grows up to a meter long inside of your leg. 

In the picture above we have built a tippy-tap. It's a bunch of sticks, string, a water bottle and that's about it. Essentially it can be made anywhere and will teach people to wash their hands after going to the bathroom and before preparing food. 1 in 9 people don't have access to clean water and are dying of completely preventable illnesses, like diarrhea. It's a very sad reality. 

After two weeks of classes I'm finally starting to feel like a medical student lol... Today we received our stethoscope, blood pressure cuff and have been practising vital signs on every willing participant. Practice makes perfect and I'm determined to be a pro! 

This picture are water filters that we made and will be teaching people how to make. It's amazing what you can do with rocks, sand, a bottle and a cloth. I'm learning so much and loving every second of it! 

The other night we had a bonfire and cultural night. It was a welcome to Worcester night with traditional food and dancing. It was a blast. Us Westerners decided to buy marshmallows and biscuits to make s'mores for everyone and now I think we're everyone's favourite :) I'm falling in love with this place and these people. It's a special culture and youre surrounded by beauty all of the time. 

Let the Journey Begin

It starts with a spark... And grows into a flame. That passion to follow your dreams. A desire to see change and to make a difference... For me this is how it all began.

      

I've always had this longing inside of me to see the world and to leave a mark wherever I go.  As long as I can remember it's been there. So you can imagine when this opportunity came up to travel in South Africa, I jumped at the chance. I will be studying for 3 months in Worcester SA taking a course called Introduction to Primary Health Care in developing countries.  And then I'll be traveling around for 2 months working in clinics all over Africa. 

I have to admit that my excitement has mainly been over run by stress as I've had to pack up my life, and say goodbye to people that I will miss and a job that I love before heading out... putting all of my belongings in storage however does put you in a place to be ok with getting rid of things you don't actually need. To say the least I feel lighter and ready to move forward and leave the baggage behind. I think that might have also been my motivation behind cutting off 12 inches of hair lol. 

I've realized a few things lately about myself and about my life. I can't believe how truly blessed I am to have the friends and family that I have. Some of my closest friendships have been relationships that started within the last year or so. A bond like that is hard to create, but once it's solid there is no breaking it! And I have people in my life who have been there through it all and I wouldn't be who I am with out their support. Like my friend Jeremy... A guy who after carrying $86US in his wallet since 2006 wanted to give it to me so that I could do something special for myself while on this trip. I'm sure he worked it like a champ to make that money and I'm truly grateful for his generosity. 

           

And I would not be here without the love and support of my family. I can't say thank you enough!

A few years ago my life took a bit of a funny twist... I found myself quitting my secure, high paying job without really having a plan of what was coming next. But I knew it was the right thing for me to do. I just felt peace about this decision so I went for it. I've always been one of those people that isn't afraid of taking chances and so far they have all paid off. (Maybe not the spiky hair haha)... And then the opportunity to work at Trailhead came up. Hey a retail job selling outdoor gear sounded like the perfect segway into the next phase of my life so I jumped on it. Woohoo $11 an hour! Less then half of what I used to make. This sounds like a fun challenge! Lol... And it was! And completely worth it!!

Because of that job I realized my potential in sales, testing my limits with adventure racing and the endless opportunities to meet amazing people and help them start their adventures. To some this might seem silly but as far as jobs go I couldn't have been happier. 

I firmly believe that there is a silver lining in every situation. Me leaving the money and job security because I wasn't happy was a leap of faith but it has provided many new and exciting opportunities for me. Joining up with the Disaster Management Team of the Canadian Red Cross last year is one of the biggest rewards of my decision. It's been a ride that's for sure. It helped me to realize and reinforce that need to help and make a difference in the world and one of the biggest factors in my decision to travel to Africa. 

So I feel as though I've hit the jackpot. I can say that I've lived an incredible life so far and can't wait for this adventure to begin!