I met Jemma in Kathmandu, Nepal. Jemma studies medicine in the University and she was doing her intership as a volunteer in one of the hospital in Kathmandu. However, Jemma was sharing her spare time by helping orphanages. As I wanted her journey to set a good example for many people I conversed with her via internet. I hope Jemma and her friends would never lose their energy and enthusiasm. I think publishing and sharing their observations and experiences in izinsiz gösteri, regardless of the language it's written in, is a good attitude in this era, in which everything is stereotyped. The following is our questions and answers with Jemma Smith..



Can you tell us Jemma about how long you stayed in Kathmandu?

In total I spent 10 weeks in Nepal, most of that time spent in Kathmandu. I met Jemma during my Asia journey in the summer of 2005. And I was impressed by her serving her internship as a young student of Faculty of Medicine in a poor country of Asia, in Nepal. As I wanted her journey to set a good example for many people I conversed with her via internet. I hope Jemma and her frinends would never lose their energy and enthusiasm. I think publishing and sharing their observations and experiences in izinsiz gösteri, regardless of the language it's written in, is a good attitude in this era, in which everything is stereotyped. The following is our questions and answers with Jemma Smith.

Why did you chose Nepal for your voluntery work?

In most UK medical schools you have the opportunity to spend a number of weeks abroad as part of your studying. You can chose where you go and what you do, you can even stay in the UK, you could work with mountain medicine, flying doctors, GPs or anything that takes your fancy. I have always wanted to visit Nepal, and that part of the world, so I decided that going there as part of my medical elective would be a fantastic opportunity to really understand the country and its people. I have always been interested in paediatrics (child health) so I researched paediatric facilities in Nepal and found that there is one paediatric hospital in the whole of Nepal which is in Kathmandu. So I applied for my placement here and was successful, so spent 5 weeks working in the Children’s Hospital. Whilst working at the hospital I became involved in working with an orphanage in the area, this was a really wonderful experience. Meeting the children and spending time with them opened my eyes to a different side of life.

After completing my placement at the hospital I moved out of the host family I was staying with, and moved into a guest house in Kathmandu (where I met you Bora!). Through working at the orphanage and staying at the guest house I met another girl who was working in a different orphanage in the area, I began to visit both orphanages. It was quite startling to see the comparison not just between life in Nepal compared to that in the UK, but also the differences that existed between the two orphanages. One obviously had a lot more funding and a lot more care then the other, and the organisation of one could not always be quite understood. We became quite concerned about the children and their welfare.

During the rest of my time in Nepal whilst working a these orphanages my friend and I looked after one of the orphans who had an injury on his hand that had not been checked by a doctor. We took him to hospital and stayed with him for 4 days whilst he had an operation. We also did some relief work in a village outside of the Kathmandu valley, where we too some aid packages consisting of food, clothes, and some basic medical care.

The experiences that I had in these few weeks in Nepal has inspired me and opened my mind to a different way of life, and such different experiences. At the same time so beautiful and so heart renching, I learnt a lot about myself and about human nature. These experiences have been the impetus for the inspiration to do more work in the same area, and set up a charity to make it possible.

What was the image on your mind about the Eastern world as a Westerner before going to the East?

I had been to China and Mongolia before I visited Nepal, I think I knew it would be different from the UK obviously, but I went with an open mind. I was hungry to experience a new and diverse culture that is so different from my every day experinces, that I was excited to become immersed in it.

What was your first impression about Nepal and Nepalese people; and how did it change?

I think my first impression was of a very friendly, open culture, and that certainly did not change. They are concerned about the important things in life to the most extent, and have an open attitude to health, disease, and disability; it is part of life, something to be embraced rather than embarassed of. They have a diverse culture that could be a model for so many.

What do you recommend to other students who study medicine or other subjects such as education, science, etc…..for their long vacations?

Most medical students get the opportunity to travel as part of their course, and I would always recommend going to a developing country because you will gain a far greater understanding of health, and seeing healthcare work in such different conditions gives you a perspective on what we have in the developed world. İ would always recommend Nepal because I loved it so much and always will, but there are so many countries out there with so much to offer that you are bound to have an amazing journey wherever you end up.

Other students should take very opportunity they can do travel, it is always fantastic to see the profession you are interested in, carried out in such a different environment with such different conditions and facilities. Whether this is education, business, science or whatever; you will appreciate your own skills, the facilities you have to hand, and the truth of your profession. You will find out what it really means to want to have that job or be that professional. You will see it carried out in its raw, original state.

What is your next travel plan?

I think my next opportunity to travel will be in summer 2006 because I do not get a lot of holiday in my 4th year of medical school, and have important exams at the end of it. There are so many places in the world that I want to go to and experience that it is hard to say where I will go next. At the moment I am trying to set up a charity with some people I met in Nepal, and so will probably return to Nepal within the next year, which will be wonderful.