Hello Blog Followers,

This past week I checked off a big to-do item from my big list of things to accomplish before I leave for my volunteer trip to Kenya. I got injections! Trust me, it sounds equally as appealing as was the experience.

Before entering into Africa, just like many other non-North American continents, there are a variety of vaccinations one must acquire. Some of these vaccinations are strongly recommended, while others are obligatory and legal requirements. These policies are enforced for the safety of the individuals traveling and thus aim to protect them from the various risk factors commonly encountered.

Specifically, Kenya has one legally enforced vaccination that travelers must have prior to entering: yellow fever vaccine. This vaccination, evidently, assists in the prevention of acquiring yellow fever, which is a viral disease most commonly transmitted from mosquitoes. Yellow fever is a severe illness that affects various organs (in particular the liver and the kidney) and symptoms can range from mild fever symptoms to fatality, which is commonly seen in many infected individuals.

Other vaccines that are recommended prior to entering Kenya are; typhoid, hepatitis A, malaria and various others that are commonly immunized against in North America. Another common vaccination that is prescribed by physicians is Dukoral, which immunizes the body against travelers’ diarrhea (most commonly caused by various strains of E. coli found in foreign countries).

Due to the fact that the illnesses being vaccinated against are not typically found in Canada, health care does not provide coverage. Therefore, most travelers must seek out a specialized travel clinic in order to acquire the proper immunizations before leaving Canada. The initial visit and assessment is roughly 50.00 dollars in-and-of-itself, and then each immunization ranges from 50.00 dollars to 150.00 dollars. Just some of the other expenses required in order to volunteer overseas. Thanks to some of the incoming donations, these expenses are slowly becoming manageable.

In the end, other than a very sore deltoid for two days, the vaccinations were well received by my body. I am glad to have one more thing off my list and with each completed task I am slowly getting closer to Kenya. Health is the crutch to this mission. Through Nursing, I hope to help the health of many Kenyans, while also maintaining my own health throughout the process.

Hey Everyone,

Just last week I had a great opportunity to share my Kenya volunteer plans with the local newspaper. The nearest urban town to where I am living, rural Oro Station, is Barrie. Thanks to a contact of my Mom’s, in the Barrie Examiner advertising department, I was able to get an interview set up with a journalist about my upcoming volunteer trip to Kenya.

The journalist, Nikki, arrived at the door, last Tuesday afternoon, with her note pad in hand and, closely followed by, an unexpected photographer. Nikki was a lot easier to talk to then I had envisioned throughout the week leading up to the interview. Nikki had a giant smile on her face when I greeted her at the door and, right off the bat, it felt natural to let her in to share information about my upcoming trip. The conversation, more so than an interview, didn’t feel forced at all.

The great thing about this interview was that Nikki forced me to think of questions that had not yet crossed my mind and, consequently, I had not properly thought of serious answers to give for her article. One such question Nikki and her photographer companion asked me was, whether or not there were things besides the volunteer experience that I was looking forward to doing while in Kenya. I honestly had not thought much about what I would be doing in my spare time because so much of what I have been told by others, or even warned of, is how I shouldn’t be going out at night or alone due to the safety risks. However, I have now purchased a travel book on Kenya from Chapters and will be reading about some of the cultural landmarks and historical places I can visit while I am in and around Nairobi.

Another interesting question I was asked was, how might my experience in Kenya shape and influence my perspective on life upon returning to Canada. Presently, especially now in the planning stages, much of my efforts have been on getting to Kenya and not necessarily centered around thinking about what it is I might encounter or endure while Nursing in this East African country. I already know, thanks to media and the Internet (Google images specifically) what to expect of the geophysical landscape. Equally, I know visually what the living conditions are like for the potential areas I will be placed. Yet, what I cannot Google search are exactly what experiences I will encounter in flesh. As is to be expected, it will be these experiences (the unknown) that will dramatically alter my present ideologies on third world living conditions, the effect these conditions have on health care delivery, and the health status of those I care for.

I am glad I had the experience to talk to Nikki from the Barrie Examiner. It truly helped me reflect on my upcoming adventure and it will bring new light to the readers in terms of what we can do, as Canadians, to help on a global platform. Finally, I was asked to pose for a picture that will be joining the article. Let’s hope that it all turns out O.K.: the picture, Nikki’s article and, of course, my journey to volunteer in Kenya. Keep your eyes posted in the upcoming weeks for the article in The Barrie Examiner (link to their website provided on the right).

Jacob Mossop

Dear Potential Sponsors,

I have been accepted into a Kenyan volunteer program through Global Volunteer Networks (GVN). It is a non-Government organization that places volunteers in a range of projects such as teaching, orphanage’s, environmental work and medical teams. I will be working with a medical team through a local organization in Kenya, called Volunteer International Community Development Africa (VICDA), for three weeks starting February 12, 2010.

The goal of my volunteer project in Kenya is to share medical skills and work alongside local hospital/clinic staff to provide those in need with basic medical care. Many government-run hospitals and community medical clinics are ill equipped and skilled to handle the volume of people in need of care who would otherwise struggle everyday. I will be working with local staff to assist with their daily duties, such as patient care, patient histories, applying dressings, injections, counseling patients and providing health education. Having the opportunity to volunteer will also be vital in developing my skills as a health care professional.

In order to take part as a volunteer there is a program fee for the three weeks, in addition to airfares, entry visas, vaccinations, insurance, money for bottled water and a donation to the organization. I am aiming to raise $3,000 by mid December. With my personal savings I will be covering the $400.00 application fee and my airfare. Your donations would help me cover miscellaneous costs (entry visas, health insurance, criminal record check) and the program fee of $1000.00. The program fee includes money that the organization gives to the host family that I will be living with; a percentage is a donation to the organization and, finally, administrative costs. A donation of $20 or more would be generous in assisting me to take on this challenge in Kenya and would be greatly appreciated.

As you know, I have been studying for the MCAT up in small Oro Station in rural Ontario. In the next two months I will be studying and working hard to raise the funds needed to volunteer in Kenya. If you are able to contribute for my mission to help in the current health crisis in Kenya, I would be thankful.

In addition to my trip, I will be making a video journal of my day-to-day volunteer experience and will be using this to make a presentation at my little sisters school up in Oro Station. I will also post this documentary online for you to witness the amazing work you helped make happen.

Please contact me if you have any questions about the program. Cheques can be made payable in my name and posted to the address above or other arrangements can be made to receive donations. Thank you for your support and helping me with this cause. Your help will allow me to participate in an experience that will aid a country and population in need.

http://www.volunteer.org.nz

Jacob Mossop

BScN, RN

Jambo-

I might as well start practicing Swahili (one of Kenya's two official languages - the other being English) as I will be spending three weeks volunteering in the Eastern African country. By the way, the word Jambo means Hello!!

Well, my name is Jake and I am a Registered Nurse living in small-town, rural Ontario - Oro Station. You may be asking, :"Why are you living in a town of 500 people and not working as a Nurse, in a city, where hospitals exist?" The answer to that is quite complex, but put simply, for blogging sake, it's because I moved back home to study for the MCAT exam that I will be writing at the end January. This exam will be the last pre-requisite I need, on a long list of 'must-haves', before I can apply to Canadian medical schools next summer. "Why apply to medicine when you are a RN?" This answer is simple; I have always wanted to be a doctor, nursing was something that happened along the way.

Having a passion for the Sciences and Health Care, I quickly realized - while studying Cell Biology and Genetics at the Univeristy of British Columbia (UBC) - that perhaps being a Biology Major was not the right route, if I wanted an understanding of what being a doctor might truly entail. I immediately dropped two courses in my third year, took a full-year prerequisite course in Anatomy and Physiology, and then applied to the Nursing program at UBC. After being accepted into the advance-standing program, I was able to complete my Nursing degree within two years.

Throughout those two years, two things stood out. The first, was that I had a passion for Nursing. I loved interacting with the patients, the unique intimacy involved, rotating through the various fields of medicine, and learning the sciences along the way. I knew then that a health care setting, career wise, was right for me. The second, was how much becoming a Nurse was inspiring me and lending me the confidence to pursue medical school.

In the past year; I have finished a 3rd year Biochemistry course, my last undergraduate prerequisite for medical school; lived in Paris for four months, which was on my list of life accomplishments; and moved home to Oro Station, to take on the challenge of studying for the MCAT. One of my last wishes and goals was to take some time to volunteer abroad as a Nurse.

That is what inspired my application to volunteer with a medical team in Kenya. Now that I have been accepted into the Global Volunteer Network program, my wish is about to become a reality. In order to help me on this path, I am requesting the help of those around me for sponsorships. The following post is a more formal letter I have written for potential sponsors, family, friends and YOU!