Why did you decide to volunteer with Mercy Volunteer Corps in Guyana?
Sarah: I had felt the desire to do international volunteer work and began to search for programs. I had a list of things I was looking for in a program...International, Catholic, Community Living, and Nursing Service. My search led me to Mercy Volunteer Corps and through my application, interviews, and discernment weekend, I felt I had found the program for me.
Describe your day to day activities as a volunteer.
Sarah: In August 2010, I moved Georgetown and began living by the MVC tenets: Simple Lifestyle, Community Living, Spirituality, and Compassionate Service. We live simply by keeping a strict monthly budget for the community and a small personal stipend. The MVC-Guyana community is currently four young women who recently graduated college. We live together, eat together, and share our experiences. We are also in community with the Sisters of Mercy here in Guyana and often interact with them. Each week we have a spirituality night where we discuss, sing, or pray together. Our service is all in the city of Georgetown at the hospital, boys orphanage, or vocational school.
This is my typical work day... At six o'clock the sun rises and it becomes too bright and hot for me to sleep much longer, so I get up. I eat a simple breakfast of fruit, peanut butter and bread with instant coffee. I dress for work then I catch a minibus(public transportation small van) to work. In Georgetown, there is one large public hospital and many other small hospitals. I work at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, it is a small private hospital with attached nursing school. I work in the Intensive Care Unit of the hospital as a full-time nurse. My work day starts at 7am and finishes at 7pm. My unit has up to two patients at a time for me to look after. They are attached to cardiac monitoring and recieve total nursing care by the ICU nurse. The most common conditions I deal with are: Stroke, Heart Attack, Uncontrolled Hypertension, Uncontrolled Diabetes, Seizure Disorders, Congestive Heart Failure, Pulmonary Emolism, Pneumonia, Complicated Malaria, Complicated Post-Operative Recovery, Suicide Attempts, and Psychosis.
I like my job because it puts me into such close contact with the Guyanese people. I feel I have become very connected with those I am serving because of the nature of my work and the close quarters. The ICU is my classroom too and I teach the nursing students about assessment skills. I take a taxi home from work because at 7pm, it is too dark to walk alone to catch a bus. I get home and dinner has usually been prepared by one of my community members. I eat and we talk about our days and unwind. Around 9pm, the mosquitoes start biting so I bathe and get under my mosquito net to read until I fall asleep. I work seven 12-hour shifts on each two week schedule, so I also have seven off-days. On my off days, I run house errands such as: go to the bank, pay bills, buy groceries, go to the market for fruits and veggies. I also like to socialize with friends, exercise on the seawall, go to daily Mass, and play with the boys at the Orphanage. Although my life may seem difficult to some, it is my life and I love it.
What advice do you have for future volunteers?
Sarah: My advice to future volunteers is to make the most of your time in service. You may think that two years is a long time, but it goes very fast. If someone invites you to do something new or go somewhere new...DO IT! Go to a Hindu prayer service! Swim in the black creek water! Eat wild meat! Try natural coconut oil instead of lotion! Whine to a Dancehall beat! I will never forget the hospitality of the Guyanese people who have made me feel at home here!