1.Serve the people who are really in need,at the most unreachable areas
2.A 4wheel drive adventure
3.Creating awareness in any little way we can
MERCY Malaysia is a non-profit organization further details go to
http://www.mercy.org.my/
So anyway the whole team of 4 wheel drives was heading down from miri,one car had to detour to pick me up from bintulu airport.Honestly i was quite nervous,although i love adventure,when the lady in charge told me not to expect anything,of course i wasnt but i couldn help thinking of wht i had to bring hmmmm
"Sleeping bag - check , torchlight - check,fishing rod (ermm seriously u want me to fish)"
Sadly i am after all a subang girl :)
So anyway met this 4 great volunteers from miri 2 doctors,1 nurse and our driver - We headed on to Sg Asap a 2 hours drive from the airport where we were suppose to meet the rest of them
What might be our last meal for the next 3days
Part of the entourage
Part of the organisers eating in Sungai Asap
From Sg Asap drove another 40 mins towards the area to our destination
Pit stop before our gruelling 4hour journey.At was 4pm when we left this place towards the long luar area
The nature call stops 2hours midway
One of the many penan villages on our way,needed to stop and promote/ask them to attend the mobile clinic the following day
Finally we arrive at Long Luar at 8pm,trust me no electricity,no water,only generator is at the tuai rumah's house
Busy uploading things for the mobile clinic the following day
The people
After all the uploading we had to head another 20mins to the place we were suppose to stay.All in suspense coz the organizers told us not to expect much.Few volunteers left earlier to start preparing for dinner.By this time most of us were really exhausted after almost 10hours on the road,plus the clinics the next day
Absolutely lovely meals throughout the trips - we were never left hungry
Yay so happy to see where we were staying - Camp Samling ,a bit of a squeeze with 20plus people per house but who cares at least we had a roof over our heads
All bright and cheerful to start of day long clinics
The prgramme's for the day was the mobile clinic,activities for the children,and risk reduction in case of fire
Medical @ GP's
Eye check-up
Dentist - Very good business :)
The very dedicated pharmacist explaining and re-explaining - cause most of the times the parents cannot be found
Dietician's checking the BMI,nutrition and health counselling
An excellent Pap smear screening
Risk reduction in case of fire all the pails were filled with sand by the volunteers,because the penan people do not know how to use a fire extinguisher.Hopefully the education helped
So we ran clinics from 8-1 then lunch break resume from 2-5 .The turnout was good,some came from nearby longhouses(near meaning an hour long boat ride:)Overall it was great.Saw almost 300people.
Group picture - Great job everyone:)
Final BBQ and de-briefing session
Overall it should be commended that everyone put in so much of time,effort and mostly volunteering to do something.Actually the Long Luar plight started because their long house was destroyed in a fire and hence the risk reduction in case a fire were to happen was advised.These people still cook with firewood,have no proper running water,even no school for the children.Someone comes in 3times a week to teach these kids,but is it really enough(I think we can all answer it for ourselves)
The number of children you see there will really surprise you,u think and see what happens when these kids grow up,will they follow their parents footsteps and still live like a nomad,would they ever learn about internet,I-phone???
That's why it is so commendable that an organization which is the Rotary Club of Victoria Singapore is going to adopt them for further continuity of efforts to revive not just the folks here but also those from the nearby areas.Thank you MERCY sarawak for rercruting me for being apart of this wonderful mission and UMW the main sponsors for making it happen as well,may there be more in the future.A shoutout too to all those volunteers,the organisers who all did their part making all this happen,things like this only work out greatly when there is teamwork and a lot of passion,cheers:)
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