The semester has ended. Graduation has come and gone. The job market is a stagnant pool filled with algae, toxic runoff and countless new grads all vying for the same 3 hospital jobs. The solution? Pack up and move almost 7500 miles, of course!
OK, so a lousy job market wasn't my only reason for moving to Somaliland, a small, self-declared sovereign nation in the Horn of Africa. In fact, I've dreamed about volunteering in the developing world for years; it seems that now is the time to turn my dream into reality. To this end I'm moving to Hargeisa, the capital city of Somaliland, in August.
I'll be taking up a volunteer position as a nurse at the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital. This incredible facility, named for its founder Edna Adan, provides excellent healthcare to the people of this desperately poor nation. With its infrastructure decimated by the civil war which preceded the separation from Somalia, Somaliland's healthcare system is in rough shape. Edna's hospital shines as an example of quality, hygienic, compassionate care. With a special emphasis on maternity, the hospital works to reverse the region's poor maternal health outcomes. Giving birth (and being born, for that matter) is a dangerous business in Somaliland, but Edna and her staff are working to change that. I eagerly anticipate helping the fantastic team at the Edna Adan Maternity Hospital.
Right now I am spending my days making lists, buying large-brim hats and sunscreen in bulk, and raising money to fund this crazy adventure! But the summer will be over before we know it, and I'll be winging my way over the Atlantic, across the African continent, and touching down at the edge of the world, where the Horn of Africa meets the Gulf of Aden, for the adventure of a lifetime.
Stay tuned for further updates...
