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Milou Bekker in Surinam: a great and valuable experience
Milou Bekker was in Surinam from January to June 2006.
"After four years learning out of books I decided it was time for something different. And something different I got indeed. In January 2006 on behalf of the Female Cancer Program I was sent to Paramaribo, Surinam to work on the See & Treat project for six months.Almost right after I got off of the airplane I went to work in the field. After travelling three hours by jeep and two hours by boat we arrived in Galibi (Indian village) where there was a long line of women patiently waiting for us. We unpacked and got straight to work.
I noticed that the women where well informed about our visit to the village, they where so happy that we took the time to come to them because a lot of these women are unable to go to the city when they want to. They were also glad that we were able to treat them when we discovered something was wrong because now they did not have to take another day off from work which would have meant a pay check less. For me working in the field is a great experience. The work in the field is hard work but you really mean something to these women. You can feel the gratitude everywhere. Besides all this I am developing skills and I am learning a lot. It is also a great experience for me to visit such an extraordinary country in this way because I really feel I am getting to know "Switi Sranan" (Surinam) and its people. To be short, I'm getting a great and valuable experience here in Surinam thanks to the Female Cancer Program!"