Health Care
Thabarwa, Thalyin, Burma
December 2019.
As explained during the introduction of our project (here), we packed up more than two months ago for a humanitarian world tour. By humanitarian, we mean closer to locals and humans in general, to learn from our differences and grow from within.
After examining the two missions available in Burma on the HelpX platform (small number due to the recent opening of the country), here we are, on our way to Thabarwa Buddhist Meditation Center, 20 minutes from the ancient capital Yangoun, as we read a lot of positive volunteers’ experiences.
Thabarwa is a non-governmental humanitarian organization working for a noble cause, but above all, a refuge for people in need (homeless, elderly, sick, infirm, blind, deaf disabled and mentally-ill). It currently houses over 4000 persons, including 1000 patients, allocated in different hospitales and halls. This sanctuary welcomes everyone without discrimination and offers free shelter, meals and spiritual teachings.
Thabarwa is founded on the principles of Buddhism (for a little reminder on this philosophy, it’s here), which implies that everyone is encouraged to do good deeds (patients, volunteers or just ordinary people coming). It has been created to educate on the benefices and results of generosity. Buddhists and other persons inspired by this philosophy consider that by doing good, they will attract and condition the good in their life.
This is also why the center encourages the practice of meditation. To do good, people need to be clear with themselves, and teachers at the center believe that without meditation, the mind is unavailable to do good deeds at Thabarwa because of worry, anger, fear, misunderstanding or any other disturbing emotion. In this sanctuary, “most people are not wealthy, not young, but most spirits are healthy, with far less toxic attachment than other people in our society”.
Concerning the activities within Thabarwa, the particularity is the freedom granted to the volunteers: people can participate according to their wishes and competences. There is no obligations and expectations. The “organized” activities (described below) and the participants are decided the day before during a daily meeting.
-
“Clinic Taxi” is the activity involving picking-up infirm and handicapped patients by wheelchair at different hospitals to bring them to the clinic for physiotherapy. We then help them for their re-education exercises and bring them back.
-
“Basic Care” includes changing diapers and urine bags.
-
“Patient Care” consists of cleaning and healing various wounds (e.g. bedsores).
-
“Patient washing” implies, as its name suggests, showering patients. Important to note is that many patients are entitled to only one shower a week because of their disability and the small number of volunteers available comparing to the large number of patients.
-
“Positive health” consists of going from hospitals to hospitals filling up patients’ bottles with water, but also organizing fun activities aimed at making them smile and laugh (doing their hair, nails, make-up etc).
-
Alms gathering in the morning with the monks to collect donations and food for the day.
-
Construction of additional infrastructures.
-
Help with cooking, cleaning and other activities in the center.
Being completely free, it is also possible to visit patients and people to simply brighten up their day, or take them to the Pagoda in the centre to pray. Once again, we are free to do good deeds how we would like.
Our typical day: waking-up at 6:45 for a breakfast prepared by donations collected during the morning alms. Then, time for our favourite activity: clinic taxi! During our stay, we connect with those people who need daily physiotherapy sessions. We favor the repetition of this activity so as not to cut this emotional link too brutally. These sessions are transformed way too often in small talks. During 4 hours a day, we wander with our little patients throughout the village of Thabarwa, on a rather rough road. It’s often very funny!
After a rather generous lunch, also made by morning’s donations, we love to visit patients at hospitals with no specific purpose than brightening up their day. We don’t feel ready for basic and patient care, by fear of being clumsy or having disrespectful reactions. Maybe another time!
Most disabled, infirmed or blind patients stay in bed all day because they cannot get around on their own. Having understood the importance of spirituality and the place of Buddhism in their daily lives, our favorite activity naturally becomes bringing those people to the Pagoda of the village to pray, talk or simply be a little bit alone.
We develop a special friendship with Aung, who has to do daily re-education to be able to unfold his legs one day. We hold his hands during his very painful physiotherapy sessions, and we take him to pray every day. We are so moved when we see him so happy to be able to go there. He even takes that as an opportunity to take to wear his most beautiful white shirt! The goodbyes are painful and we hope that other volunteers will get along with him as we did.
This experience was very intense and we went through many different emotions. The first being a sensory shock: seeing people who suffers, smelling illness and poverty, hearing screams of pain and the cleanliness. We try to keep the face, stay strong and convince ourselves that it affects us less than we think. But the harshness of reality kicks in. The second emotion is guilt. Why them? Why not us? We are so lucky, how can we close our eyes? How can we live without thinking of people who are suffering? The third is anger and the desire to turn everything upside down: we must help them, we must make things moved, there is not enough organization, etc. We are upset at the world. Then comes acceptance: we can help, at our scale. By spreading and gathering smiles. By sharing our experience to raise awareness about kindness, solidarity and such a beautiful philosophy…
If you wish to make a donation to this center, please click here.