8/2/2019 Volunteering in Nigeria: Dr Falguni Basu (Indian volunteer)

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iVolunteer Overseas

D-134, First Floor, East of Kailash

New Delhi-110065

Tel.: +91 11-26217459

Email : vso@ivolunteer.in

Website: www.ivoindia.org

Ibd.com

My Volunteering Experiences- Discovering my strengths & potentials

By Dr Falguni Basu, VSO Volunteer, India

An Ayurvedic Doctor by profession, engaged in clinical research; I was adventurous at heart but

someone who liked to live in his comfort zones. One day I decided to listen to my adventurous

spirit! The opportunity presented itself in the form of an assignment to volunteer my skills &

experiences through the iVolunteer Overseas Program to make a first hand difference in the lives

of the Africans.

Life couldnt get more adventurous for me; Dr.

Falguni Basu. I hail from Rishra, a small town

near Kolkata, West Bengal and this is my story

Most of us, at some point of time in our lives

have wanted to do something to change the

world. We may have wondered what we were

doing in this robotic life & job. We may have

dreamt of exploring the world BUT

But, what can I alone do? But, who will pay for my travels? But, what about the rent?

These series of IFs & BUTS was never ending

until I contacted iVolunteer & VSO. It gave me an

opportunity to use my skills, to change lives, to

explore new cultures & countries; to just evolve

as an individual professionally & personally. It allseemed too good to be true!!

My first ever volunteering experience was in

Nigeria. I was sent to the Center for HIV and STD

Research as HIV Baseline Development Officer,

placed in a remote village called Umonyama in south-east Nigeria.

The moment I arrived in Nigeria for my placement, I found myself in a completely differe nt

situation; culturally, geographically and socio-economically!! I was placed in a remote village

without electricity, internet & water was a mile away from my house!! The house was filled with

lots of rats, bats and cockroaches!! The nearest cyber caf was in a distance of 45 km. Signals in

8/2/2019 Volunteering in Nigeria: Dr Falguni Basu (Indian volunteer)

2/2

iVolunteer Overseas

D-134, First Floor, East of Kailash

New Delhi-110065

Tel.: +91 11-26217459

Email : vso@ivolunteer.in

Website: www.ivoindia.org

mobile phone fluctuated & some times switched off for 2-3 days!! Even the mobile operator in

Nigeria was not provided GPRS in the rural area.

All my comfort zones were shattered but left my sense of humour intact!! In the circumstances

where there was no electricity, I entered my house to find a refrigerator provided by my

employers!! Well, in time it was used as a kitchen cupboard!

My worksplace had one computer with only 8 GB hard disk and severely infected with virus, there

wasnt enough space even to install anti-virus software!! Some times I borrowed laptop from my

Nigerian friends; some times worked from business center or my volunteer friend, Sudha

Rathores laptop. During overseas placement co-volunteers are truly friends in need.

So, has life changed for me? You bet it has!

This is a wonderful experience against all odds. One can discover a lot of hidden strengths &

potentials within oneself.

Personally, for the comfort seeking person that I was, today I am ready to face any challenge, any

hard-ship. I believe I can survive in any corner of the world with whatever the situation is.

Professionally I never did social research, I used to coordinate and monitor clinical research. But

now I am confident enough to conduct social research on my own.

This experience gave me so much that I was inspired to volunteer myself for yet another

assignment! After one and half months back home, I came to Kenya for my 2nd placement. I write

this in my 4th month of this placement of 2 years.

Here I work as a HIV mainstreaming advisor in an organization called Catholic Diocese of Homa

Bay (CDoHB). This time too I had my initial challenges of living in a maternity ward of a hospital of

the diocese & surviving on hospital food. Now, I have my home in the most picturesque location of

Lake Victoria. The story has a twist in the tail my house is the only one within the compound

without electricity!!

And I merrily march on