At Mays meeting the 1st Wednesday group discussed:

Band-aid for a broken leg: being a doctor without borders by Damien Brown.

Damien Brown is a twenty-nine-year-old Australian doctor, inexperienced but motivated by a strong desire to help, when he arrives in Angola – an impoverished, war-torn country in south west Africa – for a six-month posting with Medecins Sans Frontieres. It’s his first stint with the organisation, and he thinks he is ready.

Groups comments:

• Terrifying knew nothing about Angola
• The religious conflicts were disturbing
• Reminds us of the unfairness of war
• Stark contrast between situation and western life
• Probably nothing can prepare someone for the conflicts of war
• A bit repetitive at times
• Didn’t tell us much about Thailand
• Author mindful of his own differences and limitations
• Lack of resources
• Differences between the locations and challenges quite frightening
• Really stirred the group