New documentary follows MSF staff inside harrowing Bentiu camp

I’m an “OT” nurse. I’ve been working with MSF for at least 10 years.  

However, I was also born in an MSF hospital on 14 February 1990 when my mum was working for MSF as an advisor on HIV and tuberculosis. My father also supervised a therapeutic feeding centre, treating malnourished children. 

I grew up, continued my education, then I came back to MSF. My mum is still very strong and working with MSF in Leer [around 100 km south of Bentiu]. MSF even saved my brother when he almost died. Now he is training to be an engineer, but without MSF, I might have lost him. 

My role is to take care of whatever procedures happen in the theatres. We have a schedule of patients for the day – apart from the emergencies – and I have a big role when a patient arrives. 

I make sure everything is understood by the patient and their family, that we have all the right instruments ready for the surgeon and that everything is sterilised. I assist the surgeon. Often one hand cannot do something alone, but two can do it together. My role is all about communicating very, very well, and I am always learning from the surgeons. 

Before COVID-19, you had to have a radio with you when you left work, then if anything happened the surgeon would call you. But now it’s different, and we take shifts staying in the hospital overnight, waiting for anything to happen.  

You decide to work for the community with MSF. You have to. 

I was born in this country. The only thing I want to happen is to have peace – to have security and work comfortably with my organisation. 

Our hope is that one day we can go back to our respective homes… to Leer. Not to stay in the PoC. 

I have already sent my children to Uganda as I want to give them a good education. When I have holiday, I try to see them, but sometimes I don’t have good transport and I cannot go. 

I need to see my children. When the crisis in this country is over, I can bring them back and we can enjoy everything together.