The anticipation for Johanna Bäcker is enormous. In the next six weeks, the pediatrician from Giessen will carry out her first voluntary aid mission in Kenya and provide medical treatment for people there.

The weeks of preparation were intense and full of anticipation. Giessen pediatrician Dr. Johanna Bäcker undertook her first voluntary aid mission in Kenya. Your destination is Athi River, a town near the capital Nairobi. Over the next six weeks, the 31-year-old will care for local people who cannot afford to see a doctor. The mission is under the umbrella of the aid organization German Doctors, which currently sends volunteer doctors to seven projects around the world. Before her stay in Kenya, Johanna Bäcker spoke in an interview about her aid work, her preparations and her daily work.

Mrs. Bäcker, how did you come up with the idea of ​​going to Kenya for an aid mission?

Thanks to my father’s work, I traveled to many foreign countries in my early childhood. My interest in other cultures has awakened. During a short search on the Internet, I came across German doctors. Because I believe that everyone has the right to medical care, I wanted to use my skills as a doctor for children and adolescents to help improve the health of children, even in the poorest countries of the world. world.

What exactly does the German Doctors’ Organization do and what does it stand for?

German Doctors is an international non-governmental organization based in Bonn. Volunteer doctors carry out short six-week assignments in medical emergencies, including in India, the Philippines and Kenya. They take care of the health care of disadvantaged people in the operational regions. Since 1983, 7,756 relief missions have been carried out and more than twelve million people treated.

What do you expect from the trip and your stay in Kenya?

I am already well prepared thanks to the exchange with my colleagues on site. With two German colleagues, I live in accommodation near the Athi River slum. We treat up to 120 patients a day at the Fanaka health center. I will mainly take care of children. We will work there with local staff to support the training and continuing education of local health workers according to the motto “The help that remains”.

How did you prepare for this stay?

Since March I have participated in several projects and seminars of the German doctors and medmissio of Würzburg. Among other things, the cooperation partners with whom we work on site were presented. The most important medical topics were covered, and behavior in the event of a crisis was also described in several safety seminars. As literature, I used the so-called Blue Book and the Medbox – an online library.

How are your working days in Athi River? Are there already concrete plans for this?

Patients come to see us at the Fanaka health center in the morning. In addition to height and weight, upper arm circumference measurement is important in assessing the nutritional status of children. Diagnoses and therapeutic recommendations are recorded in writing on sheets. As our care is outpatient only, we refer patients to the public hospital if necessary. Some weekends, field operations in remote areas are also planned.

This will be your first voluntary mission abroad. What are you most looking forward to?

To the colorful variety of tasks ahead of me, to the ever-happy laughter of children, and to the gratitude of parents, for whom even small improvements make a huge difference.

Medical care in Kenya cannot be compared to that in Germany. Is there anything else worrying you?

I am a general practitioner, nutritionist, midwife and maybe also a pastor at the same time. Our diagnostic and therapeutic options are limited. It will be an emotional and medical challenge. But true to my motto “Healing is an art. It takes time, it takes practice, it takes love“, I will do my best to help where health is priceless.

Anyone wishing to support and donate to German doctors can find more information on the website at https://www.german-doctors.de/de/.