Papuan Child Chasing Her Dream to be a Doctor in China
The young woman in the blue medical uniform seems busy passing through the corridors of the hospital, entering wards, and checking the condition of every patient in the hospital. Her friendliness makes anyone quickly familiar with her. She is Elkana or commonly called Egi, 27. Egi is a young doctor completing her duties as a co-assistant at a private hospital in Makassar, South Sulawesi after completing medical studies at Jiujiang University, China.
Egi is from Keerom Regency, Papua Province. She is the eldest of two children in her family. Egi was a sponsored child of Wahana Visi Indonesia (WVI) in Keerom from the second grade of elementary school to high school. While assisted by WVI, Egi was very actively involved in various activities.
“I did a lot of activities with WVI. I wrote letters to sponsors and learned to write and tell stories. I also received assistance in form of school supplies such as pens, bags, and shoes. I was very happy at that time, especially when I wrote a letter, waited a long time, and finally got a letter from my sponsor when I was in fifth grade,” recalls Egi. At that time, Egi's sponsor came from Canada and was 92 years old. Nobody thought that this experience of getting a sponsor from abroad would eventually shape her big dream for the future: studying abroad
Stepping into junior high school, Egi then joined the activities of Peer Educators. She and four friends from the same school attended training in Jayapura. The Peer Educator activities that Egi participated in focused on adolescent health.
“I practiced how to deliver material on reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections, HIV/AIDS, and drugs. I disseminate the information in various ways, including through drama. We also do outreach via radio. I got the opportunity to be an RRI radio announcer in Jayapura and Jakarta,” she said,” I know the world outside Keerom because of WVI. So, when it was time for me to leave Papua for college, I was no longer surprised because I had a lot of experience.”
The dream of studying abroad came true when Egi graduated from high school. She had the opportunity to study in Germany for a year majoring in general medicine before finally continuing her studies in China. Even though she had moved to countries with different languages and cultures, Egi's passion for learning never stopped.
“Because I was active in Peer Educator activity, I was determined to become a doctor. I want to help people in my area. The number of doctors in Papua is still very low and not everyone is willing to serve with their hearts. Many Papuans are still reluctant to go to the doctor because of many factors,” explained Egi earnestly.
Everything that Egi achieves now starts from a small dream through her introduction to the child sponsor. Of course, she hopes that other Indonesian children, especially Papuan children, have big dreams like her.
“For Indonesian children, all of you must have a dream. Dreams are the key. You will have a future target of what you want to do. If you don't have a dream, you have no direction. Don't think about other people's words, 'ah I am a poor person, ah my economic level is low'. Dreams must be accompanied by action and prayer otherwise it is just wishful thinking. How do we act? By studying hard and participating in positive activities, also gather with positive people. Remember, there are no poor people, only lazy people,” she stated.
Egi is also very touched by the assistance she received from WVI from childhood to adolescence. According to her, this assistance helped her to reach her dream, “Keep fighting, don't be discouraged, WVI. Because you are a source of inspiration for us, the children. Thank you WVI!”
Written by Rena Tanjung, Communications Officer, Wahana Visi Indonesia
