‘My country needs my help’

Published May 5, 2015

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Kathmandu - A Nepalese doctor who works in South Africa has fond memories of growing up in the south Asian country.

“The thing I remember most fondly about growing up in Nepal is the responsibility, dragging my two younger brothers along to the village school,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, a Nepalese orthopaedic doctor, living and working in South Africa.

Sherpa is one of five Nepalese doctors travelling with disaster relief organisation, Gift of the Givers, to his home country to help those affected by the deadly earthquake.

On March 3 1976, Sherpa - the second oldest of six children - was born in the mountain village of Namche Bazaar near Mount Everest.

“My eldest sister, Ang Maya, always lived with my aunt as she had no children so I was like the oldest son in the house,” said Sherpa during an interview with ANA on Tuesday.

“Children in Nepal are very responsible,” he said. “They’re always washing dishes, fetching water, and so on.”

Sherpa attended the local village school which was a single classroom with one or two teachers.

“We didn’t learn much,” said a smiling Sherpa.

“School was more of a way for our parents to keep us out of the house but still be safe”.

How then did a child from the foothills of the world’s most famous peak end up as a doctor?

“My father was a guide for tourists going up the mountain and one day he was guiding an Australian,” said Sherpa.

The Australian had slipped and was caught in time by Sherpa’s father. Wanting to show his gratitude, the Australian asked Sherpa’s father how he could repay him.

“My father said, ‘please put one of my children through school’”.

The Australian agreed, sending Sherpa to a boarding school, and a few years later to a private medical school both in Kathmandu.

That was where Sherpa met his South African wife who was studying in Nepal. When Sherpa and his then-girlfriend graduated, he decided to stay in Nepal.

“I made a commitment to serve my village for at least two years,” he said.

Returning to his village, Sherpa made his parents proud.

“I was the third person in my village to become a doctor and the first to return home. Because Namchebazar is such a small community, everyone knew whose child I was,” he said.

“So, every treatment made my parents proud.”

Then, in 2007, following some travelling, Sherpa made the decision to move to KwaZulu-Natal.

Here Sherpa made a life for himself and his family. This was also where he found out about the deadly earthquake in Nepal.

“I received a message from a fellow doctor who asked me how my family in Nepal were doing. I found that very strange so I checked online and on Facebook and saw stories of the earthquake,” said Sherpa.

He found out that his family and his village had felt the 7.8 magnitude quake but were safe from any real danger.

But that did not stop Sherpa from wanting to help his people.

“I kept thinking, ‘This is the time my country needs my help’,” he said.

“But I knew me going on my own would not make a difference”.

That’s when he contacted the Gift of the Givers.

“When I spoke to Dr Imtiaz Sooliman, he immediately said when they are leaving, I was welcome to join them.”

So began the journey back to his motherland where he would join some of SA’s leading medical minds.

At first, Sherpa said locals thought he was a guide to the South African medical team.

“When they found out I am a doctor, I think they had more respect for me, felt more comfortable, and thought I was more qualified because I worked in South Africa.”

On working with the Gift of the Givers for the first time, Sherpa said it was a great experience.

“It is a proud moment in my life to work with the South African team,” he said.

“I used to think South African doctors were spoilt… Driving their Mercedes Benz, living in expensive houses…”

“But seeing these medical practitioners sacrifice so much to help Nepal, using the local toilet, sleeping next to one another, and showering outside, has opened my eyes.”

Sherpa said South Africans made him proud to be Nepalese.

“The feedback from the team about the humility of the Nepalese people, the smiles… It reminds me that happiness does not necessarily come with comfort and money. And that makes me very proud of my country.”

ANA

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