Sue Petrie in Quetta

Yesterday I Did Not Know it Would Be Today

Anakiwa to Quetta.  Could life be more different?  The coastal beauty and greenness of the Sounds to the stony deserts and mountains of the Pakistani city of Quetta and largely Afghan refugee village of Kuchlak.  The freedom to move, to explore the beauty of the outdoors of Anakiwa, to the insular life of living as an expat in an increasingly volatile Pakistan where as a woman I am required to cover up, to never walk anywhere in public unescorted and to adhere to the strict security regulations.

But the similarities of the experience for me are also great.   The stepping towards work and an organization whose values I fully believe in, the challenge and risk of new and demanding experiences, and the making a difference in the lives of others. 

I am currently working for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF – Doctors without Borders), an international, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural or man-made disasters.   It is an organization that prides itself on its values of impartiality, neutrality and independence.  As the Mental Health Officer at our Kuchlak project I have the true privilege to listen to the stories of Afghan women and men who have become refugees in Pakistan.  Their stories of poverty, family conflict and violence, forced marriages, and separation from loved ones are a testament to their inner resources of strength and compassion and our knowing that we are all better than we know.

Being part of developing a mental health service to further support these strong and proud people is a dream come true. I continue to be appreciative of the role that my Outward Bound learning’s continue to have in my life, - learning’s that have allowed me to follow this, my True North, and to enjoy the very different and challenging life I am currently living in Quetta. With the restrictions I live under, it is a chance to reflect on the truly privileged life that I am able to lead in NZ, as a person and particularly as a woman.

“I have always known that at last, I would take this road, but yesterday I did not know that it would be today”  (Unknown)

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