Gul, 63 – Testimony of Rohingya

As soon as she started talking, tears came to her eyes. If it is too painful, if it brings bad memories to you, you do not have to talk. When I told her these words, she said she wanted to talk, she wanted to bear witness. She works as a TBA (Traditional Birth Attendant) for an INGO. As a Rohingya woman she has less opportunities to go outside than men, but she has a strong will. In her own words she explained what the Rohingya Identity is.   Everyone got scattered on that day. I do not know where my family is. I ran away with my neighbours to Bangladesh. And, Ah, my son and father-in-law were killed by the army and the Buddhist people form Rakhine. Now I live here, with the remaining 6 members of my family. I am a TBA. When I was in Myanmar I was working at Malteser (German NGO). In addition to my role as a TBA, I was in charge of vaccination, polio treatment, and the like. Malteser’s clinic was the only free clinic we had. Other hospitals would only take patients who could pay an extra treatment fee. Poor people with severe illnesses and no money could only wait for death, without any medical treatment. Now I am worried that the shelter we live in won’t last long and will collapse. I made it with my own hands. Only bamboo was provided, I bought all the other materials myself. Illness can make us succumb, I have pain all over my body. Neither my husband nor I have any income, we cannot eat anything. Without money we cannot buy nutritious products like meat or fish....
Source: Doctors of the World News - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Uncategorised Source Type: news