Bonjour Mishra : Seven Days in Wonderland: A traveler’s tale of Africa

I had never imagined that I would have visited the most remarkable place on earth, pearls of Africa –the Cape Town. I was lucky to represent as a Nepali delegate from people’s health movement Nepal Students’ Circle (PHM-NSC). The vary occasion was the Third People’s Health Assembly which was a gathering of over seven hundreds activist from around the world to find a solution to erase the global persistence of poverty, illiteracy and ill health and to make their voice louder for a health for all.

From May to June, I was busy learning about justice, equity issues, social determinant of health, and moreover people’s health movement as part of my online People’s Health University Course. I made an active participation in the online stage which involved more than hundreds of activities around the world. I was lucky again to secure my place into three of the outstanding events happening in the Cape Town-International People’s Health University (IPHU), South African National Health Assembly (SANHA), and The Third People’s Health Assembly (PHA3) from 6-11 July, 2012.

There was a time, when I was in misery I could not have my visa on time. Because of that I could not attain the IPHU, SANHA. Still I was happy & cheerful enough to find my visa finally issued. Company with Prof. Dr. Arjun Karki, Prof. Dr. Kedar Baral, and Sandesh Karki from Patan Academy of health sciences (PAHS) made me more excited. We left KTM on 4^th July. The four hours travel from Kathmandu to Doha, the capital of Qatar and an oasis of desert was an exciting trip as this was the first time I was flying. Fourteen hours travel then to Cape Town-pearls of Africa increased my excitement even more, and dropped the tiredness. The six days conference passed like a minute. The conference was amazing, a big wow. I have never seen so many people of different race, color, speaking different tongue gathered in a single place. I was more interested to talk and make friendship with people from Africa and Latin America who where the most humble people I have ever met- perhaps I could not meet them again in my life. The conference started with blessings and a ritual ceremony from traditional shaman healers, this lead to the opening ceremony where many renowned faces from Africa and People’s Health Movement spoke about the importance of the gathering. Among the many influential-one of the speaker was the Health Minister of South Africa. Similarly the plenary, sub plenary, workshops, thematic sessions of other days were been wonderful. Because most of the sub-plenary and workshops were going parallel, I could only enjoy a few of it. On the fourth day of the conference, we had a meet among activist from South East Asia-Bangladesh, Srilanka, Nepal, Pakistan-this was a wonderful experience sharing PHM activities that we doing in Nepal. Being the youngest in the group never stopped me sharing our story of student’s activism for people’s health movement in Nepal.

The peculiarity and specialty of the vary conference was made stronger with folk songs sang by bands from South Africa, theater screening inspiring documentaries, different delicious dishes from Africa. Dishes with corns and lamb meat were my favorite but I could not let me to make a different taste of beef, neither the pork. I was really happy to find my company with Mr. Sandesh Karki, my neighbor next door in the hostel of University of Western Cape. Mr. Humble Mr.Joel Buenoventura -Public Health Officer from Philipines and Beautiful Ms. Ceri Averill from Oxfam GB, Wales, Uk, they were really kind and helpful to me. Beside the conference we went for shopping, bought gifts, travelled on rail and have first ever experience of MacDonalz in Capetown.

I am a busy man-I was busy there too. I worked as a rappourteur in two of the plenary and one workshop by Oxfam GB this made me to realize I worth documenting. I interacted with people from People’s Health Assembly organizing committee, the global secretariat who made the momentous gathering possible. PHM global secretariat has a fantastic team. Devid, Bridget, Hani, Anneleen, Claudio, Amit, Devid Legge where the people with whom I got the chance for interaction. They were humble people-in my interaction with Devid Legge I found that PHM secretariat was interested to explore the possibility of next IPHU in Nepal. The conference was running over in quick fashion but the participants were building resolution that will be the guiding for grassroots’ struggle for health. This resolutions culminated in Capetwon Call for Action-this is a document which represent the poorest of poor and voice of those who are looted by private profiteering health system in Developing as well as developed world and their pledge for universal access to health. The last day of the conference was not that I expected in South Africa. We went for a rally in the busy streets of Capetown. This rally, unlike the usually rallies made my organizations and Political parties in Nepal that I participated-was peaceful, colorful .The rally ended in-front of the parliament of South Africa where we handed over Capetwon Call for Action and shouted loud for “Health for All ”.

I made plenty of photo shoot during the trip. It was good experience to try more in photography. This was my first ever experience in foreign land but I had never imagined my first trip abroad could have been to Africa. Now I have known better about the world-the gap between haves and haves not, and the struggle for health.

If you want to know more about PHM-NSC ?

There still may be few of people who have not heard of people’s health movement, its fellow People’s Health Movement Nepal Students’ Circle. Though new, PHM-NSC is gaining popularity for its voluntary work to sensitize students, professionals about people’s health movement in Nepal. PHM-NSC is independent and concrete forum. The students who had already got repeated frustration while involved in other student’s circles in institute of medicine made a resolution to create their own space where they can talk about social determinants of health, issues of justice and equity, where there would be no need of pharmaceutics sponsored snacks and cocktails parties to attract students. This cohesive voice gave birth to PHM-NSC in the March of 2012.

The dream to make the world just and equitable where all have the right to basic minimum needs is the dream of all. It’s a dream of an activist who has been touched by people’s health movement. It’s the dream of you and me, young and old and requires the support from all regardless of their education level, age, color. The People’s Health Movement is a crusade for health for all. A lot of folks have been made about students’ interest, enthusiasm and power to bring social change, but nobody has given students chance to lead. Meanwhile, a unique effort was set forth by students of Nepal to establish PHM Nepal Students’ Circle, a coalition of students motivated by historical people’s health movement. The close inputs from Dr. Mathura Pd. Shrestha, Dr. Sharad Raj Onta and Dr. Mahesh Maskey-the legendary PHM activists from Nepal were been crucial to boost the students’ motivation for a visionary shape to the circle. First they started the circle with the group of dozen of students-Tara Ballav Adhikari, Hari Aryal, Pawan Acharya, Dushala Adhikari, Aditya Shakya, Shiva Raj Mishra and many others were the students committed to bringing PHM-NSC to life. Since it was a student circle, they thought of creative ideas to make students aware of PHM agendas and importance of the right to health for all. They started with a PHM Public Lecture from Prof. Dr. David Sanders to deliver his famous lecture in PHM-NSC. Now, they have developed PHM Theater, PHM Discussion Forum and PHM Alliance. They have organized an executive committee, steering council and have been planning to structure senior leadership circle to provide constructive comments and ideas and membership subscription is about begin. They welcome all those who have faith

in justice and equity who advocate for free and universal access to health.

Some Snaps .