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After my training I worked in a private hospital in the biomedicalI have worked in Nigeria in different hospitals after my graduation
from school. I was trained in a military hospital, I was trained in the
Central Hospital and I was trained in the University Teaching Hospital
in Nigeria in Edo State.
centre in Edo state.
I run laboratory tests, draw blood from patients and review quality
control from samples that we run. We test for blood, urine and other body
fluid, we test or spine for diabetes, liver function, kidney
function, urinary track infection, throat swab for sore throat. Depending
on the specimen we are working on, we place them on a plate, incubate them
overnight and on the next day we read the plate to see the bacteria that
grow on it and we present a precise answer or result to the
condition. The samples we collect help doctors diagnose and safe the
patient. My hands are always on work while in the lab.
I label them, record them, write down the results from my scientists.
I was in Libya - because of my travelling status I came into the country notI have worked with different kinds of scientists: with
pathologists, haematologists, parasytologists etc, and some other doctors.
I specialised in collecting samples for medical examination and
diagnosis. I worked there for one year, then i resigned. I went to work in
a micro finance bank. In the health department, during my internship there I
was trained to use a computer very well with a particular computer
language called m2, I worked as an (MIS)Microsoft information systemdata
entry staff. We tracked new employees and I also entered daily transactions
and took backups for all the daily work, change of report generating and
maintainances
through the air but the roads so there was no visa in my passport.
Most people thought after my graduation I will continue.So I was not allowed to work with my medical lab and computer profession. So I
had to learn, take on an unskilled job different from my profession. I
was working as unskilled labourer. I also worked as a building labourer.
I was living good. But I wished I could work in my profession there. So I had to find something else to do. So I learned other work to survive. I was living well anyway. Because I was working and I was earning money. Even though you don’t have a profession you can work anyhow liberally, so if you do it well they will definitely pay you, so I was living well. I left Libya 2011 during the Libya war that was when I entered Europe and I was thinking maybe this is a chance for me to work in my profession. So along the line when I was given a one
year document, they just drove us from the camp to find a job. I had in
the meanwhile tried to apply but they said I had to start all over
again . So I said ok, first I have to learn the language, then start all
over again.
Now that I don’t have a place to stay how do I start the whole thing?
So they said I can go to another country in Europe and try to survive
and work, maybe I am able to get some money for a house then I can
start applying for my course again.
That is how I came to Hamburg. Because we were driven out of the camp to
go to another country to try to start work or get a job. Because their
is no job in Italy and they told me it is going to be difficult somehow .
They are the caretaker, we were under them, we believed them, they are
the Europeans, so they told us. Some of them even don’t have work.
So there is a place in Europe here, London or Germany, you can go
there, but our documents do not permit us to go to London. I know most
of us speak English so they prefer to go to London .
They told us you can go to Germany, it is still the same EU.
You can find a job there with this documents. But when we got here, we
discovered that our documents cannot work here. Because of reasons I
don’t know they said it is only permitted to work in Italy. We can only
stay here for three months, then we have to go back. We were
disappointed. What do we do now?
Many of us have taken time to learn the language, started looking
for work, but the job wasn’t coming and the result was that many of us did
illegal work like begging. Many of us cannnot imagine, you know, you
live in Africa and come here and start begging...
So they told us you have to leave for other parts of Europe, so many of
us left for other European countries, I came to Germany, stayed at the Piek As.
We started looking for work, they said our documents don’t
allow us to work, so what we did is pick bottles up. That is how we
started our lifes here: picking bottles, empty bottles to sell. After a while we were all driven out from Piek As.
We were all homeless before the church came up.
Before I left Libya I was working and sending money home. Every week I could send 100 dollars.
Because you work and you get money, there is money there, for anykind of
work. Even if you are not professional, you get money if you have
strength to work. There is work for people who have strength, there is
work for people without strength. So the money really counts.
So I was sending money home anyway. Immediately after the war started I
left and I could not send money anymore.
There was no income, no job, so up to now I haven’t send money. I have
to take care of my younger sister, she is at school and for the past three
years I was not able to support her. It is really painful to me. Sometimes I do
feel, how is she surviving with my mom, she is 24 now and she is studying
at the university Agriculture Economics
For the past 3 years I haven’t been able to help her. Even now she has
to travel to a farm in another state for the practical and she even asked me
for money and I had to say: I am sorry, I don’t have now. It is so
painful not to be able to assist in her education. Even I can’t give my
mom anything.
My mom, she understands my situation, she doesn’t ask me for money, she
understands very well, but she always told me if I have anything to help
my younger sister. School fees, some other living expences. I think about her everyday because I remember when I was at school I was been given money all the
time, before our father died. Now she is the last in the house and
doesn’t have the opportunity that I had and being the eldest in the
family I am supposed to support her. But because of my situtaion here I can’t
help her. It is so painful anyway. I just hope someone helps me out.
I now have a family. Sometimes I think, how can I carry everybody along?
Take care of my family here and my people in Africa.
I just hope everything will be fine.
If i have the opportunity to make a training here, even to start all over again
for my course, I would be very happy. My friends from school have been
working and have gained so much experience now. I would love to forward
my education here. So one day, when I go home, I will have something to
show. And take care of my family.
I would have loved to work with the course because it deals with human
life and I love saving lifes, specially sick people’s. I remember
there was this woman who suffered from tuberculoses and there was this
particular treatment for the disease. The free drug that was given to
all patients was supplied by a German research Institution and the
patients have to take the drugs for 8 months to be able to erase the
infection. I have also worked in chest lab making tests for
tuberculoses. I worked in VDRL (veneral desease research lab) I have
worked in paracitology and HIV lab, we have different test methods to
look for the HIV virus, and bacteriology. Most of the equipment we use in Africa
is outdated, like the autoclave, incubator, microscope, pippets old
test methods, the dryer in the laboratory and many more.
Before my graduation from school many scientists in my department told
me, Sammy, you have to continue, you don’t have to stop here. They said
you have to apply for the next entry exam. And I know I have this zeal
and this willingness to further my education
So I am very ready to start all over again.
And I know it is just a matter of years. I know if I start now before I
know it I will finish.Then my dreams will become true! Becoming a
medical scientist.
I have to become a scientist, I just have to. If it is the least I will
achieve in my life I will know yes. Most of my friends in Africa ask me
what are you doing now?
I say: well, I cannot say this or that, but I still have a plan to
further my education. And they say, you used to be one of our good
students. During class lecture writing I am one of the fastest.
Some of our students, when I taught there, they felt irritated when they
saw blood and sputum. I would encourage them.
But along the line I could not. I left….
Now most of them, when we talk by facebook, they say, hey guy,
you are a scientist now. And i say: no. I am walking towards it.
.Because one day I must be a scientist.
