by Dr. Ryan Canlas, UNV Doctor

29 May 2012

Maliana, Bobonaro District, Timor-Leste: I am Ryan D. Canlas, a medical doctor from the Philippines, currently serving in the United Nations Mission in Timor-Leste (UNMIT) as a UN Volunteer. Two years have already passed since I arrived in this country and indeed it has been an exciting experience throughout.

I am posted in Maliana in Bobonaro District, four hours away from the capital, Dili. In the districts, UN Volunteers constantly face different challenges. Food choices are always limited. We lack access to clean water supplies.  Good accommodation is hard to find and we only have limited hours of electricity.

Additionally, there are big risks of getting diseases such as dengue and malaria, and even snakebites are a real threat. As a doctor, my task is to provide medical services to all UN personnel of the district, both national and international, and to provide them relief in the health area. In my unit, we handle all medical cases to the best of our abilities by utilizing the resources of our clinic.

UN Volunteers directly and indirectly serve the people of Timor-Leste. My contribution is to keep the UN personnel and peacekeeping forces in the best of health so they are able to execute their duties properly.

Aside from my regular duties as a UNV Medical Officer, I am constantly on the lookout for volunteer opportunities to share my time and skills in several ways. I was privileged to have worked with my national counterparts in Maliana Referral Hospital.  I initiated a blood donation program for the hospital, which encouraged both international and national UN staff to participate.

I was also appointed as focal point in Bobonaro District for the HIV/AIDS Awareness Program, a joint initiative between the United Nations and the Timor-Leste Ministry of Health. Additionally, I had the opportunity to impart First Aid and Basic Life Support Skills to UN Police, Military Liaison Officers and their local counterparts, and the Armed Forces of Timor-Leste (F-FDTL) in my assigned district.

It has been two prolific years since I began my service as a UN Volunteer in Timor-Leste, so I can safely say that volunteers’ contributions to UN missions foster harmony and initiate changes for the betterment of society and that volunteer service has no borders. This is a rewarding realization for both the people benefiting from the work of volunteers, and the volunteers themselves.

--------------------
BIO
For Dr. Ryan D. Canlas (Philippines), Ralph Waldo Emerson was correct when he wrote, “Do not go where the path might lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” “I strongly believe this statement holds true for United Nations Volunteers serving in all parts of the world where UN presence is much needed,” Ryan says from his duty station in Maliana, Timor-Leste.

During his assignment there as a UNV Medical Officer, in addition to performing other voluntary activities while off-duty, he coordinated with the Ministry of Education to give piano lessons to Timorese teachers and students in the region.