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Zur Gast bei Albatros Apotheke: Sammy O.- Clinical Laboratory Assistent aus Nigeria

I 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.

After my training I worked in a private hospital in the biomedical center in Edo state. I run laboratory test draw blood from patients and review quality control from samples that we run.We test for blood,urine and other body fluild we test or spine for diabeties, liver function, kidney function, urinary track infestion, 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 nest 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 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 health department,during my intenship there i was trained to used a computer very well with a particular computer language called m2,I work as an (MIS)Micrisoft information system, data entry staff. We tracked new employees and i also enter daily transaction and take backup for all the daily work, change of report generating and maintainances.

I was in Libya – because of my travelling status I came into the country not through  the air but the routes so there was no visa in my passport. So I was not allowed to work with my medical lab and computer proffession. 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 liberal, 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 as 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 there is no job in Italy and they told me it is going to be difficult somehow .

They are the caretaker, We are 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 there, we discovered that our document cannot even 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 that resulted that many of us do 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 parts 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  driving 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 can 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 startred 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 ones, 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 practical and she even asked me for money and I had to say: I am sorry, I don’thave 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, befor 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. 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 opportunity to make a training here, even to start all over for my course, I would be very happy.My friends from my 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 could 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 test for tuberculoses. I worked in VDRL (veneral desease reseached lab) I have worked in paracitology and HIV lab, we have  different test method to look for the HIV virus, and bacteriology.Most equipment we use in Africa they are outdated, like the autoclave, incubator,microscope, pippets old test methods, the dryer in the laboratory and many more etc.

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 teach there they felt irritated when they see blood and sputum. I would encourage them.Most people thought after my graduation I will continue. 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.