Mission Karen-Shan – Reflection by Marine Veteran Andrew Stevens
We wasted no time in beginning our training. After what seemed like an endless cycle of international travel, ever-fluctuating time zones, and “hurrying up to wait”, everyone was exited to begin. Our students arrived eager for the first day’s lesson. I could only imagine that their journeys from their own respected camps would make ours seem easy. One of the young Karen men even mentioned that he traveled for a solid week through the jungle to reach our training camp. Students from the previous year were greeted by hugs and smiles from Doc G and Zach, while the others strategically positioned themselves on the woven bamboo floor. The young Karen girls shyly grouped together while the alpha male men surrounded themselves with their friends.
We each took turns going through the fundamentals of massive traumatic bleeding and airway control, while Doc G would periodically interject footnotes from decades of experience. The students kept their attention towards us and demonstrated considerable discipline given the length of the day and the temperature of the room. Often, our voices and that of our translator were drowned out by the sudden onset of torrential rain rapping against the corrugated metal roof and the nearby stream that would bloat into rapids following the rains.
Knowing that we would soon be leaving to other IDP camps to train new student medics, I was forced to think about the harsh reality facing the new friends we would be leaving behind. Speaking with the head of KDHW, we discovered that with the newly elected Burmese government in place things are looking better for the internally displaced and refugee Karen, however the reality of returning to a homeland and beginning a new life without any resources or ability to provide for ones family is a impossible task, no matter what clemency is granted. Until drastic changes are made within Burma, and the ethnic minorities of the Karen are given the voice and rights they deserve, our newfound friends will have to continue their fight.
One other particular highlight of this mission was educating the 8th, 9th, and 10th grade school students on disaster mitigation. Using examples of the recent Shan state earthquake, as well as the catastrophic cyclone Nargis of 2008, in which over 140,000 Burmese citizens lost their lives, I drove home the importance of proper building construction and retrofitting specific to the region. We also reviewed disaster preparedness techniques that are taught and utilized back home in Alaska, including several “duck, cover, and hold” drills. The school principal who was also the translator during my lecture promised me that he would continue the drills and implement them as standard training and practice for the entire school. This was an achievement that I found personally satisfying since the school is constructed out of unreinforced brick and the primary hazard to the village is earthquakes. Just remembering that simple technique could save the lives of several of these school children when the next earthquake strikes. Having the ability to reach audiences such as the Karen and Shan people of Burma and seeing my lecture on disaster preparedness outreach absorbed by my young students has been one of the highlights of my emergency management career.
Andrew Stevens
TR Operational Planner
Alaska State Planner for Critical Infrastructure and Key Resources
