Sunshine Coast Hinterland Times

Shella is currently emergency coordinator in the Irumu district in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Shella Hall, a nurse from the Sunshine Coast Hinterland, has been working with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) since 1993. Shella has been on 11 missions with MSF in which she has undertaken a range of professional roles including nurse, field coordinator, medical coordinator and head of mission. Her missions have spanned across countries as diverse as Tajikistan, Chad, Afghanistan, Kenya, Kosovo, Burundi, Guatemala and Burkina Faso.
Since November 2008, Shella has been based in the Democratic Republic of Congo as emergency coordinator. She returns shortly to live on the Hinterland.
Why did you join MSF?

I joined MSF in1993 because my ambition in life, as a young adult, was to become an aid worker. MSF’s charter and ways of working within the humanitarian arena pulled closely on my heart strings and ways of thinking. It was also a way for me to belong to a group of people, a family, that had similar open-minded beliefs as myself, and who wanted a better world for all to share.

You have been all over the world with MSF. What have been some of your personal highlights?

Some of my highlights have of course been the people I have had the privilege of meeting. Simple people like myself, but whose world and priorities function on completely different levels to those living in Western countries. Yet we meet at a common point in life and are able to share important moments together before we each go on our separate ways again.
Also, working in an orphanage in Democratic Republic of Congo in 1995, where I fell in love with dozens of children and discovered that I could be a mother to any child, anywhere – the child did not need to come from me.
You have worked in a lot of different countries and contexts – what has been the most challenging for you?

Definitely Afghanistan, no doubt in my mind. Living in Afghanistan in 1998 was challenging in many ways:  challenging living in a Taliban- occupied country, challenging living in a war-zone, challenging living near an active frontline, challenging treating soldiers with blown-off limbs and challenging living with such basic everyday commodities.

MSF visit local villages to provide medical care. These internally displaced people are in Irumu district.

You are currently one of the emergency coordinators in Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). What does this role entail?

My role here involves the general coordination of our emergency activities in the district of Irumu, eastern DRC. These activities are mainly focused around providing medical access to the internally displaced people who fled in September 2008 due to fighting between militia groups and Congolese military, and who are today still displaced, although the situation is starting to return to normal. Another focus of our activities is centred around feeding malnourished children.

How were you able to make the transition from working as a nurse, to working in coordination positions and do you enjoy the responsibility that entails?

It was an easy transition for me as I naturally like to manage activities and see the overall outcome of MSF’s work. The responsibility can sometimes be huge, but it is also part of the challenge if you are in a good team.

What motivates you and drives you to keep going into some of the world’s most difficult humanitarian crises?

When I see certain people in Western countries living in selfish ways – that to my eyes is so unjust in the bigger picture of life. I think many people do not realise the privileges and fortune that they have at their fingertips, which unfortunately are sometimes abused. If nobody stretches out a helping hand, we will all sink together as a race. We are all woven from the same cloth, even if many people choose to forget this simple truth.

What do you enjoy doing when you have some time off between MSF missions?

Relaxing and taking life easy – enjoying the small things that are brought my way. Being in an alternative living environment, with like-minded people, going to markets, doing creative activities, writing, cooking, drinking chilled white wine…and so much more!
In 2008, 151 New Zealanders and Australians embarked on field placements with MSF. Of those, 62 per cent were experienced international field staff; that is they were departing for their second or subsequent mission.
MSF encourages career progression within the organisation by offering a range of positions in the field, including at management and coordination level with proven experience. If you are interested in a career with MSF, visit their website at www.msf.org.au/join-our-team.
Thanks to InterACTION the magazine of MSF in Australia for permission to publish this article.