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Staff Portrait
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Having been touring and working in many countries
since her graduation from the nursing school
in 1998, Natsuko Mizusaki, or simply NaNa
---as many children and caretakers dub her---,
finally decided to lay her latest destination
in Cambodia as Project Coordinator of Pediatric
Surgery Project (PSP) at National Pediatric
Hospital (NPH).
NaNa learned of Cambodia for the first time
via TV when she was 20 years old. Several
years later, she got the chance to be exposed
to Cambodia more when she came as a tourist
to the historic Angkor temples.
"Things were just wonderful, Angkor
Wat, the landscape, food, the smile of people…,"
said NaNa with a big smile when recalling
memory about her first visit to Cambodia.
However, only one thing bothered her at that
time --- the children. NaNa was shocked to
see small and skinny children running around
selling souvenirs. Some were begging for
money. Such scenes are never seen in her
home country. "What came to my head
at the time was how I could help those children,"
said NaNa.
NaNa started to grab any chance in order
to come to Cambodia again. Luckily in 2006,
she was accepted to be a volunteer at the
Mother Teresa's Home in Phnom Penh. There,
NaNa worked as a Japanese teacher and a caretaker
of disabled children; this experience helped
her understand and learn more about culture
and way of life of Cambodians.
Though it was only two-month volunteer work,
NaNa really enjoyed her time with the children
and work. "When I went back to Japan,
my wish to work in Cambodia became intense---
neither as a tourist nor a language teacher,
but as a professional staff that could use
her skills to help people."
Her ardent passion successfully caught the
opportunity to join the team of PSP early
this year.
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| Natsuko Mizusaki proudly pointed one of the
posters, Instructions in the Surgical Ward,
she pasted in front of a ward in the Surgical
Department of the NPH |
Natsuko Mizusaki visited a child patient
who was waiting for the knee surgery
in a
ward in the Surgical Department of
the NPH |
NaNa is now striving to improve the capacity
of nurses in the NPH. Besides, in cooperation
with the national staff, NaNa has recently
produced several illustrated posters to promote
health awareness among child patients and
their caretakers. Besides, she constantly
gives instruction on basic health knowledge,
hand-wash, teeth-brush, etc.
"I have a lot of ideas and I want to
share them to benefit the patients and the
hospital, but I also know it is difficult
to produce changes promptly," said NaNa,
"Step by step is what I try to do here."
Natsuko Mizusaki (June 4, 2010)
