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Photo exhibition highlights borderless humanitarian aid

By Zhang Junmian: 0 Comment(s)Print E-mail China.org.cn, July 17, 2012

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Médecins Sans Frontières (also known as MSF, or Doctors Without Borders) unveiled a photo exhibition on borderless humanitarian aid last weekend at Kubrick Bookstore in Beijing, illustrating the full extent of the non-profit's humanitarian relief efforts across the world over the past 40 years since its founding in 1971.

Joanne Wong (left), MSF China liaison manager, and Fan Ning (right), surgeon and current president of MSF Hong Kong, unveils the MSF photo exhibition on July 14. [msfhk]

The photo exhibition, which runs from July 13 to August 5, aims to give the public a clear picture of what has been done so far by the international, independent humanitarian organization in delivering emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, natural disasters, epidemics or exclusion from healthcare all over the world. It also offers viewers an opportunity to reflect upon what they can do to help improve international humanitarian medical work in the future.

MSF worked in 8 of the 10 states of South Sudan and in the transitional area of Abyei, providing a range of medical services from maternal healthcare and nutrition programs to surgery and treatment for tuberculosis, malaria and other diseases. [Photo by Zhang Junmian/China.org.cn]

During the exhibition, the MSF will organize an array of activities, including an experience sharing session, a book preview session and screenings of the documentary films "Invisibles" and "Living in Emergency".

Fan Ning, Joanne Wong and Tu Zheng, three MSF field workers, shared their experiences and stories on different projects while living in some of the most dangerous and remote places in the world on July 14.

Fan Ning, surgeon and current president of the MSF Hong Kong, recalled his four missions completed in countries and regions including Sri Lanka, Gaza, Haiti and Libya. [Photo by Zhang Junmian/China.org.cn]

Fan, a surgeon and current president of MSF Hong Kong, recalled his four missions completed in countries and regions including Sri Lanka, Gaza, Haiti and Libya, saying that the MSF always stays true to its goal of providing quality-based medical services for the local people, help them improve their situation, and speaking out about the sufferings they endure.

Fan also offered insight into how the MSF achieves goals, stressing the organization's principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality as well as rapid implementation. The organization won the Nobel Peace Prize for its work in 1999.

"Our efforts may be trivial, and we sometimes also feel helpless. Yet we know we should continue our healing mission…we help them and give them strength to live on." Fan said.

Tu Zheng, the first volunteer doctor recruited by the MSF from the Chinese mainland, is now serving as a full-time staff for the organization. Tu, an obstetrician who once worked at Peking University People's Hospital, said: "I hoped that I could have different personal experiences when I first joined the MSF as a volunteer to work in Liberia in 2007."

Tu continued, "However, I later found that I got more by helping others. I was frequently moved by the local people, who are kind and grateful, and still cherish the dream to rebuild their home. They changed my understanding of happiness and taught me what one needs to do in adverse circumstances."

MSF field workers Tu Zheng (2nd from left), Fan Ning (3rd from left) and Joanne Wong (4th from left) answer questions from viewers at the experience sharing session held on July 14 during the MSF Photo Exhibition-Humanitarian Aid without Borders (Beijing). [Photo by Zhang Junmian/China.org.cn]

Tu's cousin Pan Yuan, a logistic professional working for the MSF since 1998, was the very first MSF field worker from the Chinese mainland.

MSF's China liaison Joanne Wong said she hopes that more Chinese volunteers, especially doctors, nurses and medical majors can join the MSF's international humanitarian efforts.

Each year, MSF sends more than 2,000 field workers, including medical doctors, nurses and non-medical professionals, to every corner of the world to carry out a variety of missions.

The nonprofit started providing disaster relief on the Chinese mainland in 1988, and was focused on offering medical aid to those in the poor rural areas since mid 1990s. In 2003, the MSF turned to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. It has been working with the Ministry of Health to address HIV/AIDS in Hubei and Guangxi. The organization opened a branch office in Guangzhou in 2007.

Venue: Kubrick Bookstore, T2 Moma North Section, No. 1 Xiangheyuan Road, Dongcheng District, Beijing

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