Volunteer Experience: Physiotherapist Luca

“After a stroke, they want to learn to go to the toilet independently. A nice challenge! In Nepal they use a squat toilet … “

Please find the original article in Dutch by Physical Therapy Abroad here.

Luca has been back from her 4-month trip in Asia since the beginning of August. She started with a period of almost 2 months of volunteer work in physiotherapy in Nepal, followed by a trip to Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia. She likes to share her experiences and memories with us at this special time.

Why did you want to do physiotherapy abroad?

I wanted to gain a new experience in physiotherapy and also like to get something from a different culture in combination with traveling.

What was your thought in advance when doing volunteer work abroad?

In Nepal I had expected a lot of hands on therapy and that the physiotherapy is less known there.

Was this expectation correct when you look back at it now?

Partly, in the hospital, for example, TENS and ultrasound were still widely used, but this was a nice challenge to substantiate why I felt they should tackle this with exercises or mobilizations. Physiotherapy was also on the rise, but many people outside the projects did not know what you can do with physiotherapy.

What are your best memories from the time volunteering?

How grateful the patients are for your help! And that there is so much possible without all the tools we have in the Netherlands. You can do a lot with self management of the patient.

What did you like most about doing physiotherapy in a different culture?

Experience the other habits and see what you can do with this in terms of physical therapy. For example, many people wanted to be able to return to the bathroom independently after a stroke. In the Netherlands we have a western toilet, but in Nepal it is customary to use a squat toilet. That was a nice challenge.

What did you not like so much?

Sometimes I found it difficult when people could not understand me at all. Especially in the project in the elderly center few people could speak English. By learning to count in the Nepalese language, using greetings and words like going up, down, sitting down, walking or standing, I learned to manage this.

What do you think is the best way to prepare for working abroad?

Do not prepare too much, keep your expectations in check when it comes to physiotherapy. Follow the physical therapist for the first day(s) of the project and then see what you can do for them and how your help is welcome in the project. It is also important that you take care of other things such as visa, credit card and vaccinations and so on in advance. But for this you get a checklist.

What do you want to say to other physiotherapists or students who still have doubts about going?

Certainly, it is a new experience and it gives you a broader view on physiotherapy. You also learn to be creative with limited physical therapy resources.

Luca, thank you for sharing your experiences in this interview and your enthusiastic commitment to the various projects in Nepal. And Mirthe from Team Physical Therapy Abroad, thank you for sending Luca to Nepal and have her help in our projects!