South African

Nhlanhla Mshengu felt like he would never recover from tuberculosis, until he enrolled on a clinical trial that changed everything for him...

22 Mar 2022 / 4 minute read

Andries Heyns

GIS specialist

Sudan: Putting refugees on the map

When it comes to reaching vulnerable people in a crisis, our teams rely on accurate, up-to-date maps. However these can be hard to come by. Mapping specialist Andries Heyns has recently returned from Sudan, where a refugee crisis has been evolving rapidly...

06 Sep 2021 / 9 minute read

Eben and the MSF team at Eshowe, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Eben van Tonder

Field Administration

South Africa: So much for taking a break…

Eben was ready for a good break from his work with MSF. The COVID-19 pandemic had other ideas...

30 Jul 2020 / 5 minute read

Neglected people will be the worst affected by the coronavirus pandemic

Jonathan Whittall

Advisor

COVID-19: What the coronavirus pandemic can teach us about universal healthcare

As COVID-19 spreads to countries around the world, people everywhere are taking steps to protect themselves and their families. But for some, this isn't an option. MSF Director of Analysis Jonathan highlights the health inequalities exposed by the global pandemic and the lessons we must take away from it.

20 Mar 2020 / 4 minute read

Eben van Tonder

Field Administration

“Our internal conflict”: Saying goodbye to Iraq

As Eben comes to the end of his assignment in Iraq, he asks himself tough personal questions and reflects on the role of a humanitarian

06 Feb 2020 / 4 minute read

Eben van Tonder

Field Administration

Mosul: A City Destroyed

Eben, part of our field administration team in Iraq, visits a hospital that's trying to meet the needs of a city that has already suffered so much...

02 Oct 2019 / 3 minute read

Eben van Tonder

Field Administration

Hello Iraq

What's it like to work for a humanitarian organisation behind the scenes? As he begins a new assignment in Iraq, Eben shares his experience...

31 Jul 2019 / 4 minute read

Some of the team at Sadar District Hospital

Eben van Tonder

Field Administration

Bangladesh: Stopping infection and doing the laundry

Eben is in Bangladesh, where an MSF team is helping local hospital staff save lives by controlling infection

04 Apr 2019 / 4 minute read

A cow grazes in the old Waste Zone at the hospital

Eben van Tonder

Field Administration

Bangladesh: Tackling a huge waste problem

Saving lives doesn't always mean medicine. Eben blogs about a Médecins sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) team that's not afraid to get its hands dirty in order to fight infection...

02 Jan 2019 / 7 minute read

Eben van Tonder

Field Administration

“The enduring human spirit”: My visit to a Rohingya refugee camp

In August 2017, South African HR manager Eben Van Tonder watched the Rohingya refugee crisis unfold on the news. One year on, he found himself in Bangladesh to experience the vastness of this “human tragedy” for himself.

19 Oct 2018 / 6 minute read

Fadi and Annke at the Khan Younis Clinic

Annke Yssel

Nurse

Nursing in Gaza: “He was hit by a single bullet, passing through both his lower legs”

South African nurse Annke is currently on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) near the border between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories. Here, she shares the story of a patient recovering from a gunshot injury he received during the “March of Return” demonstrations in May.

01 Aug 2018 / 3 minute read

Caroline talking at an event on International Women's Day.

Caroline Walker

Health Promoter

Nigeria: How we talk about sexual violence

Caroline is a health promotion manager from South Africa, currently on assignment with Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Nigeria. In this blog, she reflects on the challenges of working across language barriers to help communities tackle sexual violence, as well as sensitive conditions such as fistula.

12 Jul 2018 / 7 minute read