Radio Miraya
2706: The Youth Forum: Special Feature Story with Dr Aja Paul Kuol
(upbeat music) - Hi, my name is Peter Okello, the host of the Youth Forum, Andre de Miraya. During this international women's day, the Youth Forum has embarked on feeding you fresh information about our genius and hero in women. We unveil to you the uniqueness of fighter women, those who devoted their time and energy to peace and development in South Sudan. In this special series of Youth Forum, we sat down with Dr. Ajayapol Kwan, the first female South Sudan of thalmologist. The reason behind this is to know, from the host's mouth, why she became an ophthalmologist. How long has she been doing this job? What changes has she rejected since she began? How is her profession helping the people who needs it? And as a female ophthalmologist, what hardships has she endured throughout her profession? But apart from her professional businesses, what else does she do when she's free? In a nutshell, this Fisher story encompasses the contribution of Dr. Ajayapol in all the sectors she served in South Sudan. Please take your precious time and listen to Dr. Ajayapol Kwan, our one and only female ophthalmologist, life and professional journey. (upbeat music) Dr. Ajayapol, welcome to the Youth Forum, and thank you for agreeing to talk to us. First of all, Happy International Women's Day to you. Today, Friday, the 8th of March, South Sudan joined the rest of the world to mark this special day dedicated to women in honor of their achievements and contributions to social, economic, cultural, and political. It is also a day to exert a call to action for accelerating gender parity and equity. As a woman, you have been in the field, contributing to the development of South Sudan in various disciplines. Is this day important to the women of South Sudan? - Thank you so much. You say, I jumped in. Yes, I jumped in because it's our day. We have to jump in, come into the table. If you are not invited, you bring yourself to the table. That's why we have to own the day. That's why only then I say, Happy International Women's Day. But I think this day it's very, very important for women of South Sudan and for the whole woman out there in the wall. - To set the ball rolling, I was curious to know who this great woman is. So, in that line, I put this question to her. I know and believe, before you became an ophthalmologist, you had begun from somewhere. Briefly, tell us who is Dr. Ajapur Kwal. - Dr. Ajapur, she's a South Sudanese woman and ophthalmologist, my professional and a mother at the same time, these five kids, working in joba teaching hospital. And at the same time, after finishing from joba teaching hospital, I work also in Queens Hospital. And I go out, reach to see if I, of my people, South Sudan. That's in a simple, that's Dr. Ajapur. And where I started, it's that I started my journey. When I was, I'd go back way, like how I become a doctor. Because this is the day to acknowledge and say it, and say it loudly. When I started, I wanted to be an engineer. That was my first professional. I chose when I was young until I, I, I almost going to university. Then my mom, she inspired me. She told me, my daughter, I want you to be an doctor. I told her, I'm not an doctor. I want to be an engineer. Then I started, engineer. I was going through it. But she traveled all the way. Because by then my mom used to work in brain. So she traveled from brain to cartoon, from cartoon to age zero. Because me, I studied in age zero, rofa, rofa, banat. So she came there and she sat down with me. Because she said, let us have a conversation. And then she convinced me that I left that, and I joined to be a doctor who I am today. So even now, sometime when I talk to her, when she's sick, I hope she'd listen this message. Because she told me, it's a dictora, Janana. I'm the one who makes you to be a doctor. So thank you, my mom, Helen Eyar. I hope she's listening to this. Because she inspired me and she empowered me to be who I am today. So I became an doctor. Then after that, that was by thening cartoon. Then when I finished, I worked in cartooning different hospital. I decided to come back to South Sudan to help my people of South Sudan. So I joined Juba Teaching Hospital. I worked in different departments. And I also developed that feeling that I wanted to help mothers. So I worked in the department of and gay ecologies for two years. That was my first line of choice of career. I wanted to be obstetrician, gay ecologies. Then after that, I got married to my husband. He's a doctor, Dr. Tito Marukol. And he also wanted to be obstetrician, gay ecologist. Then now, I looked into that two obstetrician, gay ecologies in the house. And my mother, I'm going to have family. Because I choose to be a mother, and I was hopeful to have a kid. Now I have five beautiful kids. Then I got for that. Then I just told him, "Okay, you go ahead. Be an obstetrician, gay ecologist. Me, I will think through it. What another career can I do?" Because for me, I like serving vulnerable people. Like mothers, sometimes they suffered. Constructed labor, they have abortion. That was how things I wanted to do. And sometimes when mother comes in labor pain, and after delivery, you're giving the hope and the smile to the whole family. So it's something I really love. But I stepped down for my husband. I told him, "Go ahead. Me, I will think through it." So during our first year of marriage, I joined the department of ophthalmology. By then I was with Dr. Juan Imina. Then when I was walking there, he asked me, "Dr. Ajay, why are you here?" I told him, "I'm here to learn, because I felt like I don't know much about I. And being a doctor, it's good to know everything. Sometimes I'm not just to refer them to the right things. I felt like in undergraduate, I did not learn much in I. He said, "Okay, so we were working together. And then I stay like for some months." And then he told me, "Dr. Ajay, would you want it to do an I, to be an I specialist?" I told him, "Yes, I think I developed the interest, because I saw what you are doing. You're doing a good job." And by then it was only like two or three ophthalmologists in the whole country. And he was the director in the ministry of health. And at the same time, he was the head of the department. And he was doing multi-test, a lot of things. And the patient was lying down in Juba teaching hospital. And I told myself, "It's another line that you can go through it, and you can make it, and you can come and help Dr. Juan Emina and help the people of South Sudan. Because this is our country, and we are the people to help our people." So I went back home also. I told my husband that, "Listen, I got opportunity. Because by then we just started a family. We were not planning to go for master. I don't have that." Then he told me, "Yes, if you are ready, you can go. Actually, we can do it together." He supported me. So I told myself, "Okay, I came and discussed with Swani, you know, that, yes, I'm ready." He said, "If you are ready, I will write a letter because Christian, blind nation, CBM, they have a sponsorship, and they want to give to people of South Sudan." Then I said, "Fine." He wrote a letter. I took to my husband, immediately we fly out of the country from our own money. My husband rented a house for me, Nairobi. And by then I was pregnant. So that was my second baby. Then now I was not able to go through the processing and all this. But my husband went to the university. He applied for me. He'd bring the phone home, I signed. And then he told me, "You'll be taken. You'll be taken." Finally, I was accepted in University of Nairobi in 2013. And then I was late by three months because people already started the course. But he encouraged me. He was taken with me by then with my mother-in-law also, Christina, in a pipe me jack. She also joined me. She helped me a lot because she was taking care of my baby. She remained home. Me, I go, attend my lecture, come back, breastfeed, and go. Because I didn't want it to leave my babies also. So, we continue the journey. I become an optonologist. But before it was a long journey. Because being a mother, being a student, being a wife, you have a lot of duties to do. And nobody can do your duty. You have to give yourself that time and do it. So, also, I encourage my husband to join me in the university. I took his paper and I applied for him. So, he was accepted. He was accepted in Opson Geinecology department at University of Nairobi. So, he joined me also. So, that was also, he pushed me a bit because now we are two of us. So, we stay together. We have one house. Now, I don't have to worry that my husband is not there. My family generally helped me. My mom will come from time to time. My sisters, my sisters in law. All you contributed together for me to be who I am today. I stepped down a bit because my kids, my sister baby got sick. And it really made me to step down from the study. I stepped down. I told my husband, "Let me take care of my kids." And then I applied for the father of my study. So, I deformed my study for two years. And my husband continued. And then, that's why he finished a head of me. And I joined the study after two years. Even the department of Opson Geinecology, they told me, "Doctor, you came back after all this journey." I told them, "Yes." Because you have to have your own story and you have to have your ambitions. You have to be ambitious and you have to believe in yourself. And you have to believe of what you are doing. That's why I'm saying this story to inspire another woman. That you don't stop because of challenges. You go through your challenges and your challenges will make you who you are today or who you will be tomorrow. So, that's why I'm saying this to tell people that you think today you will not make it. But you're confident or your story. When you believe your story and you believe on what you want to be in future, you will go through it and you will make it. And you will be somebody to contribute to your community. That's why I am today. That's why I came back to this Juba, my country. It's also done to help because when I finished, because of the war and everything, I was forced because I have kids. I have family. They need me to put something on the table. And then when you just finish also, you need to work where you have your colleague, who are ahead of you, who can show you the right way or how things are done. So, that's why I walk in Kenya. But I was not feeling that I achieved what I came to do. I was going to Kenya to pursue my master to come and help. That's why I'm here today. That's why I go for outreach to serve my vulnerable people. Having listened to who she is, I was drawn back. Not because of her uniqueness, but also because of her special character and resilience. Moving on, I asked to know more about her qualifications and how easy or difficult it was for her as a woman to train in this specialized field. I think it was not an easy journey for me, but I make it easy at the end and enjoy it. Because the journey started and the family started, and I have to continue both of them at the same time. So, I went through it, and then another challenge that when you are doing your master, in a foreign country, you face a lot of challenge. First of all, the language barrier. You have to learn a bit of Iswahili because some patients, they come, they don't know English, so that was challenges. And another challenge is I was from Arabic background. I train in Qatar, I talk Arabic, I write Arabic. English was there 50/50. Then now going to University of Nairobi. So, some time you have to translate things, see how it goes, then process it, then you go through it. But it's something you have to accept and you have to believe in yourself that this is what I can do. So, those are the challenges, and another challenge is also financially. For you to do a master, you need somebody behind you to support you. Yes, we get support from CBM, but the fun was given, it was not enough, because they give a fun for one. But now for you also you have to top up because you have a family, they are not their responsibility. So, there is a lot of challenges, you have to accept, you have to know how to maneuver it. You have to also not compare yourself to other people, but why so and so have this. But you have to know that it's life, it's different, even your hands or fingers are not the same, they're different. So, you have to just know that I'm different, and I will make it. That's why I manage to finish University of Nairobi. And also, I know it was hard for some lecturer, they make it hard for you, because for you to do a master is not a joke. You have to read, you have to do your part, because they will not say that, because you have your pregnant or because you are having a baby, you will not be exempted. You have to pass your exam, you have to know your surgeries. Because you are going to treat patients who need your attention, so if you miss it, if you don't go to theatre, you will not be graduated. And University of Nairobi is tough, and it makes me tough today, because of what I've been passing through. Because if you get pregnant, it's an extra year in University of Nairobi. They want to make sure that you know and you know everything. Some lecturers are tough, but when you finish, now I say myself, thank God that I finish. Because of that toughness, I learn a lot. I learn surgeries, I learn knowledge, I'm confident. I can treat patients with confidence because of my lecture. Just like any other field of work, there are numbers, setbacks and competitions, or discrimination that one goes through. As a female ophthalmologist, I do believe that the male counterparts doubts our expertise, and maybe challenges how. You see facing any of that, I ask. Competition is there always, even with female. You have to get competition. Competition, it encourages you, it gives you morale to be a better version of you. If you don't compete, mean you're not going anywhere. So competition is there. Even in University of Nairobi, you used to compete. And I compete while I love pregnant, while I love breastfeeding. Even there's a time I got delivered, I delivered like today. Seven days, I went to my exam. And I remember Professor Elacottal. Dr. Hijer, you are even here in the exam. That's power of women. You have to make it. And our class, I remember we were, we graduate, nine ladies, all our men left. Because the study was harsh. Not harsh in a bad way, but I think in a good way to bring you a strong ophthalmologist, which can overtake or overcome. All the situations you pass through. So I'm proud of myself and I'm proud of my lecturer at University of Nairobi, especially Professor Elacottal. She really encouraged me a lot. She mentored me. That's why, for me as an ophthalmology, I wanted to mentor many women, even men, to go through the study to join me. We need many ophthalmologists because we have very few. We are less than ten. So I wanted to be those who inspired other women or other doctors, young coming to join ophthalmologists because there is a need for that. Due to our dedication and efforts, and her love to resource the size of children age five and 13 years old, she got a scholarship from the Christian Blind Mission, known as the CBM, and trained as an ophthalmologist at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. But out of all those possible professions in the world, she chose to become an ophthalmologist. Why is the question? Here is our response. I'm telling it's not easy, but then God, He gives me that power. I feel like sometimes I have the power to do it because when I leave my kids, I make sure that I call them in the morning, sometime I wake up at four. To find out are they prepared for school? What are they eating? Did they come back from the school? Even the shopping I do it through the phone because I believe that is my role as a woman. I am not there, but emotionally or I am with them. And even everything they call me, "My mom, can we do this? We want to do this because that's how I nature them." And also at the same time, I want to contribute to this country, to my country, my beautiful country, South Sudan, to reduce the burden of the blindness in the country. Because if I sit down in the house to be a mother alone, yes, I can do it. But I can do better to help my people and the legacy you leave behind your community for your kids because for this world, we are not going to be here forever. We have to leave something behind you. You have to inspire other people because our country has just started. And we are the people to build it, not other one, not Kenyan, not Ugandan, not American. It is us to go from and the other would push us behind. So that's why I feel like I am doing my job as a mother and at the same time as a wife, at the same time as an eye doctor. Among other doctors in South Sudan, Dr. Adha thought it would be good to form an optomic association of South Sudan, the OASS. In our right for views, she believes that the association will help in putting a working document that will guide the government and the Good Wheels organization that are willing to help the health sector of South Sudan. I think the technological association of South Sudan, it was initiated by my colleagues, Dr. Wadi Minna, and some other colleagues, Dr. Mande, Joseph Mande, and we have also Dr. Kenneth, and Dr. Albino, we have quite a number of people. We are less than 10, but we believe that we can do it together. So that's why we sit down and say, "Listen, we have few." And all this patient, they cannot come to Juba or to where we are working. It is better we form a team and we know before fun to go where the patients are, to reach them, to deliver the service, because for each association you have to have a body to regulate you. So we feel like this is the body, we regulate the ophthalmologist and the optometrist and the eye workers, because even the student registrars, they are part of that because we have principal and then we have affiliated members and we have different members accordingly. So that's why we say, "Let us come together and then join Han and help our community." And also the association was promoted to increase the number of ophthalmologists by inspiring them of the work we do. And also, we wanted also to lobby for the blindness as a public health problem in the country, because sometimes they say, "I is small," so it is our role as a professional to tell the government that "I is not simple." And blindness is something we have some disease can avoid, so that's our role. And also to promote or to improve the well-being or work environment for ophthalmologists in South Sudan. And also to be to observe others, because we have some organizations, some partners, some others who come to this country, they want to offer the service to community. So we have to be there as a professional from the country. Even when you go for our reaches, our people there, if they don't see their people, they don't believe. So we have to be there to translate, to see, to process the things to observe, and then also give prior tries, because this is our country. And then we listen, we say, "Okay, this partner, for example, if you go for an area where we have a bulk number of cataracts, and they are blind people with both eyes, they are not seen." So we will not operate your eyes both. Sometimes that's what other people say, "No, open both eyes." No, we don't open your both eyes, because sometimes we are limited with a consumable. So what we do, we select the bilateral, both eye, cataract, and then we'll do one eye to give you vision. Because if you open one eye, you will be able to see, you are not a blind person. Because blind, it's when you are both eye, you are not seen. But when you are seen with one eye, one eye is still half-cataract. You will see, you will go back to your activities, and hopefully, the association will convince other partners to join, so for us to be able to go back and do another more, to be able to do bilateral cases. So that's what we do as association. We give prior tries to the kids, pregnant mothers, those disabled, because sometimes we have bulk of patients. So we have to be, to have somebody who is leading. If you don't have a leader, who will show people the right track? You will just bring things howly. And even to encourage people to register in the medical, general medical council, because you have to be regulated, or to have a regulatory body. And for you to do a proper practice. Not to, because a surgery is not just to do surgery. It is to do proper surgery, because that patient is hoping to see back. It's hoping to, to go back to his normal activities. They go back to, to do whatever they do, and the kids go back to school. So that's why the association is really grateful to do that. Sometimes we do it like people think that we are getting a lot of money, but not money everything. Sometimes we close our clinic. We close, me, I close my clinic, I travel. And all other colleagues of mine, all of us, we are not available in Juba. Because we decayed it our time for our vulnerable people. That's why sometimes we say our technologies are rarely in Juba. Even if I am not there, Dr. Mandel will be there, Dr. Binel will be there. Dr. Kannes will be there. Even if we are all not there, maybe we will have some clinical officer. We are able to advise on what to do until we come back. Because sometimes I can say, okay, let me sit in my clinic and make more money in Juba. But now who will treat those people? Who will open their eyes? And those kids will not go back to school. Then I will take my country backward. That's why you are seeing all of our technologies. They are proud to go to the field and they are hard-working. Sometimes we start working from morning, six to ten. The same time, the same spirit, we are all having it in the field. Even our lower card, sometimes we go eight. Eight and we are productive. We are able to do thousands. You forget your back. You forget your neck because our surgery you are doing when you are sitting. You do next, like you can operate 30. My colleagues operate 30. The other 30. So in a day we operate maximum of 100. For us to be able to reach that target. So other people sometimes they think like we are getting a lot of money. But no, we are not getting a lot of money. We are happy because we are putting a smile to other people's faces. We are happy because a mother is able to see her kids. Because some mothers are pregnant, they are blind, they are getting their babies. But they are not able to see them. So that's happiness. And sometimes the blessing we get from the communities. Sometimes even they compose for us songs. And we dance. We dance because they are happy. They are happy, we are happy, we are delivering service. That's why sometimes we just close our eyes. We go. Even on Monday, the coming Monday, we are going to UI. Let us talk about the ICOM that are facilitated by the Keta Center, the Himalayas Contract Project. And the Twitch Reak Guy Foundation. Putting that question to her, she had a lot to tell. But then what kept me thinking is how clever, experienced and in a better position to serve not only those who needed our help, but also the vulnerable that do not live in the city, but who are in the grassroots. So then she moves on and keeps on explaining how and why are these foundations helping out in South Sudan. I'm telling you, sometime you come today, you rest, then you travel the second day. Because there is a need. So we always proud to do that in their hardship area. But even our, the funny enough that even our partners, they developed that also feeling, that they wanted to go to the field with us and how they can help. Like Keta Center Jim himself in the field and he's been inspired by what we are doing. Even this month, they went to the field with us to see what we are doing to witness. That's how they become our partner. So I hope that our story, our work, will inspire our people of South Sudan. Because this country have good people who can support the association, who can support their community. Because of that support, look, if you look into what we are doing, the needs, it's just like buying a 1v8 car. Like 200, it can go to your community. You can just remove that money, tell them go to this community, do this as a terrorist, and we are able to plan for it, do it and do it perfectly. But now, our people there, our businessmen, they are ready to remove the car to one person. But hopefully one day, our story will touch one businessman's heart, to remove just that money, for us to be able to go to our people and deliver the service and open their eyes and become productive. That's what we are encouraging to our people to do it. It's not a lot of money. It's just there, and I'm sure that some people can do that. And we are open to do that. Given the nature of our work, she always travels the width and length of South Sudan. In that line, I ask about experiences concerning the health issues in the rural areas. Here is what she said. In the rural areas, there is a lot of challenges, not just in I. Sometimes, even I think, we should go before fun, to go as many doctors. Like we take off special gynecologist, we take physician, we take somebody to deal with eyes, nose, ears, you know. Because sometime, I remember in one area, in Capoita, in Dolim, it's very isolated. And we were doing the come with Kata Centre, and Himalayan Catrot Project, and the association, Ministry of Health. And I was the team leader by then, the pulverologist, and the only doctor. During that night, after finishing, we just finished, we closed the theatre at 9. I just went to my tent to sleep, because we wake up in the morning. Then, they brought a lady, pregnant. And they told, "Ah, we need doctor to help here." So, the person who was working there, he was a nurse. He came to us, "Can you guys give us help?" Because there is a woman here, she's been on pain, we don't know. Because we need to make a decision, should we get a car to take her to Capoita at night and tent, and it's not safe at night to drive? I just told them, "Yes, I'm here. Let's do it." So, we went, we organized the room again, and then we put our table, because I'm a doctor, before I become an ophthalmologist. So, I just remember, "What can I do now? I'm going back to the end of the citizen kind of colleges." I called my husband, "Give me advice. What can we do?" He told me, "Just relax, don't panic. You will make it." And I just saw, I was an ophthalmologist, I'm a gynecologist, it's work I used to love. Let's go for it. I went, get a gloves, examine the mother, examine the pelvic, it was adequate. Then I was able to see the baby was coming by head, it's a head presentation, everything was okay. It was almost like 8 centimeter, and I told my husband, he told me, "Okay, I should make it." Just encourage them, tell them to do so and so, not to push early, then I have those principal. And we make it at the end, she deliver. So, you see, those are challenges, so sometime you have to go there knowing that you are a doctor, you can help when you are needed. But sometime I hope for this country, we need to join home. If you are seeing somebody doing a good work, join and help for them to be able to do it perfectly. So, there is a need in the country for the eye or for the health worker. We are left behind, we need to stand up for this country, we need to love our country, we need to love our people, we need to give them service. I know that she is very, very busy woman, but it is worth asking her what other things she does when she is free. So, here we go. We are multitasked. I am a mother, I like being a mother. I also, I participate in other activities, like women's activities. And also, I like cooking. I like cooking a lot, I am a good cooker. And at the same time, I like to go to gym, to keep fit and healthy. Yeah, I do a lot. South Sudan joined the rest of the world to commemorate this significant day with a series of events aimed at highlighting the role of women in society addressing the challenges women face. And calling for action to change negative attitudes and create an effective friendly and conducive environment for all females and males. On this international women's day, what messages or what message do you have to the women of South Sudan? I don't want women out there, including my daughter, my friend, my mom. I will tell them, like, don't take a lot of time. And don't waste a lot of energy. Like, walking to think about what other people they say about you. You are different. You are lovely. You are religion. You are intelligent. You are beautiful. Believe in yourself. And behind every successful woman, there is a story. And it's your only story. You own it. And have international women day. All women. Thank you so much, Dr. Ajapal, Kaul, for being with Redmi Raya. Thank you so much, Redmi Raya, and it's good to be with you. That was the special interview with Dr. Ajapal Kaul. I have been your host, Peter O'Kellum. His special thanks goes to the Redmi Raya production team and most importantly, to engineer Ramadam Klamma, aka Romeo. And to you too, the listeners of your forum. Thank you, and have international women's day, to her mothers and sisters in South Sudan. May God bless you and keep you all safe for us. [Music]