When the going gets tough: lessons learnt from 10 years of volunteering
Dr Lisbetty Tampubolon (Indonesia) is a UN Volunteer Medical Doctor, currently serving in South Sudan. She joined the ranks of the United Nations Volunteer (UNV) programme, following in the footsteps of her husband Dr Rudolf Frans Maulany. On the occasion of World Mental Health Day, Dr Lisbetty shares her secret to keeping mentally healthy when the going gets tough.
In November 2016, I started my assignment with the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) as a medical doctor and was directly assigned to Bentiu in Unity State. After three years there, I was re-assigned to the capital, Juba and have been working here since then.
I am currently on my third UN Volunteer assignment. My first mission was in Timor-Leste from 2008-2012 and my second was with the UN Mission in Liberia, where I was assigned in Monrovia from 2014-2015.
Keeping mental health in check