Healing: An evening of storytelling - Brighton
Telling stories is one of our most ancient and powerful forms of expression. It’s what helps us connect with one another and shines a light on our shared humanity, bringing us closer to people we may never meet or to places we may never go.
Watch the event
Drawing upon this fundamental human desire, MSF UK held an evening of storytelling on Wednesday 1 November at the Ironworks in central Brighton.
Our storytellers were MSF staff from a range of professions. They recounted their personal experiences of what it’s like to work with MSF in some of the world’s most demanding places.
Exploring the theme of 'healing' in its many forms, each speaker shared a short story about an experience that made a lasting impact on them whilst working with MSF.
It was an evening of unique, vivid and ultimately uplifting stories told by the people at the heart of our projects.
Our speakers (in order of appearance)
Sandrine Tiller (event chair)
Sandrine has extensive experience working in Venezuela, Eritrea, Tanzania, Israel/Occupied Palestinian Territory, Lebanon and most recently, Ukraine. She has expertise in humanitarian diplomacy, the politicisation of aid and the state of the aid system. She is currently working for the MSF Brussels office in the Humanitarian Access & Negotiation Team.
Sarah Leahy – speaking about Afghanistan
Sarah has spent her professional life working across the globe in industries including Finance, Technology, Humanities and the Arts. She has spent the past six years working for MSF, as Project Coordinator and in Security and Information Management. She has completed assignments in Central African Republic, South Sudan, India and Afghanistan and is currently working at MSF headquarters.
John Buckels – speaking about South Sudan
John’s extensive experience as a consultant surgeon in Birmingham resulted in being awarded a CBE for Services to Transplantation in 2002. Since taking early retirement he has completed 13 assignments for MSF as a surgeon in various sub-Saharan African countries and one in Haiti.
Unity Enuebuke – speaking about Northern Nigeria
Unity has been working in her home country of Nigeria with MSF since 2010. A registered nurse, she has vast experience of a wide range of projects, including emergency interventions, and presently holds the post of nursing activity manager at the Jahun Obstetric Emergencies and Obstetric Fistula Repair Centre in Northern Nigeria.
Emma Kinghan – speaking about Democratic Republic of Congo
Emma divides her professional life between Speciality Doctor roles in HIV/Genitourinary Medicine and Emergency Medicine. She also tutors undergraduate students in Communication Skills at Queens University in Belfast. Her first MSF assignment was as TB Doctor/Manager in Arua Hospital Northwest Uganda in 2011-2012, and she has recently returned as the Medical Activity Manager in Walikale Project Kivu Province in Democratic Republic of Congo.
