Madame Rachel has been a collaborator of Sisters Hospitallers in the Telema center in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo) and companion of Sister Angela Gutierrez, for 29 years.
What does it mean to you that Sister Angela has been nominated for such an important and honorary award as the Princess of Asturias Award for Concord 2020?
It is a great joy, because he deserves it for the work and attention he develops in the service of the sick. He suffers from seeing so much sick on the street and cannot do anything else for lack of means.
What is it for you to work with her? What do you learn daily from her work and dedication?
I have been working with her for 29 years. From her I learn to be next to the patient, to welcome him, to love him and help him learn something to make him feel good.
How did you start your journey at the TELEMA center? What do you do in your job? How is your day?
I have been working with Sister Angela for 29 years. Almost every day we have about 40 patients. We start at 7:30. We teach them to sew and other jobs but it depends on each person. This is very important to them. My job is also to encourage them to be like other people who respect themselves and are respected.
What is the feeling of dedicating yourself professionally to helping the integration and improvement of the quality of life of so many people?
I am happy when I see that the patient feels good and that his family takes him into consideration, and that he is integrated into society.
And finally, how important would it be for the center and for all of us if Sister Angela was chosen as the winner of the award?
It would be very important because it could allow us to open the new center. This would be a great joy for all of us because the center would have a foster home.
In addition, we also need a laboratory, since the patient who lives on the street is very injured and comes with many infections. This would help us to recover much better with a more appropriate treatment.
Thank you very much for this interview with our collaborator Madame Rachel.
