Australian
Screen

Teacher’s notes

provided by

This clip shows Marg Ward working as a volunteer in southern Sudan in Africa for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). The clip opens with Ward’s daughter discussing how she felt when her mother decided to join MSF. An Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) file tape shows images of conflict in southern Sudan. Footage from an MSF file tape shows Ward providing medical treatment to the sick and injured. The music, sombre at the beginning of the clip, takes on an upbeat tempo towards the end. The clip concludes with a close-up of a wounded child.

Educational value points

• In this clip, Marg Ward is shown working as a volunteer for Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), a humanitarian, non-government organisation (NGO) that provides medical aid to developing countries. Most of its funding is derived from public donations. Its aim is to ‘provide essential medical–humanitarian aid to those who need it most, regardless of race, religion, gender or political affiliation’ (www.msf.org.au).

• Ward is one of approximately 3,000 volunteers that MSF sends to work on emergency medical programs each year. MSF recruits general practitioners, specialist doctors and nurses, surgeons, midwives, medical scientists and public health and nutrition experts as well as finance, administration and logistics professionals. There are no age limits – Ward was about 60 at the time of this placement – and placements last for an average of six months.

• Médecins Sans Frontières was established on 22 December 1971 by a group of 12 French doctors led by Dr Bernard Kouchner. During the 1967–70 civil war between Nigeria and Biafra the doctors became frustrated by the high level of bureaucracy and government intervention. They wanted to establish a humanitarian aid organisation independent of government agendas.

• Footage taken of Ward in the war zone contrasts with the well-lit, static shots of interviews with Ward, her daughter and Philippe Tanguy, Head of Communications for MSF Australia, and this contrast serves to underline the difference between Ward’s secure life in Australia and her decision, which her daughter is shown supporting, to accept the dangerous placement in Sudan. The sound of a slow trumpet effectively links these contrasting aspects of Ward’s life.

• Using Ward as the narrator of her own story establishes a sense of intimacy with and empathy for the subject of the clip. Ward is shown talking directly to the camera, promoting a feeling of involvement and connection with the audience. A sense of unease and tension is created when footage of armed conflict is shown and Ward later says ‘I hadn’t realised how dangerous it all was’.

• Having achieved independence from the UK in 1956, Sudan has been involved in internal conflict for most of its short history. There have been two civil wars between north and south and a separate conflict in the Darfur region. The conflict shown in this clip is the second civil war, which was fought between 1983 and 2005 and resulted in about 2 million civilian deaths and more than 4 million people becoming civilian refugees or internally displaced persons.

• Médecins Sans Frontières has provided humanitarian aid in southern Sudan since 1979. The organisation initially entered the region to provide assistance to civilians affected by drought, starvation, disease and the ongoing civil war. In 1989 two MSF volunteers were killed when the aeroplane they were travelling on was shot down in southern Sudan.

• The clip is taken from an episode of Australian Story, which is produced by the ABC and is aired weekly. Each 30-min episode focuses on an individual Australian who narrates their own story. The first program was aired in 1996 and the series has won seven Walkley awards and four TV Week Logie awards.

Marg’s daughter is interviewed. The interview is intercut with a photo of Marg.
Marg Ward’s daughter She ended up doing her Masters of Public Health and she started to realise that the world was opening up for her. Suddenly she said, ‘You know, I’ve never, ever just had me to answer to – ever.’ She said, ‘Well, you’ve all left home and I’m here by myself so off I go, you know.’ And I thought that was great.

This footage shows a chaotic warzone. There are scenes of explosions and people running.
Philippe Tanguy, Marg Ward’s boss (in voice-over) Marg’s first mission was to South Sudan in 2002. It was in a place called (unclear). It was always going to be a baptism of fire.

Marg is interviewed.
Marg Ward, Médecins Sans Frontières volunteer I was told that if I survived this mission in South Sudan, I could survive anywhere.

Philippe is interviewed.
Philippe There was a civil war which had been going already for 20 years.

Interview footage of Marg in Australia is intercut with warzone scenes of Sudan, Marg operating on a patient and Marg discussing her thoughts shortly after arriving in Sudan.
Marg We walked into the compound and then there was an emergency. We didn’t even have time to be shown to our tents. There’d been a bombing and so these people were arriving, one by one, in different states of war injury, some with arms missing. It was just horrendous. I couldn’t believe it. And I haven’t worked in a dressing room or a theatre for many, many, many years but it came back in a rush.
Marg (in Sudan) I’ve never been to a warzone. I guess I hadn’t realised how dangerous it all was.

There is laughter in the medical tent as Marg jokes around with patients and other staff. Marg is treating a child.
Marg Can you explain to the child and the mother that we’re just going to take the dressing off and have a look?
The child sniffles as Marg takes the dressing off.