“My coming to Eritrea helped me to contribute what I can to my country, to develop my career and to achieve better work experience,” said Dr. Sara Derenkay, a dentist.

Born and raised up in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Dr. Sara received a degree from OCTOBER-6 University of Cairo, Egypt. Right after she graduated, she came to Eritrea to do her national service. She was assigned to the National Referral Hospital and Halibet Hospital Dental Units. “It was not because of a sudden decision that I came here. It is what had been in my mind for a long time,” she said.

She further stated that it was her father that built a strong sense of nationalism in her. “What my father taught me about Eritrea, kept me closely attached to my country and people,” she told Hadas Eritrea newspaper. Sara’s father often used to bring the family to Eritrea for vacation. “Since we used to spend our vacation in our country, we gained dual advantages: first we successfully challenged refugee life and secondly we developed our attachment to the homeland,” said Dr. Sara.

Sara’s father and grandfather were active members of the Eritrean armed struggle. Although this contributed to their sense of nationalism, what inspired her most were the continuous visits she paid to Eritrea since independence.

“This year I came to spend my annual leave providing medical service to my country. When I applied at the Ministry of Health, they immediately welcomed and assigned me to the Orotta National Referal Hospital and Halibet Hospital,” she said.

During her stay here for two months, the cooperation and hard work of the medical staff encouraged and enabled her to acquire significant work experience. “The environment I came across was motivating,” she stated.

Dr. Sara further stated that Eritreans in the Diaspora, as a continuation to what they have been doing in supporting their families, families of fallen heroes and the national development endeavors, they could contribute more by benefiting from the educational opportunities in the Diaspora.

“The warm welcome and friendliness of our people is beyond measure. It is a noble deed for a skilled Eritrean to come to serve this country,” Dr. Sara underlined.

She stated that she used to participate in different activities of the Eritrean community in Jeddah. She once presented a research paper entitled “The Importance of Women Teachers,” in one of the Eritrean community meetings in Jeddah.

Source: by Idris Beamnet, Hadas Eritrea