PASS ON THE ADAT
SO OUR CULTURE IS NOT LOST.
‘’I always enjoyed looking after others. On birthdays I always helped my mother serve our guests. It was clear to everyone that I would eventually find my way into a caring profession such as healthcare. In 1999 I was about to go to the Moluccas as a nurse, but then we received a negative travel advisory because of the religious war between Christians and Muslims.
As a nurse in Intensive Care and on the ambulance, I experienced many situations where it was a matter of life or death. When you manage to stabilise a patient in the street, it gives a special sense of satisfaction and a feeling of happiness. Unfortunately, I had to stop working in acute care because of my own health. I then went to work in addiction care. In this field it's crucial that you help a client work out the function of their substance use, in order to get a clear picture of the underlying problem.
The best moment of my career was being allowed to go to America to work in a hospital in Chicago. There I learned how healthcare is organised. One day I'd like to go abroad again to provide care to those who can't afford it.
Family and my faith are important to me, and let's not forget how food forms a connecting element within Moluccan culture. I have enormous admiration for how my grandfather and grandmother managed to hold their own in the Netherlands. I remember that they had a lot of pain, sorrow and homesickness. Their suitcase always stood ready. That's how I learned to have respect for the elderly.’’
Jessica is third generation and granddaughter of Frederik H. Pattiwael and Maria M. Pelamonia.
Village of origin is Tiouw on the island of Saparua.
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Person portrayed
Jessica Pattiwael
(1980, Groningen)
Nurse practitioner
Somatic Care / Mental Health Care MSc
Lives in Zuidhorn - Photographer Ed Leatemia
