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| Chris Boswell, a student with the Mayo Medical School, volunteered last February with Global Brigades in Honduras. (Photo courtesy Chantelle McMullin) |
Interested in doing something a little different during the winter study break?
Last year, a small group of Dalhousie students went to the Latin American country of Honduras with the student society Global Brigades, joining students from chapters throughout the United States and Canada. On its website, Global Brigades claims to be the world’s largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization.
Chantelle McMullin and Marissa Ley, two second-year students from Cape Breton, loved the experience so much they’re planning to go again.
“It wasn’t a typical tourist experience,” says Ms. McMullin, 19, from Gardiner Mines, Cape Breton. “You just get a good appreciation for the culture and the country. The best part was the time we spent just relaxing with the people we met.”
While in Honduras, the Dal volunteers joined medical students from the Mayo Medical School in Rochester, New York, and helped to set up clinics in three rural villages. More than 1,000 patients streamed through the clinics, seeking treatment for medical and dental issues. A mountainous country in Central America, Honduras has a struggling economy with high unemployment and poverty and is vulnerable to natural disasters.
“I’ve always wanted to be a doctor,” says Ms. Ley, also 19, from Reserve Mines, Cape Breton. “And this experience really solidified it for me because you can make such a difference in people’s lives.”
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| Marissa Ley, Jenna Smith, Dr. John Bachman (from Mayo Medical School), Sarah Wojcik and Chantelle McMullin pose with the Dalhousie rock they painted at the village compound where they stayed while in Honduras. (Photo courtesy of Chantelle McMullin) |
During their free time the students spent time at a nearby orphanage with the children and experiencing Honduran culture.
They’re now planning for next year’s trip, February 18 to 25, 2011. Volunteers are being recruited and donations of medical supplies, eye glasses, toys and clothes are being gathered.
With an estimated $1,500 cost per volunteer, the local chapter is also organizing fundraising activities to offset the cost. Friday, October 15 is the deadline for potential volunteers to indicate their interest in traveling to Honduras during study break.
“Our current emphasis is to help the impoverished villages of Honduras in collaboration with one of the country’s most highly regarded nonprofits, Sociedad Amigos de los Ninos, led by Sister Maria Rosa Leggol, a recent nominee of the Nobel Peace Prize,” explains Ms. McMullin. “The intention of the Dalhousie group is to visit Honduras once a year, and to supply medications for patients at each visit.”
Interested in learning more? Visit Global Brigades on the web or e-mail Chantelle McMullin and Marissa Ley, Dalhousie Global Brigades co-founders, at: marissaley@globalbrigades.org or chantellemcmullin@globalbrigades.org