From Uganda to the US: Two Students Develop GlobeMed Chapters Around Inspiring Summers
Posted on Nov 8, 2008 by Victor Roy
Two GlobeMed Chapter Presidents, Evan Blank of WashU- St. Louis and Bianca Nguyen of UNC- Chapel Hill, spent their summers on two separate journeys in two rural villages in Uganda. While Evan and Bianca spent their summers in different locations, their experiences shared a common purpose and result – the realization that they and their peers had an incredible potential to make a meaningful impact
Bianca spent 6 weeks in Gulu, a rural village in northern Uganda, understanding the impact of TB/HIV in the community. With a strong desire to find a partner for her GlobeMed chapter, Bianca discovered Health Alert Uganda, a young non-governmental organization focused on supporting children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Bianca learned an incredible amount in Uganda explaining that, "the raw reality of the struggles of those I talked to while in Gulu made the justification, the cause, and my desire to make an impact so much more tangible." During her stay, Bianca worked with Health Alert Uganda to implement a nutrition program for infants of HIV affected mothers. The formula fed to the infants decreases HIV transmission by almost 80%. GlobeMed at UNC is now supporting Health Alert's PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS) program by funding formula that mothers can use. The transformative experience not only allowed her to secure a direction for GlobeMed at UNC-Chapel Hill, but also motivated her to pursue an interest and passion for a career in public health.
While Bianca was in Gulu, Evan Blank, President of GlobeMed at WashU-St Louis, was a few hours south in Iganga. As he worked for 2 months on several clean water projects, Evan met an incredible and inspiring individual: Dr. Waiswa, a co-founder of Uganda Development and Health Associates (UDHA), a non-governmental organization comprised of local health professionals. Community leaders use UDHA as a means to implement women and children empowerment programs ranging from providing basic health care to using sports as a means to teach young kids about sexual health. With Dr. Waiswa, Evan and the GlobeMed chapter are now working on the development of a new youth health clinic by supporting sports and health education sessions in the villages near Iganga.
Today, both Evan and Bianca are back on their campuses mobilizing their peers to support these communities. Washington University-St. Louis recently raised money through an African art auction for the new youth clinic in Iganga, Uganda. UNC-Chapel Hill is planning a World AIDS Day event on their campus that will engage over 1,000 students and community members to build support for a Health Alert program that will help prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS from mothers to children. Please take a minute to look at a quick slideshow highlighting Bianca and Evan's summer!
Evan and Bianca’s summer experiences promise to both improve the lives of people in Uganda and also shape global health interest on their campuses for years to come.
Bianca spent 6 weeks in Gulu, a rural village in northern Uganda, understanding the impact of TB/HIV in the community. With a strong desire to find a partner for her GlobeMed chapter, Bianca discovered Health Alert Uganda, a young non-governmental organization focused on supporting children affected by HIV/AIDS.
Bianca learned an incredible amount in Uganda explaining that, "the raw reality of the struggles of those I talked to while in Gulu made the justification, the cause, and my desire to make an impact so much more tangible." During her stay, Bianca worked with Health Alert Uganda to implement a nutrition program for infants of HIV affected mothers. The formula fed to the infants decreases HIV transmission by almost 80%. GlobeMed at UNC is now supporting Health Alert's PMTCT (prevention of mother to child transmission of HIV/AIDS) program by funding formula that mothers can use. The transformative experience not only allowed her to secure a direction for GlobeMed at UNC-Chapel Hill, but also motivated her to pursue an interest and passion for a career in public health.
While Bianca was in Gulu, Evan Blank, President of GlobeMed at WashU-St Louis, was a few hours south in Iganga. As he worked for 2 months on several clean water projects, Evan met an incredible and inspiring individual: Dr. Waiswa, a co-founder of Uganda Development and Health Associates (UDHA), a non-governmental organization comprised of local health professionals. Community leaders use UDHA as a means to implement women and children empowerment programs ranging from providing basic health care to using sports as a means to teach young kids about sexual health. With Dr. Waiswa, Evan and the GlobeMed chapter are now working on the development of a new youth health clinic by supporting sports and health education sessions in the villages near Iganga.
Today, both Evan and Bianca are back on their campuses mobilizing their peers to support these communities. Washington University-St. Louis recently raised money through an African art auction for the new youth clinic in Iganga, Uganda. UNC-Chapel Hill is planning a World AIDS Day event on their campus that will engage over 1,000 students and community members to build support for a Health Alert program that will help prevent the transmission of HIV/AIDS from mothers to children. Please take a minute to look at a quick slideshow highlighting Bianca and Evan's summer!
