Upcoming Summer GROW Trips
Posted on Jun 16, 2010 by Ankur Asthana
By Renee Kreidl
It’s an exciting summer for GlobeMed! Thirteen of our chapters—more than double last summer—will be leading GROW (GRassroots Onsite Work) trips. Students will spend anywhere from twelve days to eight weeks volunteering alongside their partner health organization in impoverished communities. From Butare, Rwanda to Tipling, Nepal, students will be strengthening their partnerships by experiencing firsthand the challenge of improving health infrastructure.
Students conduct specific projects varying from health education, income-generating projects, nutrition programs, improving healthcare access, water and sanitation improvements to technology needs. Jason Pace, trip coordinator from Rhodes College, explains that their GROW trip to Managua, Nicaragua will focus on four to five projects, including implementing a water filtration project that uses money from fundraisers, as well as intitiating an asthma program. Projects directly address the needs of the Managua community; parasite-related illnesses from water contamination and asthmatic complications from poorly ventilated stoves continue to serve as health concerns in Managua. The projects also are critically examined to make the greatest impact for improving healthcare. Allyson Westling from Northwestern's GROW trip says she will be “looking at the intersection of maternal health and nutrition and how the current program can be tailored to better meet the needs of pregnant women” who come to the H.O.P.E. Center—a primary health clinic in Ho, Ghana.
GROW trip members dedicate much thought to creating these projects with their partner organization. One GROW trip member, John Weatherly from Loyola University, notes the challenge of “keeping in mind the wants and beliefs of the community—while planning this thousands of miles away” from their partner in La Primavera, Guatemala. Effective GROW trips also rely on efficient communication, for example through Skype conference calls and emails with the community or partner health organization. When reflecting on his own experience in striving towards mutual respect and understanding, Gerald Guevarra from Loyola says, “it’s a fine line between offering your advice and help without imposing your ideas.” To encourage an exchange of ideas, GROW trip members must learn about the culture and history of the country before traveling.
Although it’s an extremely rewarding experience, preparing for a GROW trip requires a lot of intensive preparation and a whole lot of coffee to get through the late nights working together for the trip. Meetings usually include team building exercises, learning history, finalizing plans for work on the ground, and even learning a few phrases of the local language. As well as strengthening the partnership and helping a community, GROW trips empower students by providing the opportunity to acquire skills needed to work in the field of global health. So be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming blog posts on our GROW trips throughout the summer!
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Image: Loyola GlobeMed students in a conference call with their partner, the CCPI of La Primavera, Guatemala
By Renee Kreidl
It’s an exciting summer for GlobeMed! Thirteen of our chapters—more than double last summer—will be leading GROW (GRassroots Onsite Work) trips. Students will spend anywhere from twelve days to eight weeks volunteering alongside their partner health organization in impoverished communities. From Butare, Rwanda to Tipling, Nepal, students will be strengthening their partnerships by experiencing firsthand the challenge of improving health infrastructure.
Students conduct specific projects varying from health education, income-generating projects, nutrition programs, improving healthcare access, water and sanitation improvements to technology needs. Jason Pace, trip coordinator from Rhodes College, explains that their GROW trip to Managua, Nicaragua will focus on four to five projects, including implementing a water filtration project that uses money from fundraisers, as well as intitiating an asthma program. Projects directly address the needs of the Managua community; parasite-related illnesses from water contamination and asthmatic complications from poorly ventilated stoves continue to serve as health concerns in Managua. The projects also are critically examined to make the greatest impact for improving healthcare. Allyson Westling from Northwestern's GROW trip says she will be “looking at the intersection of maternal health and nutrition and how the current program can be tailored to better meet the needs of pregnant women” who come to the H.O.P.E. Center—a primary health clinic in Ho, Ghana.
GROW trip members dedicate much thought to creating these projects with their partner organization. One GROW trip member, John Weatherly from Loyola University, notes the challenge of “keeping in mind the wants and beliefs of the community—while planning this thousands of miles away” from their partner in La Primavera, Guatemala. Effective GROW trips also rely on efficient communication, for example through Skype conference calls and emails with the community or partner health organization. When reflecting on his own experience in striving towards mutual respect and understanding, Gerald Guevarra from Loyola says, “it’s a fine line between offering your advice and help without imposing your ideas.” To encourage an exchange of ideas, GROW trip members must learn about the culture and history of the country before traveling.
Although it’s an extremely rewarding experience, preparing for a GROW trip requires a lot of intensive preparation and a whole lot of coffee to get through the late nights working together for the trip. Meetings usually include team building exercises, learning history, finalizing plans for work on the ground, and even learning a few phrases of the local language. As well as strengthening the partnership and helping a community, GROW trips empower students by providing the opportunity to acquire skills needed to work in the field of global health. So be sure to keep an eye out for upcoming blog posts on our GROW trips throughout the summer!
Washington University in St. Louis
University of Missouri - Kansas City
Image: Loyola GlobeMed students in a conference call with their partner, the CCPI of La Primavera, Guatemala
