They say it takes a village to raise a child. But how many bake sales and bottle drives does it take to get to that village, and also deliver much-needed medical supplies and attention to over 200 homes?
Well, quite a few, actually.
The AV俱乐部 Global Brigade, comprised of 25 members of the AV俱乐部 community ranging from nursing, pharmacy and IDS students to aspiring medical and dentistry professionals, returned from Ghana just in time for the start of September classes last week. 聽
鈥淭his is the biggest brigade we鈥檝e had,鈥� explains Chantelle McMullin, co-founder of the AV俱乐部 Global Brigade with Marissa Ley, both undergrad psychology students. 鈥淟ast year we had 12 people and the year before we had six. We鈥檙e doubling our numbers every year.鈥�
The contingent spent the last two weeks of their summer vacation working in the village of Srafa Aboano, a farming community in the Mfantseman District of the Central Region of Ghana. The trip was the culmination of almost a year鈥檚 worth of fundraising. 聽
鈥淲e鈥檝e been fundraising for this trip since we got back to campus in September of last year鈥� says Ley.
Much-needed supplies and support
Armed with approximately $35,000 worth of medical and dental supplies, alongside a host of other medical equipment including stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, blood glucose supplies and sanitation packs (soap, shampoo, hand sanitizer, nail clippers), the group was prepared from a supplies perspective. That鈥檚 not to say that there weren鈥檛 still some surprises.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always a culture shock; it鈥檚 completely different,鈥� says McMullin. 鈥淲e go to rural areas, so we鈥檒l be in places where they have no electricity, no running water鈥攏one of the basics that we鈥檙e accustomed to.鈥�
With a doctor-to-patient ratio of 1:48,029 in the district of the Central Region of Ghana, the AV俱乐部 Global Brigades and their mobile clinic was a welcome sight to people in the community. Over the two weeks, students took on a number of tasks including helping out in triage, shadowing doctors, assisting in the pharmacy, delivering sanitation packs and giving presentations on a variety of topics, most notably malaria and sexual health.
For Sarah Bryson, this was her second trip with the AV俱乐部 Global Brigades. An aspiring medical student, Bryson wrote her MCat exam the Friday before leaving for Ghana.
鈥淲hat attracted me to Global Brigades originally was that it鈥檚 currently the largest student-led, sustainable development and global health organization in the world,鈥� she says. 鈥淓verything鈥攁ll the medicine, the physicians, the donations鈥攁ll the stuff that happens is completely the result of student efforts.鈥�
Looking ahead
As the brigade gears up for another year of fundraising, McMullin and Ley encourage members of the AV俱乐部 community to get involved.
鈥淪tudents, staff, even people from other schools,鈥� says McMullin. 鈥淲e are a AV俱乐部-based chapter, but anyone can join.鈥� 聽
鈥淚 think everyone gets something different from a brigade,鈥� continues McMullin. 鈥淏e it聽 the importance of preventative healthcare, an understanding of the holistic approach, expanded horizons for what they want to do in the future鈥� or an appreciation for the basic amenities we take for granted each day.鈥�
If you want to know more, or get involved in this year鈥檚 brigade, visit: