Queen's Health Outreach: Guyana
the problem:
My project is my involvement in Queen's Health Outreach, a university student run project that aims to provide sustainable, culturally-appropriate development through health and education promotion.
Through this organization, I will be spending eight weeks traveling to Guyana to empower young people to be healthy and safe. Traveling to both urban and rural areas, I will work with a group of like-minded students to teach areas such as Hygiene, Responsible Sexuality, STIs & HIV/AIDS, Puberty, Disability & Discrimination, Basic Nutrition, Leadership, Child Abuse, and First Aid.
Before embarking on the project, my team mates and I will have to secure funding for the project, prepare health education kits and lesson plans, arrange contacts in Guyana (mainly through the Red Cross), and make connections with the institutions in which we will be teaching. This is no small feat, especially given the rural nature of some of the communities.
To answer the question of what problem I'm trying to solve, I answer that I'm trying, in my small way, to eradicate unneeded health problems that are caused by a lack of knowledge and education. In providing sustainable, reliable knowledge, I hope to empower young people in Guyana to have the means by which to take care of themselves.
vital stats:
people impacted:
200people involved:
9why it's important:
Guyana is a country in South America that is seriously impacted by health issues. It has the second highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the Caribbean, as well as a high rate of STIs. I recognize the fact that I have been born into a very privileged society, one that has provided me with vast access and resources to health information. Others, however, are not so fortunate. Given my passion for health and health education, I feel that this project will truly allow me to make a difference in the life of children and young people who otherwise wouldn't have access to reliable information that will allow them to take care of their own health. I truly believe that education is a sustainable tool for development, as information can be directly applied to students' lifestyles. Furthermore, the information that I pass on to others can be spread, meaning that my work will create a ripple effect.
the plan of action:
The project is part of a greater student organization, Queen's Health Outreach. That being said, every project is different. The Guyana project of which I am a member requires different work every year.
So far this year, a group of people have come together to organize the project. We have divided ourselves into three small committees, one for fund raising, one for education, and one for grant research. Throughout the year we will meet weekly to discuss, research, and prepare for our project in the summer.
Using the resources that have been left to us by the larger organization, we will prepare education kits that contain information and lesson plans that address in a culturally relevant manner the health topics that are pertinent to Guyana. Furthermore, we will spend time arranging contacts for accommodation and travel within Guyana. We also need to fund raise money for this project.
The organization has been sending students to a number of developing countries for many years. By establishing good relationships with the community leaders, students who have embarked on projects before me have paved the way for THIS project to make a difference. By focusing on cultural sensitivity and sustainable development, QHO has forged a good reputation in a number of developing countries, meaning that the work done every year is taken seriously, and that the projects are provided with opportunities to educate those who truly need it most.
