Fall brings with it the excitement of new beginnings and a renewed sense of purpose, and we are certainly feeling that energy at GHC! Each weekend over the past 6 weeks, our 128 current fellows joined together in each of our placement countries for their first GHC Quarterly Retreat. This is the first time our fellows have reconvened since they kicked off their fellowship at our Training Institute 3 months ago. This first Quarterly Retreat serves the critical purpose of reengaging the fellows with the goals they set at Training and perhaps more importantly, reconnecting on a personal and professional level with a group of likeminded changemakers.

As we’ve learned over the past 5 years, the first 90 days of the fellowship can be both the most exhilarating and the most challenging. Each and every fellow has found him or herself facing something new over the last 3 months – whether working in a new country, a new organization, with new people, or in an entirely new industry. At the First Quarter retreat, fellows share strategies for dealing with common roadblocks and map out plans for success. As one fellow reflected,

“[The most valuable part of the retreat] was hearing about other fellows’ experiences. It showed me that I’ve managed some challenges very well which gave me confidence, and also showed me possible solutions/resources to deal with remaining challenges.”

Over the course of the weekend, fellows revisited many of the themes and strategies introduced at Training . One of the key lessons fellows took with them from Training was that of finding “bright spots” in order to create change in challenging situations (an idea we credit to the inspirational Heath Brothers!). This refers to the strategy of cloning what’s working rather than only trying to fix what’s not. Fellows like Savannah Russo (EGPAF Uganda) shared exciting examples of how they’ve utilized this strategy to make a positive impact at their placements:

“My bright spots are two men in the Ntungamo district of Uganda named Evans & Katoori. These men both attended a 5 Day Wellness Campaign organized by EGPAF which offered cervical cancer screenings, HIV testing and counseling, family planning, and wellness checks. Male involvement, especially in couples HIV testing, is a major challenge that EGPAF is trying to address. I interviewed Evans and Katoori, some of the few men who were there, to learn why they attended and why they felt it was important. I want to use these men as bright spots to expand EGPAF’s programs on male involvement in Uganda.”

Fellows practiced resiliency-building exercises through journaling, personal reflection, and small-group sharing and had the opportunity to re-connect with their co-fellow. In lively discussions about the healthcare systems in their placement countries, they imagined and debated models that could more effectively serve patients in need.  Fellows left the retreat feeling re-energized and equipped to handle the challenges they will encounter over the next 9 months as they continue working to make health equity a reality. Most importantly, they were reminded that they have 127 other changemakers to rely on when things get hard and to high-five when things go well! As one fellow remarked:

“The best part of the retreat was reconnecting with the other fellows. It’s re-energizing to have a community to lean on, talk to, and seek advice from that is going through similar experiences.”

 

Fellows at the Q1 Retreat outside Washington, D.C.

If you’re interested in checking out some of the health systems articles our fellows read in preparation for their first quarterly retreat, click below!

  1. Human Resources for Health: A Snapshot of Zambia’s Strategic Plan, Ministry of Health Zambia
  2. Malawi’s Emergency Human Resources Programme, World Health Organization
  3. Realigning Health With Care, Stanford Social Innovation Review
  4. Rwanda’s Health Miracle , NY Times

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