In Solidarity
Post by Breeanna Lorenzen When I was first applying to global health fellowships, I ran into the e-mail sign off “In Solidarity.” This confused me. I was working in a hospital in Berkeley, CA and this was a director of an NGO serving an impoverished community in Mali. We had never met and we did […]
“Lauren, I will disown you if you don’t apply!”- my 92 year-old Grandmother
Post by: Lauren Marcell I’ll be honest- I didn’t think I had a smidgen of a chance of becoming a Global Health Corps fellow. I had two reactions upon reading the position descriptions and mission statement of GHC. 1) Unprecedented excitement. I knew this was the opportunity I had been looking for, the next step […]
I have a dream
‘When I grow up I want to be a lawyer’, one boy said. ‘I want to be a doctor’, another said. One secondary school student cited a beautiful poem titled, ‘You’ve got Gold’ to his friends, while others sang songs and showcased their acting talents through drama. There were lessons shared about adherence to ART […]
Smiling Through the Mud
In my position with the Clinton Health Access Initiative in Malawi, I focus on how we can make sure that HIV-exposed infants are quickly and accurately diagnosed and, if necessary, initiated on treatment – a process known as Early Infant Diagnosis (EID). That doesn’t sound too hard, eh? Unfortunately, it’s a very complicated process with […]
Defining “community” across borders
The Global Health Corps experience, and life in rural Burundi specifically, has strengthened my personal value of the idea of “community.” An email I received from a friend recently that said “may you be surrounded by much protection while outside the reach of enfolding arms” made me realize just how much. I was happy to […]
Power of African Mothers
Most of the times we forget the role of African women in global health. I have come to believe that they are the solution we need to avert the rampant problems we are facing. In December, 2004, I was diagnosed with Nephritis, pending surgery at one of the major hospitals in Lilongwe district. I was […]
Ordinary Man’s Holiday
A holiday in Malawi is a time for some families to spend quality time together. Sometimes expecting such holidays turns into a process that involves saving and planning special events, intended to make the day special. Some of the holidays include Christmas, Easter and Mother’s day. I come from a family that has never seen […]
New Branding, High Expectations!
Branding! One of the ways for being identified among all the other organizations providing the same service as you. The way you can be recognized by consumers and create credibility for yourself. For example, Coca-Cola can be recognized by billions of people all over the world. In my country, some people know Coca-Cola before even […]
PAUSE and REWIND: Recap of my first 4 months with PiH Neno/APZU in Malawi
My name is Jeffrey, and I am the Pharmaceutical and Logistics Coordinator for Partners in Health’s (PiH) Neno/APZU site in the beautiful country of Malawi – the “warm heart of Africa.” My first 4 months in Neno, Malawi have been a whirlwind. This blog is an attempt to PAUSE and relive the moments myself with […]
Serving the Community
Born and raised in the urban part of my home country, Malawi, somehow meant living in the dark. I was exposed to urban ways of living, which I would describe as something at least good and fair. Never did I know that a number of people in some settings within Malawi are being deprived of […]