By: Taylor Eisenstein
Global Brigades is an international nonprofit whose mission is to “empower volunteers and under-resourced communities to resolve global health and economic disparities and inspire all involved to collaboratively work towards an equal world.” The organization mobilizes university volunteers and encourages them to work together with teams in local environments to improve a respective community’s health and “equality of life.”
Since its inception in the United States in 2004, Global Brigades has grown and flourished. It has since established programs in four countries: Honduras, Panama, Ghana, and Nicaragua. The duration of the volunteer trips lasts between seven and ten days. In the United States, there are over 35,000 volunteers. However, participants from the United Kingdom, Canada, Ireland, Germany, and Switzerland are represented as well.
At Emory, students can currently participate in Medical, Dental, or Public Health Brigades, although other brigades have run in previous years. Prior to departure, students hold fundraisers to obtain money for medical, dental, and hygienic supplies to donate to communities on during trip. Students can provide necessities such as medications, toothpastes, and soaps.
At the sites of Medical and Dental Brigades, which often partner together, university volunteers are accompanied by international and local doctors, dentists, pharmacists, and translators. Together, these individuals travel into local communities, where they establish mobile clinics; they essentially bring the vital clinics to the local communities.
Mobile clinics consist of various stations, including intake, triage, pharmacy, consultation, and dental. Intake involves collecting patient information and recording it in the Data Informatics System. During triage, volunteers help take blood pressure and measure vitals. Doctors can then directly treat and diagnose patients during consultation, while volunteers can shadow the interactions. At the pharmacy, volunteers assist a pharmacist in filling out various prescriptions, while at the dental station, students can observe dental extractions and provide dental education for children and adults.
Students can make a tremendous impact. However, the experience is just as rewarding for the students as it is for the communities they serve.
“I am truly humbled by this experience,” said Ravikumar.