This past summer I had the incredible opportunity to work with the Wabash GHI through the GHI-Perú program. Over the period of 4 weeks, I worked with a great team of individuals, located in the United States and Perú, promoting health education and doing projects to improve quality of life for many different groups. Among the individuals that I worked with, there were three specific organizations that are under the specialties and jurisdictions of the GHI-Perú. The first of these organizations is called “Creciendo Juntos” or “Growing Together” which focused on the education of individuals 6-13 years old, promoting leadership skills and a healthy lifestyle that these children can spread throughout their respective communities. The second organization is “Vida Sana” which focuses on the wellbeing of mothers in the Pamplona Alta region of Perú, providing educational lessons to mothers who then share the newly learned behaviors and lessons with their families. The third organization, “Corazones Excepcionales” or “Exceptional Hearts”, works with individuals that have Down syndrome, helping with pronunciation, writing, motor skills, and more.
Outside of these organizations, I worked with multiple universities, presenting to students about life in the United States, what it means to be a university student, and the differences in the preparation for Medical School. I also had the opportunity to attend various classes, participate in the collection of materials and creation a local library, and visiting health campaigns that focused on embittering Public Health. I visited multiple research labs, working with researchers that focused on creating an anti-malarial, anti-dengue bacterium and the creation of a probiotic using a byproduct of industrialized fermented beverages. Working with these researchers allowed me to see what a large university research facility looked like and differing methodologies that I was unfamiliar with.
Within the three organizations of GHI-Perú, I was in charge of creating presentations and activities for children about dental hygiene, nutrition, and waste management, alongside the creation of a workshop about Dengue for Vida Sana. With Corazones Excepcionales, I worked with multiple individuals in fun, educational activities to improve language skills and autonomy, and participated in a workshop for the parents of the individuals to help them understand effective ways to communicate and teach their children.
This internship confirmed my desires to continue in the world of Global Health, not only making in impact on my academic and professional life, but my personal life as well. Working with the team and individuals in Perú really motivated me to continue down the path for Medical School and possibly come back for future endeavors. I want to give a special thanks to Dr. Eric Wetzel and Jill Rogers from Wabash College, and Carlos Alberto “Beto” Del Aguila Pérez, Milagros Ramos, Yair Chacon, Bequet Bajarano, Ariana Dueñas, and all the rest of the team from GHI-Perú for making this incredible experience possible.
