Last month we welcomed Shwetha Sudhakar and Mackenzie Cater, who are both in internal medicine-pediatrics residency in Cleveland.
During their in Nicaragua, they went up in the mountains in Nicaragua to participate in a Health Fair and delivered water filters. They also cared for patients in our urban clinics in Managua, did home visits to vulnerable patients, and provided talks on health topics to the Urban Health Educators that serve so many families in Nejapa.
“I’ve always had an interest in global health, and I really appreciated that AMOS seemed to really have a partnership with the community and really serve in a way that was helpful, that inspired me, and made me want to come and spend time here” told us Shwetha,
“In the health Fairs one day we have like 85 kids, and just their energy and their excitement about us being there and getting to play with the kids, teach the kids, and talk to their families, was great. We did a round of educational nutrition. It was the focus of this one, so it was really awesome, and to hear about what kind of foods the people eat there, what things are accessible in the community” said Mackenzie.
They highlighted as their favorite activities, the home visits and the talks they gave for the Urban Health Educators on diarrhea, seizures, developmental goals for children, and emergency response. Mackenzie told us “I think something that’s really cool is that more than even just being health counselors, which is so important, they’re also real leaders of the communities.” She admires how the AMOS-trained Urban Health Educators take care of their neighbors and get to know all the families living around them.
“The Urban Health Educators care about the community. I think it’s so great what they do. They do want to teach others and even during my talks, the questions they asked were just so insightful, and I felt like everything they were asking is because they do want to help their community and care about them” said Shwetha.
“I think that we have so much to learn here. And I would recommend anyone to come to AMOS. I think it’s a wonderful program, and for us as volunteers, they’ve thought about what experiences and what would be most important and valuable for us. I think they seem very open to it being sort of a two-directional street of we have a lot to learn here, but also hopefully a little bit to give, which is something I really hope to do.”
~ Mackenzie Cater
Want to volunteer in Nicaragua? Send an email to volunteer.coordinator@amoshealth.org
I so enjoyed the enthusiasm and energy of these physicians! Hope to see you again!
And may this time spent in Nicaragua help you think deeply about ways we can increase community participation in the US health system.