Helping Honduras: Part One

By Karolyn Castaldo on March 9, 2012

While many of us are going home, traveling to tropical beach resorts, or hitting the slopes this Spring Break, 30 students from the University of Denver will travel to Danli, Honduras to set up a medical and dental clinic through Global Brigades. This is a national group which puts on trips every three or four months to developing countries in order to give free health and development aid to those who do not usually have access to it. Global Brigades is the largest student-lead global health and development organization in the world.

Photo from Flickr.com by isafmedia

DU’s own Global Medical Brigade, a chapter started by seniors Brett Friedman and Joshua Carlson, will set up shop from March 18-25 and provide health, dental and wellness services to hundreds of Hondurans per day. Because the students cannot perform medical procedures such as, physician consultations, teeth cleaning, fluoride treatment, pap smears, prostate exams and restorative dental care, they have acquired doctors and dentists to travel with them. They will simply be helping out where it is necessary, interacting with the patients and being of general assistance to the clinic.

This doesn’t mean that the students haven’t been working hard since they signed up for this trip at the beginning of the school year. They have been fundraising at many of the Pioneer Pre-game events at the hockey games, tabling with Jamba Juice, and they even organized a bar party at Crimson and Gold Tavern for the cause. Students have also been calling and sending letters for donations from various organizations for medicine, shampoo, conditioner, and soap to give to the patients when they visit the clinic.

Not only will the students be participating in the clinical aspect of this trip, but they will also be interacting heavily in the area at which they are stationed. One day, they plan to visit an orphanage to spend time with the children, playing soccer and other games. They will also be putting on skits for the children to teach them proper hand washing techniques and other healthy habits. Many of the students speak Spanish and are eager to get some practice with the locals.

This is simply one of the many ways that DU students get involved outside of their community. To help them reach their donation goals of medical supplies, medicine, or cash, please visit their secure fundraising website. For further contact, send an email to dumedbrigades@gmail.com.

A follow-up article will be written after the trip as been completed, so stay tuned!

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