Traveling to Honduras, Elon University’s chapter of Global Medical Brigades will leave more than footprints.
The chapter of the national organization had a donation drive last week to collect sunglasses and hats to give to farmers in Honduras during its fourth annual brigade there this summer.
Global Medical Brigades works with licensed medical professionals to provide free health services in rural communities, specifically in Honduras, Ghana and Panama.
Twenty-eight Elon students along with a doctor, dentist and OB/GYN will travel to Honduras Aug. 8-14 and set up makeshift medical clinics in rural communities going from town to town providing basic health care and medication.
According to sophomore Ashley Meerbergen, the treasurer of Elon’s chapter of the brigade, for every patient they see, the brigade also gives a donation of either medication, an item of clothing or toys for children. After her last trip to Honduras, Meerbergen said she wanted to bring what the people needed most.
“Last year we saw people who mainly worked outside, like farmers,” Meerbergen said. “We saw a lot of them with this chronic disease where, to protect the eye, the eye grows an extra layer of skin to protect it from the sun and it causes the farmers to go blind so they cannot work. There’s no medication to fix this, so by supplying protection through sunglasses and hats, we can help prevent this problem from being so prevalent.”
[box]Global Medical Brigades collection What: hats, sunglasses, sporting equipment, clothing, toys and school supplies. When: until August How: Contact either jronecker@elon.edu or ameerbergern@elon.edu to make a donation.[/box]
Junior Julie Ronecker, the president of the organization, said she hopes this will be an easy way for Elon students to give back and that they are accepting sunglasses and hats in any condition.
“We realize there are a lot of Elon students that have extra hats or sunglasses lying around, so we contacted sports teams and Greek organizations that might have extra,” Ronecker said.
Meerbergen said that what the people need most are things Americans consider very basic.
“It’s really basic stuff like Tylenol, cough syrup or eye drops, so people walk for miles just to come either because they are sick or as a preventative measure in case they are sick in the future,” Meerbergen said.
Global Medical Brigades mainly targets students who are pre-med, who are able to work under and observe health professionals that accompany them on the trip and get hands-on training that many students do not get until they attend medical school.
But along with helping people and gaining education, Meerbergen also said the trip has allowed her to become more of a global citizen.
“It’s a great opportunity to see more of the world, learn a new language and see a different culture,” she said. "It’s just about people helping people, and I think there’s so much you can learn in that.”