One of the reasons I decided to become a Global Health major, as well as do a progressive degree in Global Medicine is because I’ve always been interested in the health of others around the world. I originally wanted to go into the field of global health in order to learn more about the diseases and illnesses around the world, as well as the health disparities that may exist. I want to be able to help communities in different countries to address the disparities they may face and make efforts to establish programs and such to counter or reduce these disparities.
I think through the opportunity to take various global health/medicine classes, I’ve gained more knowledge about this area. Just last semester, I took a class on child and maternal health. After taking that class, I realized how vulnerable this population was. Because of this, I knew I wanted to do something about all the various health issues mothers and their children face, whether they are from the U.S. or another country.
Next semester, I plan to take a class on clinical nutrition. The reason I decided to register for that class is because I wanted to learn more about nutrition. Being here in Los Angeles, I realized how hard it is for people to get access to the fresh, nutritious food that is necessary to be healthy. Part of the reason is because L.A. is a food desert. One way I saw people try to tackle this problem is by creating an organization that goes into local elementary schools and plant gardens. In doing so, they are teaching the children about nutrition and how to eat healthy, as well as providing them with nutritious food to eat.
Essentially, my vision for the future is a world in which there are no more health disparities around the world, essentially a healthy, disease-free world. Regardless of knowing that such a vision is very far out there and maybe even unattainable, I am still very motivated to go after this vision. My dream is to one day create a non-profit organization that will bring more awareness to the various health disparities and global health problems, in addition to providing basic health necessities to all the countries in need.
It is always so exciting when your studies finally align with your personal interests and you can see it all come together through an actual experience. That is so amazing that you got to have that opportunity to apply your skills in the field and had some great revelations about how you can help create change in people's lives by recognizing important needs.
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ReplyDeleteHave you heard of Imperfect Produce? It is a start up that sources unwanted fruits and vegetables (too ugly for supermarket or surplus) and delivers them locally to subscription members. It is a good way an organization is tackling food waste and making healthy options more accessible.
I think starting small in a pilot city would be a good idea. Since we are in LA and it is a food desert, why not start here? A lot of health related issues like obesity are related to food insecurity. If you want to raise awareness, you could tap into the entertainment industry and celebrities in LA to help spread the word. They have the biggest audiences and fan bases, local and across the world.
Partnering with USC medical school is also a good idea - they already have resources, experts, staff, partners to help advise you on your nonprofit and could provide potential support with donated goods or money.
This is a great idea! Health and opportunities for healthy living are so variable throughout the world, and the disparity in resources is outrageous. One worry that I have with this idea, while I do absolutely love it, is that it is very broad (at least right now). That being said, a company that is broadly dedicated to providing resources related to health around the world with a vision to create equality in opportunities revolving around health could be extremely successful! I just think that for the idea to be most effective INITIALLY, it might be something to consider to narrow the vision just a little bit (but DEFINITELY keeping the overall vision). It just seems to me that in order for a company like this to thrive in the long run, targeting something more specific might ultimately be conducive to tackling global health issues and health disparities worldwide! I love this idea Paula!
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