I am writing to tell you about my exciting plans for May 2020. I have joined the Global Health Outreach chapter of Volunteers Around the World, at Mississippi State University, and will be spending two weeks to promote public health by doing service projects and teaching health in Guatemala.
Volunteers Around the World (VAW) is a non-governmental organization devoted to improving the standard of living for those living in some of the most poverty-stricken communities of Albania, Guatemala, Panama, Dominican Republic, Peru and Thailand. Our focus is to enhance the community’s infrastructure through improved education, access to more advanced recycling water systems, gardens, and composite boxes to help increase economic and environmental opportunities. We strive to “volunteer our time and donate our energy” by working with the community members and leaders of Guatemala to create a healthier environment for those who are less fortunate than us.
In May 2020, we will be working in Guatemala. Many communities their lack what we in the United States consider basic utilities. Our primary project is to promote more environmental ways of health, where we will work with local health care professionals to provide free care to communities including host family housing, as well as games and gatherings. We will also visit surrounding elementary schools and teach the children basic public health classes.
In order to make this trip a success, I need your help! We are working to raise funds, donations, and gain sponsorships to purchase supplies and medications for our travel. Your donations will go toward us and any sponsorships have a chance of being talked about. This is so we can have more people join and travel, as well as buy tools and necessities there, to help communities in rural Guatemala. Any amount is greatly appreciated. With $250, your donation can pay for someone’s club fee which goes to our club budget and or fundraising, etc. With $100, your donation can purchase someone’s medical bills needed in order to travel. With $350, your donation can buy both of those. On top of that, it is $1,795 per person to travel not including the airfare and free travel when in the country, which they pay for on their own or we try to pay off. The main goal is to be able to pay off as much as we can by splitting it up between all members. We need at least 10 people to travel and no more than 20. We ended up only getting 4 members. Therefore, we are teaming up with a university out of Chicago!
We would love to be able to work out really any sponsorship ideas or benefiting a fundraiser to help us gain money. However, a simple donation will always help!
Thank you for your support in this amazing, life-changing experience. As well as reading this. If you have any questions about the program, feel free to email us at [nwp33@msstate.edu- Team Leader 1 or Zec26@mststae.edu- Assistant Team Leader], or call/text Team Leader 1 at [(205)-317-5414].
One last thing I will add, Global Health is a new chapter in VAW, only two years in, and this is the first year it is at MSU. We are building and planning for a big future of expanding our travel destinations as well as financial budget. This is since our chapter is limited to Guatemala due to being new.
Sincerely,
Neal Pirtle
VAW Global Health