GlobeMed at Cornell

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GlobeMed at Cornell

Ithaca, United StatesLa Libertad, Ecuador
Organization type: 
nonprofit/ngo/citizen sector
Project Stage:
Growth
Budget: 
$1,000 - $10,000
Website:
http://www.globemed.org/cornell
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Project Summary
Elevator Pitch

Concise Summary: Help us pitch this solution! Provide an explanation within 3-4 short sentences.

GlobeMed is a network of university students that partner with grassroots organizations around the world to help improve the health of the impoverished.

About Project

Problem: What problem is this project trying to address?

Here at GlobeMed at Cornell, we are trying to provide sustainable, long-term solutions to the increasing problem of Global Health Disparity. As the socioeconomic gap continues to increase, many people around the world are left without and adequate living environments and adequate opportunities to maintain good health. This is beyond access to healthcare. This is the inability of human beings to maintain a quality of life. This is a violation of the Universal Deceleration of Human Rights.

Solution: What is the proposed solution? Please be specific!

To solve this problem, GlobeMed at Cornell is partnering with a grassroots organization in Ecuador, Centro de Atencion Integral para Adolescentes (CEPAIPA) to implement a three part solution. First, we are attempting to create a CEPAIPA Awareness Campaign which would advertise and promote the work and services of the organization. Also, we are attempting to implement a Community Health Education Program. These programs, led by the staff of CEPAIPA, as well as local community leaders, will cover topics chosen based on the needs of the community. Finally, GlobeMed is attempting to raise $5,000 for laboratory equipment for a sustainable diagnostic clinic in CEPAIPA. Not only will this diagnostic clinic have an immediate effect on the health of the community, students who train there will acquire technical skills and experiences, as well as act as peer health promoters and perpetuate the cycle.
Impact: How does it Work

Example: Walk us through a specific example(s) of how this solution makes a difference; include its primary activities.

GlobeMed activities start on campus. Through simple fundraisers such as bake sales and change collection, to larger events such as a 5K walk-run and international fundraisers through programs such as GlobalGiving, GlobeMed seeks funding from the community. What sets us apart from other charitable foundations however is that we seek for efficient and effective use of our limited funding. By networking with the director of CEPAIPA, Dr. Alexandra, through Skype conferences and e-mail, we have 'eyes on the ground' advice in where to allocate our funds. We discuss potential projects with her, taking into account both her advice on the community's needs as well as our club's goals of sustainability and effectiveness to create a truly effective partner relationship. An example of this model in action was the implementation of the Peer Health Advisers Program in CEPAIPA. Through this program, several teenage girls were trained as peer health advisers and were able to educate others in the community on topics that include general sexual health, STDs, and HIV/AIDS. Furthermore, this program met our standards in sustainability due to the fact that the peer health advisers were able to train others as we trained them. In this way, they were able to maintain the program independently.
Sustainability

Marketplace: Who else is addressing the problem outlined here? How does the proposed project differ from these approaches?

The Global Health Equity issue is gaining in popularity. Programs such as Mountains for Moms (Brown University) and MedLife (National) also fight for the health of the less fortunate. However, GlobeMed is set apart in its desire for a sustainable solution. While many programs set up mobile clinics, or deliver supplies to the affected location, these programs would fail the instant funding is withdrawn. These programs are not sustainable. GlobeMed however, uses education as a tool, and creates long term solutions that survive even if funding were to be cut off.
Team

Founding Story

In 2006 students at Northwest University who were volunteering in Ghana were appalled by the extreme poverty, poor health, and little to no access to care. The students were galvanized by their experiences in Africa and returned to Northwestern determined to improve the quality of life of the people living in Ho, Ghana. To ameliorate the situation, the students worked with their community as well as well as leaders of the community in Africa. Soon the HOPE Centre was born. Since then, the students have continued their work their, and turned an abandoned building into a growing clinic, complete with a pharmacy, a pathology lab, and trained nurses. From there, GlobeMed has spread to 46 different schools, each using the partnership model to network with a grassroots organization in an under-developed area. Furthermore, GlobeMed has established a national office to network their chapters and has become a registered 501-c.
About You
Organization:
GlobeMed at Cornell
About You
First Name

Christopher

Last Name

Chang

About Your Organization
Organization Name

GlobeMed at Cornell

Organization Country

, NY, Ithaca, Tompkins County

Country where this project is creating social impact

, XX, La Libertad

How long has your organization been operating?

1‐5 years

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Innovation
How long have you been in operation?

Operating for 1‐5 years

Which of the following best describes the barrier(s) your innovation addresses? Choose up to two

Access, Equity.

Social Impact
Please describe the goal of your initiative; outline what you are trying to achieve

The goal of GlobeMed is to improve the living conditions of underdeveloped communities and strive for global health equity in an efficient and sustainable matter. Furthermore, we are attempting to mobilize the network of colleges and universities to create a global force that can make a positive and permanent impact. Our chapter, specifically, is attempting to educate and empower the youth for future impact, as well as provide funding for a health clinic to address issues immediately.

What has been the impact of your solution to date?

To date, GlobeMed at Cornell has successfully implemented a variety of programs designed to further our goal of long term solutions and short term mitigation. In the long term, we have funded lab equipment and machines for the CEPAIPA's clinic. Also, we have trained Peer Health Advisers to teach and perpetuate, their knowledge of sexual health. We also engage in campaigns designed to empower teenage women of the community. To do this, we created an income generation project, where young girls were taught to make bracelets that were sold in the United States as a form of supplemental income. By lessening the girls' dependence on men, we were able to decrease their risk of HIV/AIDS and other STDs. Short term, we provided funding for rapid HIV tests for mothers in the community, as well as the transportation to a city Hospital where counseling and symptomatic treatment would be offered. Furthermore, we provide funds to be used on lab equipment and machines to be used in CEPAIPA's clinic.

What is your projected impact over the next five years?

In five years, we hope to have created a self-sustainable, social organization with CEPAIPA. Furthermore, we hope to have CEPAIPA improve its presence within the community, to be able to extend its services to all members of the community. Also, we hope to allow CEPAIPA to extend its area of influence, to be able to affect not only its community in La Libertad, but also the surrounding cities and states. Finally we would hope that in five years, CEPAIPA will have a great enough impact that it will draw the attention of school funding officials, state officials, and similar organizations.

What barriers might hinder the success of your project? How do you plan to overcome them?

One of the barriers to the success of our project is logistics. Being removed from the La Libertad limits our ability to make judgments about the effectiveness of programs we pursue. We have been able to overcome this issue by networking with a grassroots organization and having an open dialogue about our collective goals. This dialogue in itself also represents a problem; cross-continent communication can be difficult. To avoid this issue, we maintain regular electronic communication, through email and Skype, as well as taking a small group of people on-site in the summer to discuss and evaluate issues in person. The final foreseeable issue involves funding. To overcome this, we hold fundraisers, individually donate, and apply for grants.

Winning entries present a strong plan for how they will achieve and track growth. Identify your six-month milestone for growing your impact

Identify issues in the CEPAIPA community, and generate awareness of those issues within our community

Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your six-month milestone
Task 1

Organize a small group of staff members to visit the community in La Libertad, Ecuador.

Task 2

Develop a continuous relationship not only with the staff at CEPAIPA, but also with individuals within the community

Task 3

Advertise and become a wide presence on campus, as well as with the community. Work more closely with community organizations

Now think bigger! Identify your 12-month impact milestone

Fund a fully functional, self-sustaining rapid HIV-awareness clinic, as well as advertise their services to La Libertad.

Identify three major tasks you will have to complete to reach your 12-month milestone
Task 1

Raise approximately $10000 for capital, such as machines, test tubes, etc., as well as training of employees

Task 2

Create a Health Forum that allows for their services as well as health information to be distributed throughout the community.

Task 3

Lobby for recognition by community and state leaders, push for sexual education for youth in La Libertad, Ecuador.

Sustainability
Tell us about your partnerships

Our most important and close partnership is with CEPAIPA, the grass-roots organization for which we do most of our fundraising. This relationship is truly a partnership, we do not consider ourselves to be in higher esteem, nor does CEPAIPA consider themselves to have a more valuable opinion. We value each other's advice and opinions equally, and work together towards a better future. We also emphasize partnerships within our community; especially with other health organizations with similar ideals. In this way, we can draw more attention to CEPAIPA and the issues at hand.

Are you currently targeting other specific populations, locations, or markets for your innovation? If so, where and why?

The emphasis of our organization, as well as CEPAIPA, is youth. CEPAIPA is attached, physically and metaphorically to a High School; we both believe that due to lack of proper sexual education, Ecuadorian youth is an extremely at risk demographic. Through education and empowerment, we hope to lessen the cultural dependency of teenage girls to men,and therefore ameliorate much of the sexual subservience of young women in the community. Furthermore, we believe by educating certain youth, and training them to reach out to others, we can create a sustained, permanent change in their lifestyles.

What type of operating environment and internal organizational factors make your innovation successful?

The staff size is a huge factor to our success: by limiting our staff size to under thirty people, each member of our staff feels a certain responsibility and motivation to truly change Global Health. Furthermore, a smaller staff size builds a sense of family within the organization. This leads to a more conducive environment for the sharing of ideas. Furthermore, the organization of the Entire GlobeMed Network contributes to our success. Since each chapter is connected to each other through the National Network, a successful innovation is not confined to a single chapter. Furthermore, the National Organization provides us with a nationally recognized body that gives us access to the leaders in the Global Health field as well as a channel with which we can gain widespread recognition.

Please elaborate on any needs or offers you have mentioned above and/or suggest categories of support that aren't specified within the list