Travelling to different countries is an experience that many dream of. Students love the idea of going abroad, experiencing a new culture, eating new food, learning in an international classroom and sightseeing. The thought of adding a stamp to the passport is an enticing one, whether for a family vacation or an educational experience.
A career in the medical field is a dream that many students, especially at Hopkins, strive for. Compassionate students have a gut feeling that becoming a doctor, a nurse or physician's assistant is their calling. They are compelled helping others, caring for patients' well-beings and gaining a sense of understanding for others' needs.
Unite for Sight synthesizes these two goals — exploring a new and foreign setting while getting a taste of clinical work. The non-profit organization aims to fight preventable blindness both in the local and international scene. Unite for sight establishes and supports eye clinics in developing countries worldwide to give the proper eye care to those in need.
In June 2010, senior Danielle Himelfarb travelled to Accra, Ghana with Unite for Sight as a Global Health Volunteer and was inspired by the environment there. Her days in Ghana giving eye exams, distributing medications and corrective glasses and observing surgeries motivated her decision to bring this opportunity to Hopkins students. Upon arriving on campus the following fall, she established a chapter of Unite for Sight's at Hopkins.
"It is a great introduction to the organization for anyone interested in the global health programs," Himelfarb wrote in an e-mail to The News-Letter.
The Hopkins chapter of Unite for Sight joins forces with 34 other university chapters across the nation, which includes participation from universities such as Harvard, Columbia and Northwestern. On the Homewood campus, the chapter aims to promote Unite for Sight's values and send students abroad to help at the numerous eye clinics in remote and developing villages around the world.
Currently, the Hopkins chapter has five members and welcomes new people year round. Any student, regardless of major, class year or pre-professional interests, can join and attend the organization's weekly meetings.
So far, the Unite for Sight chapter has hosted a few bake sales to fund trips and eye care abroad. Obtaining funding for eye care, clinics and travel is crucial for Unite for Sight and especially so for the Hopkins chapter.
"The purpose of the JHU chapter is to fundraise to provide sight-restoring eye care in developing countries," Himelfarb wrote. "100 percent of the funds raised provide sight-restoring surgeries for patients living in extreme poverty. . .To raise funds here at Hopkins to support their efforts in Ghana is something I feel very strongly about and I hope that the JHU chapter will continue to do so for a while."
As a new semester begins, the Hopkins chapter of Unite for Sight wants to do more than just earn money. They want to increase their presence on campus and their interactions with the student body by spreading awareness about their cause.
"The chapter also strives to hold global health events and activities throughout the semester. . .Besides our on-campus fundraising activities, we hope to hold more global health activities this year. We hope to bring one of the Ghanaian ophthalmologists to campus to speak about his experiences," Himelfarb wrote.
However, the main priority of the organization is to fundraise and ultimately send students abroad for a unique clinical and global health experience. The Hopkins chapter links its members to Unite for Sight's numerous programs. These programs include travel to Ghana, the Honduras and three different regions of India.
"In the past two years we have had three students travel to Ghana (myself included) and one travel to India," Himelfarb wrote. "While on these trips, volunteers do visual acuity exams, distribute medication and eyeglasses and observe sight-restoring surgeries. The trips are very challenging because these outreaches to remote villages last 12 hours and sometimes more. Each day is exhausting, but the reward of helping someone gain sight greatly outweighs it."
The abroad programs consists 100 percent of volunteers inspired to serve others. Although participants do not get paid, volunteers can receive academic credit for their work. This credit can apply to students' undergraduate records as well as be transferred to continuing education programs, as many medical and graduate schools grant academic credit for work with Unite for Sight. Nearly 42 medical schools accept volunteering with Unite for Sight as credit towards completion of a program. Eight public health graduate schools also grant credit for participation with Unite for Sight, including the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Hopkins.
Volunteers can also apply to be Global Impact Fellows and conduct research projects that investigate questions on implementing global health care. Students come up with their own research proposals and work with mentors both from their university and Unite for Sight. All research projects are reviewed by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). Past research projects from university students all over the nation have been published in peer-reviewed journals and have also doubled to fulfill thesis requirements.
In addition to these resume-strengthening components, students will also get to collaborate intensively with a new community and gain authentic hands on experience.
"The experience of living in Accra and working with an outstanding team of doctors, nurses and assistants every day was amazing and, by far, my favorite part of this organization," Himelfarb wrote.
Although the Hopkins chapter of Unite for Sight is quite small, it contributes to a huge effort that affects communities and visions across the globe. As the group is always open to new members, its presence at Homewood and in Unite for Sight can only grow.
"With more members we will be able to organize some very informational global health activities," Himelfarb wrote.
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