Why MIHI?

I've been asked many times why I chose the project I did. It took a long time to find something worthwhile, and I spoke with many interesting and charitable people along the way.

Upon receiving the fellowship I immediately imagined myself in a refugee camp somewhere dangerous and exciting. After dangerous was crossed off the list by my fiance along with any country where Americans were kidnapped frequently and/or a major armed up-rising took place in the past year, I was left with exciting. Time to re-think what I could do. I contacted previous fellows, called all of their contacts and really started to think about why I wanted to do such work and how I could possibly do the most good in the short time I have available.

At this point I started to really think about the nature of aid and the whole teach a man to fish philosophy. It was during the HSIR course I took in September through the Harvard Humanitarian Initiative that I really learned how damaging aid work could be, and how one way to do it well was by helping them help themselves. I wasn't going to step in and be super-nurse-save-the-day because what happens when I leave? Nothing changes. My work is forgotten. Being forgotten after giving six months of my time isn't quite what I had mind, and neither was doing more harm then good. The only answer for me was to do a project that was sustainable. The work was going to be able to be maintained at a certain level indefinitely after we left. I had to find a project who's mission was teaching and education with full support for the community workers so they could do the work themselves. Quite simply: helping them help themselves.

In walks Thomas Burke, MD of the MGH Center for Global Health. I received a phone call from Donna Perry who is the Associate Director of the Durant Fellowship and was told to call Dr. Burke as he might have something for me. A few hours later we are having lunch, and two weeks after that we were signing the contract. It was a perfect fit.

Now that the time is here to step on that plane I am finding myself thinking about what my goals are for the time I'm away. I hope to make a difference. I really want to see a decrease in mortality and complications, and I really want to see the change be sustained. I'm committed to doing anything I can to help. Nurses have always been good at creative solutions and I hope to bring that to the project.