Emily Fox |
| Country of Service |
| Mali |
| Dates Served |
| 2006 - 2008 |
| Volunteer Position |
| Health Educator |
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| Description of main volunteer activities: |
| As a health education volunteer in Mali, I focused my efforts on designing and implementing programs to improve child and maternal health, village sanitation, nutrition, disease prevention, and youth education. I was assigned to a small, rural, health clinic where I worked alongside the village doctor and midwives. Together, we improved the vaccination campaign and prenatal consultations. We also implemented a growth-monitoring program for malnourished children. The local midwives and I gave “animations” on nutrition, diet, personal hygiene, birth control, and health during pregnancy. Along with village authorities, I assisted the community in creating a local health committee. That vibrant group and I hosted bi-monthly clean up days and, with the assistance of a USAID grant, created a community garden to increase produce in the area to supplement the local diet with vitamin-rich food. Beyond work in the medical clinic and with the health committee, I taught reproductive health to 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students in the local school. We discussed reproductive anatomy, teen pregnancy, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, and other related topics. Finally, with the help of a Peace Corps Partnership Grant, I raised funds to renovate and reconstruct the local youth center. Through the renewal of the facility and implementation of structured activities, local youth have begun to develop skills to resist peer pressure and involvement in negative behaviors. The entire community now has a gathering place for education and celebration. Mali ka di de! Mali is so sweet! |
| How Peace Corps service influenced decision to go into nursing and future plans: |
| Since I was a young teenager, I’ve traveled and volunteered abroad in Haiti and Kenya. I knew all along that I wanted to commit my life to improving the health of those in need. But until I was a Peace Corps volunteer, I couldn’t articulate just how. My time in Mali reaffirmed and clearly focused my career goal of working with underserved populations in the health sector. In the rural Malian village to which I was assigned, my neighbors couldn’t afford to vaccinate their kids, and friends died of preventable illnesses. These dire circumstances have been the driving force in my decision to pursue a career in nursing. With the technical skills and professional understanding that I will gain at Hopkins, I know I will be of better use to those in need. I will have the professional ability that will help me care for the sick and improve health care in the poorest areas of the world. Thanks to the Peace Corps, I have defined exactly what I want to do. |
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