Engineering Mission Guatemala
Donation protected
I am very excited to share with you the opportunity I have to join a group of students from around the world to work in Guatemala this summer. The program is through an organization called Engineering World Health, as a part of a collaboration between RIT and George Mason University that is new this year. The overall vision of EWH is to work in solidarity with local doctors and technicians in hospitals in the developing world to improve the quality of healthcare and to mobilize the biomedical engineering community to improve the quality of healthcare in the developing world.
Medical equipment in the developing world is often provided by corporations, faith-based institutions, medical companies, etc., with the hope of saving lives and improving health. Unfortunately, about 50% or more remains out of service. As a result, equipment is often discarded or stored in the back of hospitals. This problem is rooted in inappropriate design for developing hospitals, lack of consumable supplies and reliable power, and limited or no staff training. In these countries, newborns have some of the highest mortality rates in the world, poverty is rampant, and per capita income barely covers the necessities of life. Power supplies may be unreliable and a simple blown fuse can affect life-saving surgical procedures. The winter Institute provides students in science and engineering like me the opportunity to be immersed in these settings.Since the program's inception, over 300 Summer Institute participants have worked in more than 30 hospitals in Nicaragua, Honduras, Tanzania, Guatemala and Rwanda. Combined, these students have touched over 3,100 pieces of equipment, returning 73% of it to service.
I am excited for the opportunity because it has always been my dream to travel globally doing engineering. Helping others ius very important to me, and this opportunity allows me to do just that. I believe that the knowledge, perspective, and relationship gained will be invaluable as I continue toward a career in this field.
Any financial support you would like to donate would be an incredible blessing. We are each responsible for raising our tuition, airfare, and some meals out-of-pocket. My goal is to raise $1500 to cover the remaining cost of supplies, tuition, and airfare to and from Guatemala.
Love,
Shanyce
Medical equipment in the developing world is often provided by corporations, faith-based institutions, medical companies, etc., with the hope of saving lives and improving health. Unfortunately, about 50% or more remains out of service. As a result, equipment is often discarded or stored in the back of hospitals. This problem is rooted in inappropriate design for developing hospitals, lack of consumable supplies and reliable power, and limited or no staff training. In these countries, newborns have some of the highest mortality rates in the world, poverty is rampant, and per capita income barely covers the necessities of life. Power supplies may be unreliable and a simple blown fuse can affect life-saving surgical procedures. The winter Institute provides students in science and engineering like me the opportunity to be immersed in these settings.Since the program's inception, over 300 Summer Institute participants have worked in more than 30 hospitals in Nicaragua, Honduras, Tanzania, Guatemala and Rwanda. Combined, these students have touched over 3,100 pieces of equipment, returning 73% of it to service.
I am excited for the opportunity because it has always been my dream to travel globally doing engineering. Helping others ius very important to me, and this opportunity allows me to do just that. I believe that the knowledge, perspective, and relationship gained will be invaluable as I continue toward a career in this field.
Any financial support you would like to donate would be an incredible blessing. We are each responsible for raising our tuition, airfare, and some meals out-of-pocket. My goal is to raise $1500 to cover the remaining cost of supplies, tuition, and airfare to and from Guatemala.
Love,
Shanyce
Organizer
Shanyce Rovon Stewart
Organizer
Rochester, NY
