Graduate students in WIU’s Health Sciences program have been working alongside a Honduran community as public health consultants. The program, known as Public Health Telebrigades, a part of Global Brigades, utilizes programs like Zoom to allow students at Western the ability to impact others internationally. Through an entirely virtual environment, students offer their expertise on a wide variety of subjects having to do with public health and sanitation in the age of an international pandemic.
Members of the Public Health Telebrigade program, who worked alongside WIU’s students, had many positive things to say about those who participated.
“This particular brigade, and the final presentation that the group made, is helping me to visualize the solutions to the problems of the communities from a cognitive, formative, attitudinal point of view, and not from the structural point of view as usually seen by BSC volunteers (Basic Sanitation Committee) in the communities,” said Luis Bonilla, one of the team members working with the students at Western. “In other words, this telebrigade group broadened our perspective of how to face situations and difficulties in the communities. I hope that groups of students and professionals of this scope will continue to join our telebrigades … To continue expanding our knowledge and experiences.”