Study Abroad in Botswana
Donation protected
Starting on January 12th of 2015, I will begin my journey to Gaborone, Botswana in Africa. I will be there for 6 months on a study abroad opportunity of a lifetime.
While in Gaborone, I will take classes at the University of Botswana, intern at a local clinic for public health, pharmaceutical, and medical exposure, and live with a homestay family. Specifically, through my internship I will deal with urban healthcare as well as a weeklong experience to provide healthcare to individuals in a rural village. While I am in Botswana, I will be tasked with learning their native language, Setswana, through classes and practical everyday use.
About Gaborone, Botswana:
Gaborone, Botswana
Gaborone, the capitol of Botswana and biggest city of the country, lies just north of the Notwane River, separating it from South Africa. Botswana is one of the most stable countries of Africa and maintains a multi-party democracy. Botswana is unique because it maintains a large urban community but also holds numerous game & nature reserves, parks, and an ecological park that promotes environmental protection. During my stay in Botswana, I will be going into their rainy season, so wildlife will be abundant. A unique and exciting thing for Botswana's public health programs is its quest for a zero-rate of new infections of HIV by 2016.
So why Africa?
As many of you know, I am very passionate about Neglected Tropical Diseases, NTDs, and want to dedicate my life to both finding cures and administering these cures to those who are in need. The third world settings found throughout Africa as well as tropical climates make it a prime location for NTDs. While on my clinical internship, I hope to witness these diseases first-hand and be able to learn from the actual people who have contracted these diseases as well as experts in the area of the diseases. I hope to make lasting connections to help me on my way to achieving my goals in the war on NTDs.
What is an NTD?
A Neglected Tropical Disease is a disease which affects populations, mainly in tropical climates, that don't have access to clean water, sanitary lifestyles, or basic healthcare. Over a billion people worldwide are affected by these diseases. According to the CDC, it is estimated that ~540,000 people die each year from NTDs. The reason that they're called neglected is because although they do affect a massive amount of people, these people's needs go ignored because of lack of knowledge from the general public, lack of interest by researchers, and the lack of profit in studying or administering cures. I want to change all of these, and I believe my trip to Africa will help me achieve that. If you'd like more information on NTDs I have a plethora of knowledge about them and would love to share it with you sometime!
Any requests on things to bring back from my trip are accepted! Thanks for your support in helping both me on my next journey in life as well as the neglected of this diseased world.
*While in Botswana, I plan to keep a video blog updated at least bi-weekly so stay tuned!
While in Gaborone, I will take classes at the University of Botswana, intern at a local clinic for public health, pharmaceutical, and medical exposure, and live with a homestay family. Specifically, through my internship I will deal with urban healthcare as well as a weeklong experience to provide healthcare to individuals in a rural village. While I am in Botswana, I will be tasked with learning their native language, Setswana, through classes and practical everyday use.
About Gaborone, Botswana:
Gaborone, BotswanaGaborone, the capitol of Botswana and biggest city of the country, lies just north of the Notwane River, separating it from South Africa. Botswana is one of the most stable countries of Africa and maintains a multi-party democracy. Botswana is unique because it maintains a large urban community but also holds numerous game & nature reserves, parks, and an ecological park that promotes environmental protection. During my stay in Botswana, I will be going into their rainy season, so wildlife will be abundant. A unique and exciting thing for Botswana's public health programs is its quest for a zero-rate of new infections of HIV by 2016.
So why Africa?
As many of you know, I am very passionate about Neglected Tropical Diseases, NTDs, and want to dedicate my life to both finding cures and administering these cures to those who are in need. The third world settings found throughout Africa as well as tropical climates make it a prime location for NTDs. While on my clinical internship, I hope to witness these diseases first-hand and be able to learn from the actual people who have contracted these diseases as well as experts in the area of the diseases. I hope to make lasting connections to help me on my way to achieving my goals in the war on NTDs.
What is an NTD?
A Neglected Tropical Disease is a disease which affects populations, mainly in tropical climates, that don't have access to clean water, sanitary lifestyles, or basic healthcare. Over a billion people worldwide are affected by these diseases. According to the CDC, it is estimated that ~540,000 people die each year from NTDs. The reason that they're called neglected is because although they do affect a massive amount of people, these people's needs go ignored because of lack of knowledge from the general public, lack of interest by researchers, and the lack of profit in studying or administering cures. I want to change all of these, and I believe my trip to Africa will help me achieve that. If you'd like more information on NTDs I have a plethora of knowledge about them and would love to share it with you sometime!
Any requests on things to bring back from my trip are accepted! Thanks for your support in helping both me on my next journey in life as well as the neglected of this diseased world.
*While in Botswana, I plan to keep a video blog updated at least bi-weekly so stay tuned!
Organizer
Andrew Martinez
Organizer
San Ramon, CA