DATELINE -- Student leaders in your area have taken extensive action to help people in developing nations improve their lives and strengthen their communities. These future leaders will now make their voices heard at CGI U, former President Bill Clinton's Global Initiative University, which engages the next generation of leaders on college campuses around the world. It takes place in Miami, Florida from April 16-18, 2010.
These students are part of Global Brigades (www.GlobalBrigades.org), the largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization in the world, whose mission is to empower students and professionals to make a difference through international volunteer projects.
Students lead grassroots efforts in countries such as Honduras and Panama, including building dams and trenches to create water infrastructure for villages, helping small businesses improve operations, or taking part in medical triage and treatment. Not only do they give of themselves, they also empower and inspired their friends and fellow students to get involved for the greater good.
"Global Brigades changed my life," says Boston University Global Brigader Stephanie Joe. "It is not a very long trip down to Honduras or Panama. You will have a great experience, meet people who have the same interests, get addicted and want to go again and again. No matter what group you are with or what you are doing, the things you do there will improve many lives."
Joe learned about Global Brigades during her freshman year and was intrigued by the prospect of traveling to a developing nation, which she had never done before. She has now been to Honduras three times, as part of Medical Brigades and Water Brigades.
"I have met some of my closest friends while I was in Honduras," she says. "Students had the opportunity to work closely with the Honduran staff, medical professionals and fellow students to help treat the Honduran individuals in the communities. At the young age of 19, 20 I would have never thought I would be able to work in stations set up as a triage, doctor consultations with patients, or pharmacy, especially in a country such as Honduras."
Joe is available for interviews, to share her stories from the field and discuss her ideas and plans for future projects on global health and sustainable development.
As a secular, international nonprofit organization, Global Brigades mobilizes student volunteers and professionals to empower communities in developing countries with programs that improve quality of life while respecting local culture and improving the environment.
To date, more than 4,000 student volunteers have joined the Global Brigades movement, empowering more than 50,000 people from low-income and poverty-stricken regions of the world. Student efforts range from providing critical medical relief to rural villages to developing business solutions for micro-enterprises in low-income communities.
Global Brigades
www.globalbrigades.org
