Virtual Global Health Volunteer Experience

I participated in FIMRC's Virtual Global Health Volunteer Experience as a way to volunteer my time in a global setting while the COVID-19 pandemic restricted international travel. I loved learning about the important work that FIMRC does in various countries through reading articles, watching videos and participating in Zoom meetings with staff members. I was able to help contribute to this work by creating presentations, quizzes, activities and infographics teaching locals about pertinent diseases and how to prevent them. In all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time volunteering, learned a lot, and gained valuable experience promoting global health from my own home.

FIMRC stepped up very quickly and adapted to the rapidly evolving global pandemic situation by making both the Global Health Volunteer and Global Health Fellow opportunities available virtually. I was very impressed with the adaptability of the organization as well as the positive-mindedness of all the staff I interacted with. I participated in the virtual GH experience for two weeks in May - a week with Project Bududa (Uganda) and a week with Project Huancayo (Peru). The reading materials assigned and the videos made available as part of the "curriculum" were informative and engaging, although my favorite parts of the experience were the live discussions with in-country teams. I would recommend FIMRC's virtual GH volunteer opportunities to anyone that wants to continue learning about global health while contributing to the cause during these unprecedented times. Well done FIMRC!