Health and Wellness Through the Life Span—Improving Health in Costa Rica and Guatemala

https://youtube.com/watch?v=s20MoJ9wu2A%3Fenablejsapi%3D1%26wmode%3Dtransparent

During her January break in 2017, Amy Lin ’18 joined a dozen students on a College of Nursing and Public Health faculty-led study abroad service trip to help the people of Lake Atitlán, Guatemala. There, they worked with the local nonprofit NGO Mayan Families to participate in public health projects and service efforts to improve the well-being of the community. Lin documented her experience in a video. “We learn about how developing countries live and function from books and documentaries,” she said, “but experiencing this type of lifestyle in person creates a whole new outlook and respect for the dedication and drive that these people have to survive. This has been an unforgettable experience.”

In January 2018, the College of Nursing and Public Health hosted service trips to Costa Rica and Guatemala, where 26 Adelphi students made a difference in underdeveloped Central American communities while gaining perspective on healthcare abroad. Marissa Abram ’08, Ph.D. ’17, said she and Charles Cal ’95, M.S.N. ’01, M.B.A. ’03, and a Ph.D. candidate at Adelphi—both College of Nursing and Public Health clinical assistant professors—accompanied 14 nursing students for service learning in Costa Rica, where they worked with a local nonprofit organization to help the people of La Carpio, which is “considered one of the worst ghettos in Costa Rica,” Cal noted. “It’s an area that houses primarily Nicaraguan refugees,” a population largely forgotten as a result of its social status. The students conducted educational activities related to nutrition and exercise for the children.

Deanna Dempsey, a senior majoring in nursing, said Adelphi students “played soccer, taught them hopscotch and jumped rope with them.” Another day, she said, they taught the children about the importance of nutrition, helped prepare a meal and gave out items donated by Adelphi students. “It was one of the most satisfying feelings to see the children so happy after we played games and exercised—and their faces when we gave them their gifts.”