Blog #13: Lin, Lusk, Patida

Three of our 15 recipients for the spring AllPeopleBeHappy Volunteer Service Award are Karen Lin, Amanda Lusk, and Rhett Partida. Karen Lin will be the Rutgers University GlobeMed team coordinator in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This chapter has partnered with Cooperation for Social Services Development for 3 years, an NGO that provides support for marginalized persons (entertainment workers, homosexuals, and intravenous drug users) by providing health education and working to reduce thestigma on these groups within communities. This year the GlobeMed team of 4 will be focusing on providing health education in a broader sense, using a Health Education Toolkit which includes education on abortion, birth control, STDs/STIs, and personal hygiene. Amada Lusk will be volunteering for a 2^nd summer in Tanzania with Support for International Change (SIC), which works in rural areas of Tanzania teaching about HIV/AIDS. This summer Amada will concentrate on supporting infected individuals living far away from clinics, making sure they are taking their medication and receiving the support they need. Rhett Partida will be the University of Rochester GlobeMed team coordinator in Peru. The team’s goals include developing an academic support program to aid young people in gaining admission to institutions of higher learning. The 6-member team will also continue the ongoing effort to develop and improve the community’s sanitation program.