MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Abstract: I volunteered with Global Brigades last year at a free mobile dental clinic in the rural community of Los Cedros de Animas in Honduras. The community I worked with opened my eyes to the state of healthcare in developing countries and has led me to develop a drive to volunteer with Global Brigades in Honduras whenever I can - student or dentist. However, my limited knowledge of the country’s economic, political, social, health, and cultural structure detracted from my experience. I hope to educate future brigaders on all of those topics because knowledge can aid volunteers to be compassionate towards the community and act culturally appropriate. Furthermore, I will address the “white savior complex” and “voluntourism” topic. Learning about the country and being informed about the extent of the problem can help volunteers minimizes those problems. Finally, I will discuss the mission and projects of Global Brigades and recommend volunteers steps they can take to optimize their benefit to the community and contribute to the self-sustainability of the community. My document will primarily give information to brigaders going to Honduras before their trip, but can also help the parents of volunteers learn more about the country their child is going to.
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Readers profile: I imagine that the reader will learn a lot of new information about Honduras and will self-reflect on their purpose as a volunteer, but will only take a lot out of my document if they read my document with sincerity.

Reader’s response: Ok, I have found out a lot of information about the country I am volunteering at. Their circumstances are vastly different from mine; I need to think about how I can dress, act, and talk to respect the community I am working with. The “white savior complex” is definitely a problem, and I hope that I will not follow suit. I do not want my sole purpose of attending the trip to feel as if I have done a life-changing act for the community and post photos all over social media. I want my purpose to be something more, and that is something I will need to look into and think about as my trip draws nearer.

Revised thesis: Global Brigades volunteers to Honduras oftentimes do not have a well-rounded understanding of the social, cultural political, economic and health situation in Honduras. Lack of understanding can cause to cultural insensitivity, undermining the volunteer’s contribution during the trip. Moreover, there is no current public document on the projects and impacts of Global Brigades in Honduras, so I plan to write an article on the topic. I will touch on the problem of voluntourism and suggest ways for volunteers to actively contribute to the self-sustainability of the community they are working with.

Voice: I will use first person in the beginning and at the end of my document when I am narrating my own experiences and when I give recommendations and cautions to volunteers.

Citation: I will cite throughout the document.

A, I like the idea of bracketing your document with first person accounts. You could use another font or color, for design emphasis.

In one last section, though, you might address what this experience might mean for GBers ten and twenty years out. In the short run, this experience of service learning will help test the health care mission choice but also strengthen the med school application.

Sustainability and ethics means that somehow the communities visited will not be forgotten, once cohorts of GBers leave. How can you address that?

I have an idea. Ask me by email.