If you love to travel and have a heart for helping others, you could be part of an exciting trip to Honduras this spring by teaming up with Global Brigades here at Ferris.
Global Brigades (GB) is an organization that works to empower developing communities to meet their health and economic goals. College volunteers and local teams work together to accomplish those goals.
Groups of college students from the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom are sent to carry out a brigade in developing rural communities such as Honduras, Nicaragua and Panama. Students can plan a brigade with a focus on one of nine options, which include medical/dental, water, public health, business, engineering, human rights, environmental and architecture. This year, a group of Ferris students will be participating in a public health brigade starting May 9 through 15.
The group of Ferris students in the brigade will be helping out by doing things such as pouring cement floors and building eco-stoves and latrines for their community in Honduras. Anyone can join the brigade including students, professors and even non-Ferris students.
“While we’re there, we get to work with the community members, learn their stories and their culture and we also get to teach the school children a lesson, which is usually on sanitation,” said Brittney Seapan, the vice president for Global Brigades.
Seapan is in her fourth year here at Ferris and is a pre-respiratory therapy major, with a bachelor’s degree in health care systems administration and a minor in human resources.
“I decided to join because I’ve always wanted to do a trip where I can help others in third world countries,” Seapan said. “I think what is great about this organization [is] that it is student led.”
GB’s president, Kianna Dehoek, is studying public health. This is her first year at Ferris, but her third year of college.
“We will spend our time before the brigade fundraising and educating ourselves and others about health disparities and the local culture,” said Dehoek. “We have biweekly meetings where we spend the beginning part of the meeting learning about the Honduran culture and the health disparities there.”
Dehoek has already traveled with GB twice, once in March 2015 and again in July 2015.
“These two trips have taught me a lot about cultural diversity and the strengths of collaboration between peers and professionals,” said Dehoek. “One of the best things about traveling with GB is getting to see these communities that start out with nothing develop into fully self-sustaining communities with financial, health and community infrastructure. When you enter these communities, you see the members become empowered through the experience, which in turn empowers yourself—knowing you had a part in changing the way these communities live.”
If you’re interested in joining the brigade, email Brittney Seapan at seapan3894@nullgmail.com or Kianna Dehoek at dehoekk@nullferris.edu.