By Hannah Thomas & Emily Anderson | GlobeMed at Bethel University
After spending five weeks with their partner, Rural Economic Development Association (REDA) in Cambodia, these two young leaders have learned what partnership is really all about:
"Partnership is real and genuine when you’re at a loss for solutions. When you sit in meetings and have to think so hard to make little or no progress. When you leave with more questions than answers, and wonder if your work is solving problems at all.
Partnership is real and genuine when you spend time together, and realize that relationships are what can really bring change. When you sing karaoke together at a beer garden in the middle of rural Cambodia. When Serey brings us to his farm, and picks us apples off his tree while we swing in his hammock. When we hang out with the kids at the river, and communicate by playing rock paper scissors. And even though these seem like trivial details, these are what bring results – we better understand what humanity is and how it unites us, no matter what “boundaries” are set in place.
Partnership is real and genuine when we realize the weight of our privilege as GlobeMed members, and the responsibility it brings. When the tension we experienced in those meetings drives us to seek, and search, and pray for answers. It’s real when it gets put to the test. When we feel at the core of our being, “now that we’ve seen, we’re responsible.”
We do have stories about the impact of the latrines, water pumps, and income grants our chapter has contributed to. And this is nothing to dismiss – these results are phenomenal, and the projects/REDA are making an impact on the health of the community. We couldn’t be more thankful for that. But partnership became beautiful to us in its messiness, and that’s the real life partnership that we want to be a part of."
This summer, GlobeMed will send 218 students from 52 chapters to work in the field alongside their partners. From Cambodia to Haiti, these students will gain an understanding of true partnership in action, just like Hannah and Emily. Your invaluable support has helped make this possible – thank you.
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