Combat Health Disparities for Kachin Women (2)

Dear Donors,

As summer comes to a close, we at GlobeMed at Dartmouth are preparing ourselves for the start of a new year with a new leadership team, and, of course, new ways in which we can work with our partner organization, the Kachin Women's Association Thailand. 

Summer has been a busy and successful term: Since our last update, the three members of GlobeMed at Dartmouth that went our our annual GROW trip, which started early June, have returned to share their experiences with the rest of GlobeMed at Dartmouth. During their trip, our GROW members have finished compiling the annual 16-page activity report for KWAT, which includes a map of Burma detailing where KWAT is most active. 

As always, KWAT continues to do incredible work that illustrates the importance of both their efforts, our own with GlobeMed, and the generous donations from people like you. In addition to the Ja Reng Yang Clinic in Mai Ja Yang mentioned in the last update, KWAT supports various other health clinics. Our GROW members had an opportunity to visit and learn about the work of another one of these clinics on the Burma-Thailand border: the Mae Tao Clinic. This clinic, in 2013, received 104,100 cases, including 3,314 births, 1,745 eye surgeries, 653 malaria cases, and provides various other services including prostethics (16 patients, 15 due to land mine explosions), drug recovery, and recreation for children of patients. These stories serve to remind us about why we work to support KWAT, and why each and every donation makes a difference. Mae Tao and Ja Reng Yang clinics, as well as the other clinics and programs serviced by KWAT, can provide so many wonderful services to refugees and other patients for lower costs than expected. 

In addition, our members have continued to give English lessons to members of KWAT, including reading and discussing portions Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Ristof and Sherlyn Wu Dunn, and translate testimonials for documentation. Maria, an intern with KWAT, is another example of the positive impact KWAT (and the opportunities it can provide) has. Our GROW members write: "Her English is exceptional; she works closely with the GROW team, eats lunch with us, and takes part in afternoon English lessons. She’s an example of how, given the right tools, a young woman can use her potential to change her community." Despite the tragic loss of her sister to malaria a few years back, Maria remains strong, playing an important role in KWAT's political empowerment program, which targets educated and non-educated individuals from all backgrounds to educate them on their basic human rights as well as their voting rights. 

Perhaps just as importantly as their work, however, is the building of a stronger partnership, understanding, and interconnection between GlobeMed at Dartmouth and KWAT, one of the pillars of GlobeMed as a whole. The GROW members write about the constant cultural exchange throughout their trip, not just in trying different foods or exploring the landscape and attractions of Thailand, but also in sharing stories of discrimination in, not just Burma, but also the U.S., of which the members of KWAT had not always been aware. 

Finally, those of us remaining at Dartmouth over the summer have dedicated ourselves to new fundraising projects and raising awareness on campus about KWAT and Burma. In the following months, as the school year picks up, we hope to continue our work in fundraising, raising awareness, and building a connection with KWAT. 

We are gratified to the support we receive from people like you, and hope to communicate our passion in what we do, and the broad impacts your donations are able to have. As our new leadership team updates our projects and make new goals as we do each fall, we will keep you updated on the coming developments. 

Thank you, again, for being a part of this valuable work.

Best wishes,

Hae-Lin Cho