Empower Youth in 9 Peruvian Neighborhoods

Hello!

We are writing to let you know that GlobeMed at Rochester is currently undergoing a repartnering process. Our goal is to be as transparent as possible with the reasoning behind this decision. Because of changes with Kallpa-Iquitos, described below, we have had to move on to a new partnership. At the conclusion of the school year, we selected the Social Organization for Voluntary Action (SOVA), based in eastern India! We are thrilled to begin establishing a new, vibrant partnership in the spirit of the relationship we had with the community and staff in Pampachica.

In early fall, our long-time primary contacts at Kallpa, Frida and Manuel, both left. We had great trouble maintaining contact with the new representative, Rosse Mary. A number of emails went unanswered and we couldn’t even get in touch to set up a call for several months after our initial introduction to her in early October.

In early March, the Partnerships directors were finally able to speak with Rosse Mary. The conversation went very well, but we learned that the Kallpa programs in Pampachica were going to permanently end by December 2015. We later learned from Kallpa’s national office that the international grant funding that contributed the bulk of money to Kallpa-Iquitos, paying for program staff salaries, etc., had only been set to support projects through December 2015, and was not going to be extended. Rosse Mary thought we were aware of this reality, but that March conversation was the first time the Partnerships Directors had heard about it.

As a result, we decided it was not reasonable to go on GROW, nor to send money raised during the 2014-15 school year to Iquitos. All money raised after August 2014 will go to our new partner, SOVA. While we are of course frustrated that the last year of our partnership with Kallpa was less than ideal and are disappointed that such a lack of communication characterized the final months of our partnership, we must keep in mind the significant impact that our funds and trips to Iquitos have made both on our own growth and development as students and on the community of Pampachica; the contributions that each side made to this partnership are in no way erased by the partnership’s conclusion.

Despite a bittersweet ending with Kallpa, we are thrilled with our new partnership! After reviewing a list of four organizations, narrowing our selection to two, interviewing them, and voting as a chapter, we ultimately selected SOVA. SOVA works to provide a variety of health services to populations that don’t have access to a hospital. They are well-integrated with the community, emphasize the importance of a community-based approach, are completely independent of US influence in their management structure, and have a vision for sustainability (many of their successful health delivery programs are ultimately funded or administered by the Indian government). We believe working with SOVA will provide a valuable cultural challenge, that our contribution will meaningfully contribute to an organization with a broad reach, that we will be able to have long-term involvement, and that whatever contributions we make will be equal to the amount we can learn.

We are still in the early stages of communication with SOVA, with many questions left to be answered. The Partnerships Directors are beginning conversations with representatives at SOVA in the coming weeks, and we look forward to providing you more information in the months to come. Anticipate a new newsletter to be released this Fall!

As always, your support is critical to our success. Kallpa has certainly left an indelible mark on our community, as much as we hope we have left one on theirs. We hope you will continue to help us make a new mark on a different community. If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to our new Co-Presidents, Lisle Coleman and Mahir Khan, at rochester@globemed.org.

All the best,

GlobeMed at The University of Rochester