Hi friends,
This summer (5/19 - 7/21) I have decided to participate in a medical
internship with the organization ISLA (https://www.isla-serve.org/) where I will be sent to Apna Ghar Ashram
(AGA) (https://apnagharashram.org/)
a non-governmental residential home for the destitute and medical center in the
village of Bajhere, District Bharatpur of Rajasthan, India.
AGA
was founded in June of 2000 by Dr. B.M. Bhardwaj and Dr. Madhuri Bhardwaj who
have devoted themselves to serving the sick and homeless gain access to necessities
such as food, shelter, clothing, and medical treatment free of charge. There
are currently 35 ApnaGhar Ashrams present in 8 states of India containing a
total of about 6125 Prabhujis (inmates) of all ages, many of which suffer from
mental illness, HIV, visual loss, deafness. These people are generally found in
harsh conditions such as roadsides and railway stations and are neglected by
society to live without proper wound care and eat food frequently infested with
maggots. AGA currently operates with dedicated ambulances and paramedics which
work closely with police to cover an area of up to 400km and accept referrals
to bring Prabhujis from anywhere in India. My responsibilities will include
assisting the medical professionals to prepare for procedures and administer
medicine, studying procedures to identify ways of making processes more
efficient, conducting research on rehabilitation of Prabhujis and their return
to society, studying the cost-effectiveness of housing residents, assisting
with editing and layout of project report for an 8,000-bed facility currently
under construction, providing English assistance, and performing other related
duties when assigned.
As
some of you may know, before the Covid-19 pandemic hit, I had the opportunity
to serve as a short-term missionary to India (2014) as well as to the Ivory
Coast (2015-2018) in five separate summer trips that would impact my life
personally and profoundly. I will never forget the way that God moved in my
life during my time overseas as even in the short time that I remained, I was
able to see amazing joy and vitality - as well as great need. It is during
these trips that I believe God called me out of my comfort zone, opened my
eyes, and truly gave me a heart for the globe and all of the various
communities that I never would have known of had I remained where I was. My
time in college has taken a focus on healthcare and global health as I direct
my courses toward preparing to apply for medical school, remain involved in global
health and medical missions organizations, and now finally prepare for a global
health/medical service-oriented internship. I believe this ISLA internship is a
great match for me as it will allow me to spill out my heart for service towards
the various communities I will be called to meet at AGA while also being a
beneficial step toward my future goals of applying to medical school or joining
the peace corps after graduation.
As
it stands, I will need some help with funding if I am to go through with this
internship. My current goal is to raise $4,500 which will cover the program fee
of $4,100 as well as some airfare/visa expenses.
Please consider supporting me and don't be afraid to reach out for any additional information! Thank you so much.
-Micah