Micah's Isla Internship to India

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