Marcia Porter

They didn't go to Honduras expecting to change the world, but helping 600 of the country's poor felt pretty good to fourth-year nursing students Jordan Chapman and Jess Conrod of Memorial University's School of Nursing.

"It was so rewarding," said Jordan who along with a contingent of 29 students from the SON, the Centre for Nursing Studies, Medicine, Pharmacy and Science spent 10 days this past summer setting up and helping staff a makeshift health clinic that operated out of a small village school in rural Honduras.

"This was about having a chance to help people and change things a few lives at a time," she said. "We were kind of skeptical at first. I mean, how could we make a difference? We were only a few people."

But there's nothing quite like first-hand experience. The small makeshift clinic drew adults and children of all ages from small villages around the community of La Cuesta, which was about four hours outside the capital of Honduras.

"It really surprised me that there were people who walked for hours barefoot, three hours barefoot, just to get to a clinic," said Jess. "We were open from 8 am – 3:30 pm, and the temperatures were 40 C plus. People waited in line for hours and they didn't complain at all."

"We saw things that we would never expect to see here (in Canada), things that we would have gone to the doctor for right away," said Jordan." We saw people with blood glucose levels over 20 (normal is usually between 4-6 ), blood clots, kidney failure, and liver failure, people who were sent to hospital right away."

The student contingent was Memorial's first Global Brigades chapter, the world's largest student-led global health and sustainable development organization. Global Brigades works in four countries, including Honduras, and is better known to American university and college students.

Students worked alongside their Memorial colleagues, Honduran students their own age and also a Honduran doctor, dentist and translator. The medicines and medical supplies provided were purchased with money raised during the previous school year, money they used as well also to hire the local medical team.

"People could see a doctor, a gynecologist a dentist – they could get any cavities extracted or teeth work done, and they didn't have to pay for anything," explained Jordan.

Global Brigades provided the students' accommodation and meals, transportation and connected them to health care workers and translators. The students did everything else. It was an invaluable experience.

"It was really cool to see everyone come together and work in teams," said Jess. "In nursing you need to work as a team. We worked alongside doctors, dentists, pharmacy and med students and it was great."

After finishing their week at the clinic, students spent a few days working directly with three families on a public health rotation. Divided into three groups, each team helped build a personal hygiene station.

"That was really eye opening," said Jordan. "You work with a family and three days slater you've built them a shower, a toilet and a washing area."

"You are working so closely with the family and you see the difference you make. It's amazing," agreed Jess. "People were so great and so appreciative."

Jess, Jordan and many students are planning a return to Honduras next summer. There's a growing interest in the Global Brigades program, and the group will have two brigades – a medical/public health brigade, and a water brigade.

Contact Jordan Chapman at jdc763@mun.ca if you'd like to be part of Global Brigades and join next year's contingent! Jordan says there's a real need for water brigade volunteers.