ND Student Travels to Africa to Volunteer with Local Nonprofits

Kat Martin in Ghana Katherine Martin, a fifth-year naturopathic doctoral (ND) student, traveled to West Africa with three other ND students last fall to work with two local nonprofits providing essential care and education in a region devastated by HIV/AIDS. The one-month trip provided the women with a valuable opportunity to explore a vastly different culture, develop relationships with inspirational people, learn more about herbal medicine and help improve lives by providing health education and resources.

The trip was sponsored by one of Bastyr's student organizations, Action Africa Club. The four club members who took the trip (Katherine Martin, Beth Quintana, Elan Keehn and Michelle Obertacz) raised funds at the University through bake sales and silent auctions.

For the first half of the trip, the students volunteered for an organization called New Seed International (NSI) in Ho, Ghana, which helps those affected by HIV/AIDS. During the second phase of the trip, they volunteered for Baobab Children's Foundation near Cape Coast, which empowers and educates children. Both groups helped the Bastyr students understand the challenges facing the region and gave them tools with which to help.

During their time with NSI, the students made home visits to patients, offering nutritional support and basic supplements such as fish oil and protein powder. "We brought lots of supplements and nutraceuticals. To be able to help in that way was phenomenal," says Martin. "It was amazing to see how with a little bit of self-care and proper nutrition, people's health improved." Many people in that region cannot meet their nutritional needs due to lack of resources, and most have never learned the importance of specific nutrients for supporting health. The students provided this information and recommended simple home remedies for symptom relief.

Although the students helped as much as they could, more resources are needed. "Anyone who can donate supplements, protein powders, money or other resources should know that it will be used and appreciated," Martin encourages. (E-mail actionafricaclub@bastyr.edu to donate or to become involved.)

Additionally, the students taught the local people about basic hygiene. Because many people in the region do not have access to running water and soap, simple measures can make a big difference in reducing health complications for those with HIV/AIDS, Martin explains. Some ways the students helped included distributing soap and their self-created handouts outlining nutritional and hygiene basics.

Ghana girls in front of waterfall People with HIV/AIDS in the region face another barrier to effective care: discrimination. Since people are discriminated against for having the disease, it is difficult to be screened for it, to disclose one's positive status or to seek treatment, says Martin. The founder of NSI recently opened a clinic to treat HIV/AIDS patients — a significant development, as this type of clinic did not previously exist in the region due to the stigma, according to Martin.

During the second phase of their stay in Ghana, the women worked with Baobab Children's Foundation. This organization promotes child literacy and education, teaches children skills in the traditional arts, promotes HIV/AIDS prevention and organizes environmental protection projects. One of the highlights of this part of the trip was spending time at the organization's organic farm, where the ND students learned from the resident herbalist. "We spent the majority of our time with him learning how he treats children and what herbs he uses," explains Martin. Another endeavor of Baobab Children's Foundation is undertaking one of the first recycling projects in Africa. Members of the organization take plastic bags used for drinking water and sew them together to make reusable shopping bags. By selling the bags at a local market, the organization reduces waste and creates a source of income.

The trip was meaningful and life-changing, but also difficult, says Martin. "It was a phenomenal experience. There were moments of extreme joy and sadness. It was a hard place to be at times, for instance when one of the patients died or when we saw a two-year-old boy who weighed only 20 pounds. It totally shifts your perspective when you are able to witness that and truly be present." Having fellow students there to support each other through the experience was essential, she says. "I couldn't have done it without them."

After returning home, Martin found it difficult to listen to the petty complaints of people around her. "When I came back from Ghana, I realized that we have so much in our culture we take for granted and that we're not grateful for," she explains. "It changes your perspective when you experience a community of people with so little, but who are so grateful and positive and remain so faithful to their way of life and their traditions." Since returning, the students have tried to educate the Bastyr community about the types of aid needed in the region and the importance of natural medicine in helping those in Africa with HIV/AIDS.

All of the women plan to return to the region. Martin hopes other students will follow their lead. "I know New Seed International would love to have more volunteers. If our journey can pave the way for other students to do these things, I think that would be fantastic."

Interviewed May 2008.