Graduate Attributes Success to IUBAT Training

One of the rewards of being involved in the Bangladesh Health Project is watching the progress of the students and subsequently hearing about their post-graduation success.  We recently received such correspondence from a former graduate, Saphalta.

Saphalta currently holds the title of Campus Chief at Lahan Sagarmatha Educational Academy, in Lahan, Nepal.  In her role of Campus Chief, it is her responsibility to plan and manage the curricula and academic activities of the 3-year vocational training programs, called Proficiency Learning Certificate programs.  Additionally, as Campus Chief is a management position, she also supervises and evaluates the staff in their roles.  

She writes: “It has been a while since I have written, but I always keep my experiences with IUBAT close.  The knowledge and skills I learned during my training have guided me each day, and I am proud to be an IUBAT Nursing graduate.

Today, a team from the Nepal Nursing Council (NNC) audited Lahan Sagarmatha Educational Academy, and they are pleasantly surprised with the management.  They complimented my contributions to the success of the school, and remarked that my name, Saphalta, also means success.  They inquired about my education, and had guessed that I had studied in a very good environment and received very good guidance.

I am really very happy to hear all these things from NNC board members.  There is a common perception that nurses who trained in Nepal are more skilled than ones in neighbouring countries, but the board members said that they are seeing equal or even better skills in those who study abroad!

One year ago, a team from the Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training (CTEVT) came to our college for an inspection.  The CTEVT is a national autonomous body for technical and vocational education regulation.  Their inspection revealed our college to have the second highest ranking in our Eastern region!  Thus, I am very proud of the progress that our school has made.”

I would like to thank you and all the nursing faculties of IUBAT for all of my training and experiences.”

Thank you for sharing your successes with us, Saphalta, and we are grateful that you have found your experiences at IUBAT to be instrumental in the various skills you have mastered in your distinguished position.  We wish you the best of luck in the future, and hope to see you back one day at IUBAT.

Part II: Thank You, তোমাকে ধন্যবাদ, dhonnobaad to our Volunteers Working from Home

Over the past decade, many people have volunteered time and resources to make the Bangladesh Health Project so successful. There were so many generous contributions:

– Many people donated money that was used to pay guest-house expenses for visiting faculty volunteers, for teaching materials, and for expenses such as audits or website fees. – Some people donated money to subsidize poorer students, or for hepatitis immunization so that all the nursing students were protected.  Several people donated used computer equipment, all of which were “tuned up” by Pete Jones of IT Works. – We received regular donations of textbooks from librarians at the College of Registered Nurses of BC and from graduating Canadian students. – Christina Paone of Paone Creative designed and updated our beautiful website, which has been visited thousands of times by people all over the world. – Jen Preston helped manage volunteer applications, Helen Trung maintains the blog, Sara Jackson manages our recognition program for returning faculty and gathers textbooks. – Students and faculty at Vancouver Community College and at University of Vermont raised funds locally before making their site visits to IUBAT. – Irene Clarence, the Executive Director at Mid-Main Clinic, has provided terrific support over the entire period of the BHP.

We are grateful to all these globally-minded colleagues and friends who have helped the project from their own homes and workplaces.

Finally, thank you to our website visitors and our blog readers, who have been steadily gaining in numbers. Our boundless gratitude for your continued interest in the BHP’s progress and for your support. Our humble site and international efforts have attracted visitors from all around the world. Being able to share our stories with interested parties, potential and past volunteers, current/former students and everyone in between is something that we truly value.

Reaching out to Alumni in Nepal

On behalf of Canadian directors and international volunteers from the Bangladesh Health Project, we send this message of concern to all College of Nursing alumni affected by the earthquake in Nepal. Best wishes for safety and health to you and your loved ones.