Health information for volunteers

People interested in volunteering with our project are sensibly concerned about their health and safety in Dhaka. IUBAT is very experienced at keeping its many international visitors secure and comfortable. The university is located in the north of the city, far from occasional political demonstrations downtown. On the daily walk to work, neighbours greet us as members of the community. Our guest house is run by housekeepers who have been trained in food safety. Preparations before you leave are available from the USA Centre for Disease Control http://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/bangladesh.htm#notices You can also read more about all these matters in our Volunteer Guide.

IUBAT at the School of Hope

Dhaka’s School of Hope provides free education to local poor children (http://www.schoolofhope.net/ ). Each year, IUBAT Nursing students provide free health screening as part of their training in Community Health. This summer they were taught by an educator from Vancouver Community College Nursing Department, Susan McNeill.

Susan says, “We screened approximately 200 kids for hearing, vision, height and weight. The students actively participated in developing and evaluating the program. The additional picture of Rakib at the white board shows an impromptu lesson during our global health class. He was illustrating the distribution of donor aid, and how most gets siphoned off before it reaches the end user. Part of one of our lively class discussions! I was impressed by these thinkers and future leaders.”

"An incredible experience"

A Canadian RN working in a busy emergency department, Danielle LeMoine, volunteered at IUBAT during spring 2011.  This photo shows her (back row, right) with Monique de Groot and medical-surgical students at United Hospital. “Teaching at IUBAT was an incredible experience …. I learned what it’s like living in a developing country, and saw first-hand the impact of social determinants of health like income, education and access to services. It is important for me to involve myself with projects that help create sustainable change… educating nurses is an excellent way to do this. Nurses can be leaders for change; we have all seen this in action. Sharing our knowledge and experiences, while helping build their confidence, practical and critical thinking-skills can help shape the future of nurses and health care delivery in Bangladesh.”

Thank you, Danielle, for your passion and effort.