As a nursing student in the United States, it’s sometimes hard to imagine a world where bandages, stethoscopes, and up-to-date books are rare commodities. Students and professors at Mount Carmel College of Nursing (MCCN) in Columbus, OH, took action to bring information and some of those supplies to fellow nursing students in Gambia, Africa.
When MCCN graduate Kellie Seelig was finishing up her two-year peace corps duty in Gambia earlier this year, she recognized the pressing need for adequate resources in the region’s nursing schools. She asked Dawn Hughes, MS, RN, assistant professor at MCCN, for assistance in setting up a "sister" program between the college in Ohio and three of the Gambian nursing schools.
One of the first initiatives was to set up e-mail pen-pals between the MCCN students and the African students, said Hughes.
"It was interesting since they didn’t consistently have electricity [in Gambia]," says Hughes, who is a faculty advisor for the Student Nurses’ Association of Mount Carmel. "They were lucky for an hour of messaging time a month. But students seemed to enjoy it."
But MCCN students knew they couldn’t stop there. The college decided to raise money to purchase nursing supplies (such as stethoscopes, bandages, and scissors) to ship to Africa. They hosted a Mystery Dinner Theater, and also accepted donations and new/gently used medical supplies. In total, the students raised about $1,400 to purchase books and supplies, says Hughes.
"The students did a nice job of raising money," says Hughes. "To raise as much as they did was extraordinary."
Originally, MCCN wasn’t going to ship books to Africa due to the incredibly expensive shipping costs. But Seelig suggested partnering with www.WingsoftheDawn.org, an organization based in Texas that is dedicated to improving education in poor, underdeveloped countries. The college was responsible for shipping only the 18 boxes of books (weighing about 840 pounds) from Ohio to Ft. Worth, TX, costing MCCN around $500 altogether.
"It probably would have cost me $500 a box to ship it to Africa," says Hughes.
Sarah Baker, who graduated from MCCN in May, and Angie Snyder, a current BSN sophomore at MCCN, spent two weeks with Seelig this summer helping out with the project. The nursing students in Gambia have so little in terms of books and supplies that anything they received was gratefully accepted, says Hughes.
"They didn’t care if the books were a little dated, since at least they had something," says Hughes. MCCN sent mostly nursing texts, but also shipped English, science, and reference books. Faculty members also donated lecture materials and handouts by putting them on Flash drives and sending them along to be uploaded onto computers in Africa. MCCN also packed and shipped nursing videos, transparencies, and "anything else we could come up with that we thought would be useful," says Hughes.
Additionally, the college shipped over basic necessities such as toothpaste and toothbrushes, along with fun items such as Beanie Babies.
Students in Gambia have sent their well-wishes through Seelig. "It’s been tremendous," says Hughes.
And the students’ access to the Internet has improved since the beginning of the venture, says Hughes. "Now, they have fairly steady electricity, at least during class hours," she says. "Students have to share computers and don’t get a whole lot of time on them, but at least they’ve got them available."
April 28th, 2010 at 1:00 pm
I came across your website, i think your blog is awsome, keep us posting.
December 20th, 2010 at 7:09 pm
Hello, a great information buddy. Thnkx Unfortunately I am having problem with the RSS feed. Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone experiencing identical RSS feed problem? Anyone who can help kindly respond. TQ
December 21st, 2010 at 4:42 am
hey, your internet page’s style is cool and i like it. Your writes are outstanding. Please continue this great work. Best Regards!!!
December 23rd, 2010 at 11:54 am
I would like to thanks for the efforts you have put in writing this article. I am hoping the same high-grade blogpost from you in the future as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to begin my own blog now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings rapidly. Your write up is a good example of it.
December 24th, 2010 at 2:13 am
I have read few of the blogposts on your blog today, and I truly like your style of blogging. I bookmarked it to my bookmark internet site list and will be checking back soon. Pls check out my web site too and let me know your opinion.
December 24th, 2010 at 12:50 pm
I am impressed, I have to say. Really rarely do I discovered a blog that’s both informative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Your idea is important; the issue is something that not a lot of people are talking intelligently about. I’m really happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to it.
December 25th, 2010 at 1:43 am
It’s unusual for me to discover something on the net that is as entertaining and intriguing as what you have got here. Your page is lovely, your graphics are outstanding, and what’s more, you use reference that are relevant to what you are talking about. You are certainly one in a million, good job!
January 4th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Quite a beautiful website. I built mine and i was looking for some ideas and your website gave me some. The website was developed by you?
Cheers
January 5th, 2011 at 4:21 am
I typically dont write comments on posts, but your write-up urged me to commend your writings. Thanks for writing this, I am going to certainly common your web site and come back once in awhile. Happy blogging.
January 5th, 2011 at 12:44 pm
2011 Happy New Year! Hullo, a splendid post man. Thanks Unfortunately I’m having issue with your rss . Don’t know why Fail to subscribe to it. Does anyone else facing same RSS feed problem? Anybody who can help please reply. Thank you.
January 5th, 2011 at 1:42 pm
Cheers and Please continue to keep updating your Weblog. I will be stopping by each time you do.
January 5th, 2011 at 8:32 pm
hey i simply just want to say that this stuff never gets old, love it, carry on the great info, its better reading this than working for a living, cheers
January 6th, 2011 at 1:18 am
Wanted opinions, there’re a hard-to-find transient natural beauty, of which so many individuals skip.
January 6th, 2011 at 2:06 am
Great job here. I definitely enjoyed what you had to say. Keep heading because you undoubtedly bring a new voice to this subject. Not many people would say what youve said and still make it interesting. Properly, at least Im interested. Cant wait to see extra of this from you.
January 7th, 2011 at 5:27 am
GameFly allows gamers from the US to rent games for Xbox, PlayStation and Nintendo consoles. They have more than 7000 titles on board, and finding the one that you need is almost impossible. This service allows you to choose from 9 categories, and they will allow you to keep the game as long as you want.
January 7th, 2011 at 5:41 am
Acai berry diet is best ti shed weight naturally.
January 8th, 2011 at 4:42 am
I am 63 years old, have Attention Deficit Disorder, and can’t take the FDA-approved medications for it. I require nicotine to be able to function as a happy, productive human being.
January 8th, 2011 at 2:42 pm
Whoa, good! Which is what I would like!
January 10th, 2011 at 9:08 am
I have a problem – in the search box I enter my own cell no. and then click search button. It shows ” The results is not found for”
January 10th, 2011 at 2:28 pm
Easily, the post is actually the greatest on this deserving topic. I agree with your conclusions and will thirstily look forward to your coming updates. Very useful for constructing my website thanks!!