Overview
This summer, I will be volunteering with the Hungarian Red Cross Youth at Lake Balaton as a first aider. Despite attracting thousands of international tourists each season, safety communication at the lake remains largely reactive and Hungarian-only, leaving many visitors unaware of local hazards. My project aims to shift this from reactive care to preventative care, combining direct patient support with field research, multilingual resource design, and community advocacy.
Overall Objective
To serve as a dedicated first aid assistant while creating sustainable, multilingual safety resources that bridge language barriers and reduce health risks at Lake Balaton, therefore building a preventative framework that continues to make an impact beyond my placement.
SMART Goals
Goal 1: Service and Cultural Bridge (Weeks 1–6)
Assist the medical team with first aid and station logistics, while serving as the primary translator for Chinese and English-speaking patients to ensure accurate, culturally sensitive care.
Goal 2: Field Research and Data Collection (Weeks 2–5)
Map 24+ environmental hazard points during patrol and conduct 10+ semi-structured interviews with tourists to identify safety misconceptions and communication gaps.
Goal 3: Solution Design and Advocacy (Week 6)
Design a multilingual safety card and poster (Hungarian, English, Chinese), pilot a "Lake Safety Awareness" pop-up session with the local team, and present findings to station leadership to advocate for lasting protocol improvements.
Expected Outcomes
- Patient Care Support: First aid assistance to 2,000+ visitors, with a focus on cross-cultural communication for non-Hungarian speakers.
- Interview Report: Documented findings from 10+ interviews, categorising tourist misconceptions and operational challenges.
- Multilingual Safety Resource: A three-language safety card and poster for both digital and on-site use, designed for continued use in future seasons.
- Visual Hazard Map: A patrol sector map plotting 24+ risk locations to guide future volunteer teams.
UN SDGs Addressed
SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being (Target 3.9)
SDG 12 – Responsible Consumption and Production (Target 12.8)
Why This Matters to Me
As a Speech-Language Pathology student, I know how deeply communication shapes health outcomes. At Lake Balaton, the language gap is not just an inconvenience; it's a safety risk. This placement is my opportunity to apply that perspective in an entirely new context, leading without authority and leaving behind resources that will outlast my six weeks there.