LiA with HAND-Philippines Final Reflection: Voice Memos from Visayas
What can you learn from listening?
This summer, for my Laidlaw Foundation Leadership in Action project, I spent six weeks in Bohol, Philippines, working with a medical humanitarian organization known as Health Assistance Network Development- Philippines, or HAND-Philippines.
HAND-Philippines serves rural and low-income communities, especially those recovering from natural disasters. Led by Filipino-American doctors, nurses, and professionals, HAND enlists volunteers to support these communities through an annual medical mission, support of Rural Health Units (RHUs), and post-calamity aid programs.
As student collaborator with HAND, I produced a qualitative impact report for the organization based on narrative interviews with community members, including medical mission patients and local partners.
I piloted HAND's research and student collaboration branch, took on the responsibility of planning my experience from scratch, and created a Student Collaborator Guide to encourage future projects and pave the way for program continuation.
In this final reflection video, I discuss how I followed in the footsteps of my mother and grandmother with my narrative interview project.
Endless thanks to: the Laidlaw Foundation for funding my Leadership in Action project; Dr. Grace Argo and Dr. Melissa Palma of Brown University for their mentorship; Adrienne Dolley, Doc Lance Lanoy, and the HAND-Philippines Board for having me as a partner and for their assistance with planning; Ma'am Michelle Celecio, Ate Hannah, Sir Felix, and Sir Jayson for their assistance with interviews; Ma’am Alma Vedra for her generous hospitality; and my family for their perpetual support.
My name is Candelaria, or Clara for short.
I am a rising junior at Brown University, where I am concentrating in Medical Anthropology as a pre-medical student. As a freshman, I started working at Hasbro Children's Hospital as an Advocate with Connect For Health, a program that addresses patients' basic needs, such as food and secure housing, in an effort to alleviate social determinants of poor health.
Since last summer, I have been conducting community-engaged health research under Dr. Melissa Palma for Tayo, a project of the Filipino Young Leaders Program (FYLPRO). I am thrilled to continue my nutrition research experience with the added dimension of cultural conversation through our study: "Kain na Tayo: Culturally Tailored Multimedia Heart Healthy Nutrition Education for Filipino Americans."
This summer, as part of my Leadership in Action Project, I will be collaborating with HAND-Philippines, a medical humanitarian organization based in Bohol, Philippines, to study the impact of their free cataract surgery program on patients' quality of life, as well as conducting narrative interviews with community members to better understand the long-term effects of their work.
I am always looking for opportunities to connect with researchers, clinicians, and other students who are passionate about positive community impact.
