July 2012
Joe Phillips
Position
Overall Rating:
I've learned so much from the team at Health Inc, and look forward to deepening our partnership.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
Absolutely. My 4th grade students just finished a year-long exchange with students in Ladakh, India - which is a partnership facilitated by Health Inc. My
Organization and communication:
Despite the fact that internet connections are many times less available in Ladakh, Health Inc has been excellent in their timely responses and feedback, as well as submissions of amazing video content.
Accommodation:
My first trip to Ladakh is planned for Summer 2013, and the Health, Inc team has been very helpful in my planning.
Safety:
Although our partnership thus far has been solely via the internet, Health Inc has kept the safety of our students' correspondance at the forefront of their process.
Not more than 48 hours after creating a profile on Omprakash, I received an exciting email from Cynthia Hunt, the director of Health Inc. in Ladakh, India. From the word "go", we began a dynamic exchange between my students at the Academy for Global Citizenship in Chicago and her students in Ladakh. The project continually surprises me in its scope and richness; my students have leaned so much from a culture that they never knew existed prior to this year, and through this connection they have communicated their understanding of our sustainability practices like composting, gardening and community outreach. This communication and sharing gives me unparalleled assessment information which is so valuable when teaching the often difficult to quantify subjects.
Cynthia even visited Chicago last February to share the Ladakhi culture first hand with my students. I cannot express how much this visit benefited my students and supercharged their interest in learning. I look forward to the next year of our partnership, which will include my first trip to the Himalayas to answer some of my students' intriguing questions!
July 2012
Tamara Blesh
Position
Overall Rating:
I enjoyed working with HEALTH Inc staff and other volunteers to bring a school library in a remote village to fruition. This took many different people over a period of several years to establish and follow-up on the project..
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
Yes, at least in the short term. We have a library up and running with a basic collection of reference & research books that reflect the State Curriculum, fiction books, biographies and language books reflecting the population. We were able to train two staff members to maintain the library and sent one through a Master's Degree Programme in Library Information Sciences from the Indira Ghandi Open University.
Organization and communication:
Communication, at best, is limited and impermanent in that part of the world. Time management and getting resources was an ordeal.
Accommodation:
I loved my accommodations, but not appealing to everyone. The first year I slept on a roof with five other people and second year shared an empty room in the hostel for male students. We brought our own food but it was difficult getting the cooking stove at night.
Safety:
If you consider an overstuffed bus driving too fast on one lane roads on high, high cliffs or unrefridgerated food sitting out for days as safety features then this is the place for you. Safety is what you make it.
Working with HEALTH Inc. and Omprakash and their volunteers, over a period of years, was such a great pleasure. They both share a vision of helping cultures, through education, while maintaining, enhancing & empowering the indigenous culture. I loved sleeping out under the stars in the Himalayan villages, washing in a stream, sharing with the students and teachers and working on a project from start to finish (well on-going perhaps). This was a terrific and fulfilling opportunity for this 60+ year old adventurous woman. See traveling librarian on the partner page.
July 2012
Alexis Davis
Position
Overall Rating:
HEALTH Inc and Cynthia have taught myself and my teams so much about development work and have really shaped how I personally view aid & developmental projects in general. Ladakh is a challenging environment to work in and HEALTH Inc makes it possible, practical and respectful.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
We worked with people with disabilities in the remote villages and trained village health workers & communities. Disability rights and needs are not priorities in the village so its difficult to know the lasting impact of our work. See below for more info on our work.
Organization and communication:
Cynthia is excellent at communicating even with technology challenges. She is up front and direct about her availability and ability to help and is always willing to help as much as possible.
Accommodation:
Safety:
July 2012
Alexis Davis
Position
Overall Rating:
Working with HEALTH Inc and Cynthia has shaped my view of development work and I feel very fortunate to have learned about fieldwork from this organization.
Did you feel like you made a difference?:
We worked with people with disabilities in the remote villages and trained health workers & communities about disability. Disability rights and needs are not considered priorities yet so it is difficult to know the lasting impact of our work. See below for more info about our ongoing work.
Organization and communication:
Cynthia is excellent with communication even with technology issues. She lets you know when she is and isn't available and is always ready to lend a helping hand.
Accommodation:
We have always stayed at Cynthia's homes in Leh when not in the villages. She connects with great people in Ladakh who are supportive, kind and friendly to guests.
Safety:
We left 1 week before the floods so were not affected directly by this tragedy. In terms of general safety, I have always had a good feeling. Riding the bus on the narrow mountain roadways is an experience for sure! If you have common sense, travelling and working in Ladakh is very safe.
For the first 3 summers (2007-2009), we worked with HEALTH Inc in the remote villages on their disability programs. We are a team of medical professionals from Canada who met Cynthia in Vancouver in 2005 when she brought some HEALTH interns for education tours at our health centre. The last 3 summers (2010-2012) were based in Leh for the most part because Cynthia connected us with the local government hospital who was interested in setting up an assessment and treatment unit for children with disabilities. This work is ongoing with training teams going to Leh each summer for professional development of the local medical staff. Although we are not directly working with HEALTH Inc anymore, we remain closely connected.
