GROW with us
Addressing iron-deficiency anemia in Peru.
What's GROW?
GROW = GrassRoots On-site Work
UTSA GlobeMed aims to strengthen the relationship between students and its grassroots health partner, Sacred Valley Health. Every year, a small cohort of students take on a GROW internship, where they are on the grounds in Peru for 5 weeks. The internship may be subsidized through competitive student grants from USAID, exclusively for GlobeMed students. The mutual learning that results from GROW strengthens the capacity of both students and our partner organization. Back on campus, students share their experiences, equipping them with the firsthand knowledge to be improved advocates for the following year.
The 3 goals
1. To strengthen and expand the programs, resources, and knowledge of our partner organization to increase their capacity for impact.
UTSA GlobeMed's partner organization is doing incredible work but may face gaps in capacity. With access to tremendous resources, like the expertise of professors, cutting-edge technology, talented peers, and funding, students have the power to help fill these gaps. GROW allows students to bring the resources of UTSA GlobeMed to the frontlines of global health. From sharing research to capturing powerful media, students help the partner organization strengthen their own work and power their missions. A stronger partner organization means improved health for an impoverished community, faster.
2. To engage in mutual learning to strengthen all aspects of the partnership.
On GROW, students work alongside our partner organization's staff, gaining a firsthand look at the community’s health issues and how they are being addressed. The stories and learning students gain inform their perspectives as future leaders, and equip UTSA GlobeMed to mobilize more resources the following year. Our partner organization deepens their knowledge of the GlobeMed model and network. Understanding inspires commitment and supports another year of successful collaboration.
3. To evaluate progress and plan for the year ahead in order to support long-term stability of the partnership.
UTSA GlobeMed students work with Sacred Valley Health to evaluate the year’s project and partnership. Together, they assess the data collected, stories told, and goals achieved to plan for the following years. This process ensures accountability, learning and improvement on both sides. UTSA GlobeMed is then able to apply these insights to the design of the following year’s project. By the end of the GROW internships, students and partners complete a draft of the next year’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). By acknowledging short-term successes and setting long-term goals, GROW interns shape the future of the partnership.
Apply here
Please be sure to answer all questions thoroughly. The GROW internship will take place from June 10th - July 19th 2019 in Ollantaytambo, Peru for a total of 5 weeks. Note that a separate application for the GROW grant and financial aid will be available at a later date. If you intend to participate in a summer program or take summer classes you are NOT eligible for GROW. If you are selected as a GROW intern, you are expected to go on GROW. If you have additional questions about GROW, don't hesitate to contact us at utsa@globemed.org.
What is GROW?
GROW is an annual summer internship available to UTSA GlobeMed members to work with Sacred Valley Health in Ollantaytambo, Peru. The GrassRoots Onsite Work (GROW) internship program is crucial to the GlobeMed model. Every year, 3-5 students from each chapter intern on the ground for 3-8 weeks with Sacred Valley Health and implement a project that UTSA GlobeMed will have fundraised for throughout the year. Applications typically open at the end of the fall semester.
Can I receive scholarships to attend?
Absolutely! Once you are notified of acceptance, UTSA GlobeMed will arrange for you to apply to the USAID Global Health Fellows II scholarship, as well as direct you to other university, city, and state scholarships. Both need-based and merit-based scholarships are available to accepted GROW interns.
The average aid received last year was $1,833, and 75% of interns of those who applied received grants to participate in GROW.
2016 GROW Internship Review
Summary
The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) GlobeMed chapter traveled to Peru in the summer of 2016. They partnered with Sacred Valley Health (Ayni Wasi) to implement an anemia survey and nutritional campaign for children in Ollantaytambo and surrounding communities.
Partnership Action Framework
Members of UT-San Antonio’s GlobeMed chapter will be traveling to the Sacred Valley of Peru in the summer of 2017. Our goal is to implement an anemia survey, in the surrounding communities of Cusco, Peru, and employ strategies aimed at helping the surrounding communities affected by high anemic rates. In our survey we plan to target children less than five years of age and women fourteen years of age and above. These are the locals populations who are most prone to anemia. People who test positive for anemia will be escorted to a government outpost, given medication to treat anemia, and receive preventive education on how to avoid becoming anemic.
Cusco has shown that the supply of hema-rich foods is abundant, and foods lacking in iron are scarce. The correlation between high amounts of hema-rich foods and lack of Iron rich foods directly causes high anemic rates. Due to anemia, people feel fatigue, weakness, have poor physical development, and cognitive impairment. UT-San Antonio’s GlobeMed chapter is being asked by members of Sacred Valley Health to help gain a better understanding of anemic rates in the communities surrounding Cusco. GlobeMed members will fundraise for anemic testing kits, testing strips, and supplies. After the funds have been raised members will travel to communities in the Andes to gather and analyze data within the communities. Sacred Valley and UT-San Antonio’s GlobeMed chapter plan to help over 300 people directly, while indirectly helping over 700 others through education and awareness. Interns will be immersed in local culture while learning about the challenges of global health.