UBCO’s graduating class of nursing students will complete their education by embarking on a practicum in Africa this spring, and they need the help of the community to do it.
The five to six-week practicum is a 12-year tradition, and, while students pay their own travel expenses, the cost of the community assistance provided in Ghana and Zambia is covered by donations and by monies raised at the nursing program’s Global Gala.
“The Global Gala is an evening event which consists of a three-course meal, entertainment, silent auction, photo booth and giving tree,” said fourth-year nursing student Melanie Hameluck.
It’s a formal event at which keynote speakers will address the audience about global health; the live band will perform either jazz or classical music; and guests will be encouraged to fund the purchase of specific items from the giving tree.
Then, once the nursing students are in Ghana or Zambia, they will work to build healthcare capacities by teaching, running clinics, and providing both direct care and the purchased equipment.
“Our aim isn’t to just go there and help,” said Melanie. “It’s to build capacity. We want to go there; we want to teach them; we want to work with them so that when we leave they’ll have new skills and new ways of cooperating that will be above the standards that they were at before.”
KelownaNow is a sponsor of the nursing students’ global practicum. If you would also like to support the initiative, you can donate towards the nursing students’ GoFundMe campaign or you can purchase tickets to the Global Gala online.
The Global Gala will take place at the Hotel Eldorado on Saturday, November 21st.
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