Yearly Archives: 2014

This year, I had the privilege to found a student-led initiative called the “Vancouver Youth Food Alliance” (VYFA).  We are a group of five UBC students who are leading an after-school cooking program for youth aged ten to eleven.  Throughout our project, the VYFA aims to achieve five overarching goals:

• To mitigate food security gaps in Vancouver
• To promote healthy living
• To empower youth to realize their important role in our food system
• To ensure that VYFA’s efforts are sustainable
• To make a positive contribution in the Vancouver community

Throughout our endeavors, we have strived to tailor all of our activities towards these goals to ensure that our project is indeed successful.

From the start of our project, we recognized that our executive would have to go through a lengthy process to develop ourselves from our modest means to indeed carry out a meaningful initiative in the Vancouver community.  Through the help of several community members, we eventually applied and were awarded a $1,796 UBC Community Learning Initiative (CLI) grant and created a partnership with Teri Corcoran at David Thompson Family of Schools to successfully carry out our after-school program.

Throughout our endeavors, we were able to carry out six after-school cooking lessons.  In regards to concrete results, we organized three sweet and three savory recipes, which we cooked collaboratively with the students.  Additionally, we organized and participated in a fieldtrip to the UBC Farm on March 10^th.  This was an opportunity for the students to take part in an experiential learning venture, where they learned directly from UBC farm workers regarding various processes that go into growing food.  We felt that bringing the youth to the UBC Farm tied in very well with several lessons that we taught the children.

As each of these students lives in an urban centre, our program provided an opportunity for them to engage in agricultural practices that may have otherwise not been commonly offered to these students.  For example, during one lesson, we had students contemplate various farming practices, such as the potential advantages and disadvantages of monocropping (in very simplified terms).  The following lesson, we gave each student a clay pot, a watering can, seeds and soil.  First, each student painted his or her own clay pot to personalize it. Next, each student was given two Ziploc bags; one filled with rosemary seeds while the other was filled with soil.  Lastly, we gave each student their own watering can along with instructions regarding how to grow their own rosemary.  With this particular activity, we hoped the students would be inspired to plant and grow their own herbs at home, which could potentially unlock their unknown passion of growing their own food and exploring their role in our food system.  Overall, we felt these cumulative activities and learning lessons encouraged each student to begin pondering the origin of their food, how it is grown and what their potential role in this process can be.

In addition to these activities, we created cookbooks for each child.  These books compiled the various recipes that we cooked with the students throughout the program.  Lastly, we created a toolbox kit at the end of our project.  This consisted of the lesson plans, meeting minutes, recipes, executive mission and grant application.  When moving forward, we feel that this toolbox kit will be integral in ensuring that VYFA’s efforts are sustainable, as future executive members will be able to refer to these materials when carrying out their activities.

From a personal standpoint, by taking on this leadership role, I had the opportunity to take greater ownership in recognizing the important role that I have in making a positive contribution in Vancouver.  It was very meaningful to apply knowledge that I have learned on land, food and the community at UBC and indeed turn this into tangible actions.

Additionally, although we aimed to empower youth throughout these endeavors, I personally felt incredibly empowered at various points throughout this project.  Overall, although we aimed to empower youth throughout these endeavors, I personally felt incredibly empowered at various points throughout this project.

Moreover, I felt that VYFA’s successes were certainly a result of the cumulative efforts that were made by several members that were involved in this initiative.  I was incredibly blessed to work with a team of four assiduous, approachable and passionate students on our executive; moreover, our community stakeholders at David Thompson were always approachable and enthusiastic to have us on board with them.  We really valued their mentorship throughout this process.  Additionally, we really appreciated Kyle Nelson’s guidance (the LFS Community Based Experiential Learning Coordinator) and mentorship throughout this process, particularly when we were applying for the CLI grant, as his input was instrumental in ensuring the eventual funding and success of our project.  Lastly,  the CLI team running the grants were integral in providing resources and opportunities that we otherwise would have not been able to pursue.  They were always available for guidance and clarification throughout our project.  Without having these several members involved, the VYFA certainly would not have encountered the same levels of success. It was a very humbling experience.

Overall, I truly enjoyed having the opportunity to take part in this experiential learning experience.  Becoming involved in a community outreach project is certainly something that I would encourage fellow UBC students to partake in, as I feel that there is so much to be gained through exploring concepts and ideas first-hand. Personally, I felt that I gained invaluable knowledge about myself, including what my role is in the Vancouver community and ways to work collaboratively on an interprofessional executive.  Overall, the VYFA set five overarching goals for this project.  Through the help of a CLI grant and continual support and input from several community members, I felt that we made significant progress towards achieving these goals; however, progress can still be made and I look forward to discovering what the VYFA will accomplish in future years.

This semester, I was lucky enough to be part of UBC’s IHHS 407 course taught by Dr. Stainton and Dr. Baumbusch. As this course showcased, various systems and support services in our society do not promote justice for the special needs community, as they often fail to meet the needs of some of the most marginalized people in Canada.  Currently, I feel that many systems strive to promote inclusion of disabled people; however, progress still has to be made to ensure that these systems are indeed fully practicing justice. More specifically, schools, jobs or retired living centres seek to promote inclusiveness rather than fully accepting the disability-rights approach, which aims to holistically embrace uniqueness.  Although there is no simple solution to providing equitable care and inclusion for disabled individuals, several systems need to be restructured to better promote respect for all people.

For example, I feel that educational systems can begin to promote justice by not consistently excluding special needs children from their peers.  Through this, disabled youth can begin to feel more supported and empowered to thrive in our education system.   Moreover, legal supports can be rearranged to ensure that a disabled person’s autonomy and capacity in decision-making is respected.  Additionally, disabled people who are receiving care as they age should have a voice in the decisions that affect them.  These are only a few examples of ways that justice, in the context of disability, can be better promoted in our society.

I feel that these changes can only be implemented effectively through inter-professional collaboration.  In this regard, inter-professional teamwork can provide more comprehensive health services by building off of unique ideas from various members involved. In the context of disability, I feel that healthcare professionals should begin to not only work with interdisciplinary healthcare workers, but to also work more collaboratively with families.  Through this, more optimal health outcomes can be achieved.

This concept was clearly showcased in the required group project for this course, as unique ideas were suggested that may have otherwise not been explored.  For example, if I were to conduct that project by myself, I would have certainly not considered the pharmaceutical aspect, or thought of creating an informational video.  In this regard, by working in an inter-professional context, our group was better equipped to propose a holistic planning service that considered more dimensions of a person’s life.

Personally, I feel that this course has brought forth various ideas and concepts that can be applied to improve health outcomes for members of the disabled community.  Overall, I feel that we need to begin having more empathy for the disabled community by actually considering what life must be like for a disabled person. Moreover, healthcare professionals should begin to critically question whether a disabled patient is indeed at the centre of the services they offer. By approaching services from this perspective, I feel that healthcare services can begin to promote justice by truly meeting the needs of the disabled community.

I would definitely recommend fellow UBC students to register in IHHS 407. I certainly will take away with me knowledge regarding a lot of critical concepts and challenges that can affect a disabled person’s life, which I was certainly very ignorant of beforehand.

Yesterday I discovered that I have been accepted into SFU’s Masters of Public Health program on a Fellowship.  I am so honoured and excited to be part of that program, as the courses, students and faculty seem to provide a top-notch environment for students to critically examine ways to make tangible impacts in the field of public health.

Specifically, I will be examining maternal and child health issues in Tanzania.  What I am most excited about regarding the program is that it is very experiential-based.  For example, there are several required seminars for students to take part in.  Additionally, a minimum four-month practicum is also required.  For this, I am hoping to head to Tanzania next summer to examine child health issues, hopefully in either Moshi, Mwanza, or Dar es Salaam. To say that I am excited is an understatement. 🙂

What I also particularly like about SFU’s program is that there is a focus stream where students have the option to tailor their courses to examining global health issues.  I have discovered that very few Masters programs, especially in Canada, have this exclusive option to major in global health disparities.  Lastly, SFU’s program is one of only a handful of Canadian schools to be internationally accredited.  I feel that this will be very beneficial for me moving forward, especially since I aspire to work in an international setting.

Overall, to be honest, a year ago I would have never considered going straight into a Masters program after my Undergrad; however, especially over this past year and a half, I have realized how much I love the field that I am immersed in, and how I want to keep exploring and learning ways to make a positive difference in public health.  However, I do not think that I would have realized, at least at this stage in my life, if I was not part of UBC’s GRS program.  The students that I have met, discussions I have engaged in and practical hands-on experience that I have gained throughout my undergraduate degree have been instrumental in helping me discover my passion in public health.

For any GRSers interested in general health promotion, healthcare management, infectious disease control or working for local organizations that promote health safety and human welfare, be sure to check out the field of public health.  And you never know, SFU’s Masters of Public Health program might be right up your alley!

At this year’s Student Leadership Conference (SLC), my fiancé and I facilitated a workshop titled, “What is Poverty? Challenging the Way We View Wealth and Prosperity.”  The aim of our workshop was exactly that, to critically question and challenge the ways that we view people in our society who may be impoverished in material standards.

Poverty’s complex.  It’s a devastating reality for millions, no, billions of individuals around this world.  It strips people of opportunities they are destined to pursue. I don’t think many would argue that eradicating poverty would make our world a better place.  Yet, how do we go about that exactly?  Many of us in the GRS program aspire to mitigate poverty disparities in some form or another, either here in Canada or abroad. Yet, how do we attempt to alleviate poverty without stripping people of their dignity in the process?  How do we ensure that we are not neglecting to consider cultural values?

There’s no straight-forward definition to poverty. Who is even defining this term in the first place?  These are all questions and comments that we raised in our workshop.  Too often, I feel that people living in “poverty” are portrayed in a way as if they are less human than those of us living in places such as Canada.  I feel that the lack of understanding surrounding poverty is aided by mainstream media not covering issues comprehensively.  Deep subjects, such as poverty, are treated in a shallow way.  The focus is on selling stories; thus, systemic and structural aspects of poverty are often not reported.  Ultimately, this all leads to a lot of ignorance and assumptions being made about what it must be like for individuals living in poverty.  A person who may be living in what we deem as “poverty” may indeed have a completely different personal perception than what we may assume, which we need to begin to recognize. It’s important to look at the richness of people, than just a person’s material living standards.

Overall, in our workshop, we wanted to convey how multi-faceted poverty is.  We stressed the importance of understanding how the term poverty is conceptualized in our society, and what the potential implications of that are.  However, we wanted to also empower the youth that attended, by highlighting the important role they play in all of this and how they can make an impact in either directly alleviating poverty, or restoring the dignity of individuals living in poverty.