Author Archives: hayley

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.

It was such poignant news to hear of Nelson Mandela’s passing yesterday.  I have been thinking about it a lot over the past day, as Mandela was one of my utmost role models growing up.

Mandela represented so much to so many people: hope, resiliency, compassion, determination, empathy, courage… the list goes on.  His strength of character was incredible – I cannot even imagine the energy that it would take to forgive the oppressors that imprisoned him for 27 YEARS.  That is by no means an easy feat and requires continuous effort; thus, Mandela taught the world lessons not only pertaining to politics or justice, but also ethics.

It is also important to remember that Mandela was the face of a movement that included thousands of fellow courageous freedom fighters.  In this regard, countless other individuals need to also be recognized for their fights for equality, as Mandela’s accomplishments could not have been made possible without the continuous, collaborative efforts made by these individuals.

It has also been amazing to witness just how many lives he touched across the globe.  Seeing the reactions that have taken place over the past 24 hours has been incredible.  I went to a tribute today put on by UBC’s Africa Awareness Initiative, which was very touching and a great opportunity to share stories regarding how Mandela impacted so many youth on a personal level.  A few South African students were present at the tribute, two of which had the honour to even meet Mandela in person.  It was interesting to hear their stories of how they felt this figure transformed their country and how they bared witness to these transformations personally.  It was very moving.

Without question, Mandela has left a legacy of love and forgiveness that will last generations.  However, now that he has passed on, I feel it’s important for us to continue pursuing his struggle for greater equality.  It’s as if Mandela started the race, yet now the baton has been passed on and it’s up to us to continue running and moving forward. I think this is part of a greater process that requires each of us to individually commit to making the world a better place.  Whether it’s refusing to be a bystander, volunteering at various community events or demanding greater equality in our work places, these actions can have significant impacts, especially if made on a larger scale.

It was an incredible opportunity to grow up and be raised during a time that such an inspiring figure was on this planet.  Only occasionally does an individual make such a positive impact on this Earth, which is something we should all strive towards.

“A fundamental concern for others in our individual and community lives would go a long way in making the world the better place we so passionately dreamt of.” -Nelson Mandela

RIP Madiba, your light will be shining bright.

I was very excited to be given the opportunity to attend the 2013 Global Washington Conference.  As I am graduating this year, I am beginning to explore options regarding opportunities for next year.  It can be daunting at times trying to figure out post-university options. Should I should go straight into a Masters program, work in Vancouver or work internationally?  Hence, I was looking forward to traveling to Seattle this week to speak to individuals who have had considerable experience working in global health settings.  This opportunity certainly enabled me to better understand their experiences, hear lessons they have learned, listen to their feedback and also explore networking opportunities.

Deo Niyizonkiza was the opening keynote speaker.  I found his speech very intriguing and relatable to many courses that I have covered, as he has established a health program in rural Burundi.  As he articulated, “Without health, no society’s self-sufficient.”  This reassured to me the vital role that healthcare has in any society, which can contribute not only towards optimal emotional and physical health and well-being, but also indirect contributions to economic development, agricultural/food security outcomes and community engagement.  I also valued his feedback when he articulated, “Expect more frustration in frustrating situations.” I sometimes find conferences or talks on overwhelming topics such as global health can be superficial; however, these are imperative issues and careers that can oftentimes be emotionally draining, which people need to better recognize.

We subsequently heard a discussion with Neal Keny-Guyer, CEO of Mercy Corps.  In our informational pamphlet, it highlighted that he is the company’s CEO as “he is interested in creating a more just and peaceful world.”  Although these are great intentions, I was concerned that his approach could come across as ethnocentric in cross-cultural contexts, despite his intent of creating a “more just world.”  However, I was comforted when he argued that, “[Those of us who are working in global development contexts] need to ask ourselves if we’re really just moving big needles when we’re measuring if we’re being successful.”  This really resonated with me, as I feel that global development projects are part of a structure that is so multi-faceted; moreover, what may work in one country may not be applied with the same results in another setting.  Foreign development workers need to start recognizing this.

I subsequently went to a discussion led by the Landesa organization, a non-profit that attempts to increase land tenure in developing countries.  I quite enjoyed the discussion.  As one of the speakers argued, “People need to identify the source of the problem to lay foundation that people can subsequently work to fix.”  This reassured to me that many foreign organizations are indeed concerned with implementing projects that are sustainable by going to the root of the problem, rather than only creating band-aid solutions.  As one speaker subsequently argued at the conference, “We need to find solutions, not only find problems in developing countries.”

After lunch, I went to a workshop titled, “We F?#@!* Up!”  I was very encouraged to see that people were indeed openly discussing how many global development projects can go awry along with covering ways to evade encountering unwanted results and misunderstandings.  To me, there appears to be a pattern: when global development projects fail, it’s often due to elements of ethnocentrism.  However, this is often sub-conscious, subtle and unintentional.  Therefore, this is a difficult outcome to avoid when working in inter-cultural settings, as foreign workers implementing development projects are often unaware that they are being ethnocentric.  So in regards to moving forward, how do we recognize this imperative issue when it’s a subliminal result?  I don’t feel there’s a definitive answer as it’s so multi-faceted.  This workshop covered many of these issues through individual first-hand accounts.  I found it interesting to hear the speakers’ stories and to learn about specific things to avoid, such as not feeling obligated to follow through with projects just because of donor money.

The last workshop I went to was facilitated by workers of the global health organization, PATH.  I found this particular workshop the most helpful for my personal endeavors, as it emphasized ways to make individuals more marketable during job searches.  We covered topics such as how to enhance resumes, cover letters and Linkedin profiles.  Afterwards, I spoke with Leanne, one of the facilitators and she gave me a few very useful tips of advice as I move forward with my career in global health.   I really appreciated her taking the time to speak to me.

Our final keynote speaker was Ken Berger, who discussed steps to ensure successful charities.  At times, I found parts of his presentation difficult to follow, as there was a lot of jargon; however, overall, I found it interesting to hear his advice.  For example, he emphasized the importance of not working on teams that have poor leadership, as nothing will get achieved.  His discussion made me ponder how I wish that developed countries could begin looking at charities from a new paradigm.  More specifically, I wish that charities could be viewed from a more reciprocal standpoint, where community members are truly the ones in charge of these initiatives to ensure that these projects are sustainable and meet community needs; however, I do not feel that many charities view their work from this standpoint.

Overall, I found this conference a very valuable experience.  I really enjoyed traveling with the fellow GRS students, especially since I have not been able to attend in-class GRS courses due to my varsity swimming and class schedules.  Both to and from Seattle, we had several in-depth discussions regarding how each of us feel we fit in with these complex, multi-dimensional issues and what our passions and aspirations are.  I would certainly recommend that students partake in similar conferences in the future, as I that it is one thing to understand something in theory, but it’s a whole different context applying it in the real world.  Overall, I found this conference helped me to better understand this.

In June, I had the incredible opportunity to take part in UBC’s IHHS 408 course which explores topics in aboriginal public health.  I traveled to Duncan, BC (on Vancouver Island) along with three other student team members, one of which was a sociology student and the other two were medical students.  We stayed with a First Nations host family for the month in order to better immerse ourselves in the community.  I was very eager to take part in this course because I have explored many temporary issues in developing countries such as Tanzania; however, through my studies and explorations in Tanzania, I realized that I do not know enough about current issues in my own country.

Beforehand, I didn’t know that Cowichan has the largest concentration of Aboriginal members is Canada and we were very fortunate that so many people were open to sharing with us many of their stories and traditional customs.  At the beginning of the course, we heard first-hand accounts of the atrocities that some community members horrifically went through in Residential Schools.  Hearing these accounts opened my eyes, as I never truly understood the solemnity of these former government-run schools and the atrocities that many First Nations individuals and communities were forced to go through.  Through hearing these events, one thing that stood out for me was the incredible resiliency and humbleness that the First Nations people posses.  It was certainly very inspiring and an honour to hear these personal stories that these men and women selflessly shared with us.  We also took part in several traditional activities, such as harvesting cedar and going on a medicinal walk outdoors.

We worked in the Ts’ewulhtun Health Clinic for the entirety of the course.  We job shadowed several nurses, dieticians, nutritionists, doctors and sociologists, which was an invaluable experience.  Especially since I aspire eventually working in the healthcare field, it is imperative to learn how to collaboratively dialogue inter-professionally.  We worked on several projects throughout our stay, which ranged from creating an HIV promotional campaign, creating an info sheet for child-developmental milestones, writing a nutritional guide as well as developing a research ethics protocol.

It was incredibly beneficial to take part in an experiential learning course, as there is so much more to learn by witnessing something first-hand than you ever will in a textbook. What I particularly took away from this course is the incredible respect that is given towards Elders in aboriginal communities, something I greatly admire, as too often Elders in the society that I came from are seen as being “outdated”, rather than “wise.”  Furthermore, I learned that wellness stems from broader social constructs and that a collaborative approach towards healthcare is necessary in order to achieve the greatest outcomes. This is certainly a course that I would highly recommend UBC students to take part in.

“Fertilizers and pesticides kill insects quickly but humans slowly.” –A Cuban Farmer

This past May I took part in an international field course that examined sustainable agriculture practices in Cuba.  LFS 302A delved into imperative issues ranging from food sovereignty to intercropping to ecological pest management.  Currently, Cuba faces a considerable task of attempting to be largely self-sufficient with their agricultural production due to a plethora of factors.  These include the current U.S. Embargo and the historical collapse of the Soviet Block in 1991, which acted as a catalyst to a national economic crisis as 85% of Cuba’s imports were suddenly abolished.  However, despite the adversity, Cubans have proved to be incredibly resilient and innovative in their farming practices, which has led the country to become a leading nation that promotes sustainable agricultural practices.

Cuba is a unique country that provides access to housing, free healthcare, education and even a steady food supply to each of its citizens as a result of policies implemented by the socialist government.   Through ration stores (which sell foods that are heavily subsidized) each citizen has access to their basic food needs.  Along with this, Cubans supplement their food intake by visiting state markets, which are also subsidized, as well as farmers markets.  In addition, children receive a guaranteed supply of yogurt and milk during their early years, which is vital in providing imperative physical and cognitive growth during this critical stage of their development.  As a result, rates of extreme poverty are not present in the country as may be elsewhere in other developing nations.

Additionally, Cuba is a highly educated nation.  In fact, despite only possessing 2% of the Latin American population, 11% of Latin American scientists are from Cuba.  This has played a large role in the country’s ability to respond to the obstacles that they have faced in the past towards creating an agroecological, sustainable and efficient farming system.   Moreover, creating agricultural practices that rely on biological management and organic production are incredibly complex; however, due to the high rate of educated individuals, Cubans have been able to tackle these issues upfront with incredible tenacity and success.

It is important to note that Cuba, just like any country, also faces its fair share of challenges.  Specifically, Cubans on average spend 90% of their disposable income on food (though factors such as healthcare and education are taken out of the equation).  Moreover, there is not free press and finding ways to attempt to increase family income can be limited.  Despite this, the country has still chosen to be resilient and provide some of the greatest achievements in the agricultural field.  

Overall, what particularly struck me was witnessing how truly innovative Cuban farmers are.  What’s more, they are not only searching for ways to increase their yields or surpluses.  Rather, Cuban farmers are primarily concerned with finding ways to benefit the environment by creating a system that promotes biodiversity in which they can produce food from within.  For example, we met a Cuban farmer during the course who turned rice husks into organic soil matter.  This paradigm is vastly different to the majority of industrial lenses shaped in developed countries.  Along with the push for an urban agricultural movement and the strong cooperative presence in Cuba, these viewpoints and factors are only a few areas that developed nations such as Canada could beneficially learn from in a reciprocal relationship.

It was certainly an incredible opportunity to witness all of this first-hand in Cuba, as there are particular areas of expertise that can be gained through experiential learning which textbooks simply cannot teach.  As a result, I have returned to Canada with tangible ideas, critical questions and an open mindset with regards to ways in which we can improve our own food production and food sovereignty at home in order to achieve a more sustainable future.