Girls Learn International Global Health Panel Inspires Many in Westfield

by Hanna Zakharenko

In Sierra Leone, women are 46 percent more likely to die in pregnancy and childbirth than women in America are. It is not the only issue that the country faces, and many other developing countries experience similar problems around health, including poor access to water and proper medical care. On Feb. 4, Girls Learn International hosted a Global Health Panel covering a variety of health issues and topics.

Girls Learn International (GLI), is an organization that focuses on addressing the obstacles that girls face around the world, specifically around education. The group encourages and educates students to become great leaders and social activists. Money that is raised gets donated to the Partner Network, which sends it to help with aspects such as health, clean water, technology, transportation, school supplies and human rights in 10 countries within the developing world.

I joined GLI last year, when a few friends and I signed up together. After the first few meetings, people started to drop out for other commitments, but I found myself at every single meeting. I loved the goal of the club and looked up to the leaders and their passion for the topics. By the end of the year I had learned so much that I wanted to share with others, so I applied to be a leader.

One of the requirements for GLI is to host an advocacy event during the school year. On Saturday, students and adults wandered into Cafeteria B to find classical music, baked goods for sale, and GLI members standing around posters with topics that the club fights for. Shortly after, the audience gathered into the seating area to view the panel.

The panel consisted of three speakers, each representing a different organization and country. Dr. Ken Culver, the founding director of the Foundation for Peace, spoke about what his organization does, and also about experiences he has had through the mission trips that he runs. He runs trips to the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Kenya, creating schools, churches, water-purification facilities, and medical clinics. After the event, I heard many GLI members talking about how much they would love to go on a trip.

The second speaker, Maeve Maloney, has recently graduated from college, and already, she has interned and studied in Cape Town, South Africa and Surat, India. She explained her experiences abroad, and connected it with many topics discussed regularly in the club, including Female Genital Mutilation, a painful ritual that can prevent girls from getting to school, and can put them at risk of disease.

Dr. Nina Seigelstein was the last speaker of the night, the founder and president of an organization known as One World Women’s Health. Her organization is solely dedicated to the women’s health care system in Sierra Leone, and she has already been successful in creating a maternity ward. She has also helped hundreds of women with gynecologic conditions that would’ve been easily curable if there were proper medical care.

After the presentations, a question and answer session was held. Multiple audience members just raised their hands to thank the speakers for everything they had taught in just 40 minutes. Although the event ended at 9 p.m., people lingered to speak longer about topics that inspired them, or to introduce themselves to the speakers. Club members found themselves in awe of what they just heard, and were chatting about events and activities GLI could do in the future to help.

As the first panel I have ever been a part of running for GLI, I was blown away by the effect it had on others. The event reminded me why I joined the club in the first place — to teach others about what is happening in the world with girls and education. As Katie Foley, WHS senior and GLI co-president, puts it, “The speakers this year really inspired people to make a difference, because they were organizations that people could donate to and go on mission trips with, and it was a very direct connection to get involved.”

For more information, visit oneworldwomenshealth.org and foundationforpeace.org.