The Frist Global Health Leaders (FGHL) program affords young health professional students, residents, and fellows the opportunity to serve and train abroad in underserved communities for up to one semester. In doing so, they will bolster capacity in clinics in need of support as well as offer training to community health workers to promote sustainability upon their departure from these communities. As part of the program, they blog about their experiences here. For more information, visit our program page.  

Most people would argue that the bare necessities include water, food, and shelter. Everything else is a bonus (well except sleep -I would argue sleep is essential too and hot water also, but I digress). Nonetheless, comparing the resources of the AIC Hospital in Kijabe to my home institution (Vanderbilt Medical Center) would be grossly unfair. The necessities are here. The providers are capable. But on occasion, you will have to make due without and it actually won't feel like the world is ending. For example, the running water in the entire hospital went out one morning this week...this was not a test. A million worries surfaced to the forefront of my mind.  But guess what, the staff had set water aside and no one skipped a beat. I scrubbed for my first case of the day using the alcohol-based scrub instead of soap and water. At 10:30, per usual, tea was ready for chai time. Life is short. We may have running water or not. Worrying about it won't change a thing. No one knows the future. Might as well drink the tea and enjoy the moment. Working on being present.

#LifeLessonsLearnedinKenya