It’s late at night. I mean crazy late. My flight back to the U.S. is leaving in about an hour and I find myself with a bit of time to think. That is – time to think or fall asleep.
This trip has been extra long. I’ve been away from my wife and our little girl for almost three weeks and I’m ready to be home. That’s not to say our work hasn't been both stimulating and extremely important, it’s just time to be home. We’ve had a number of projects going on simultaneously during this trip. Each one has required a little bit different focus and a unique vantage point. And – all of the HBI staff has been really busy. A short list of some of the things we’ve been working on this trip include:
What struck me most on this trip was the focus of our team and the true emphasis on creating and sustaining projects that change people’s lives. We are dedicated to addressing the root causes of health disparities by focusing on the creation of the next generation of change agents. Over the two plus decades we’ve been working in global health, our efforts have been centered on encouraging broad partnerships and deep coalitions. We’ve worked to shift larger power structures to a more equitable distribution of resources and community based facilitation. We’ve strived to build bridges that allow people to unite in ways that foster resource sharing and diverse participation. And, throughout all of the years of efforts – I’ve learned one thing very clearly . . . this is not easy work. It requires a constant attention to relationship, a focus on meaningful community-based participatory development and a keen sense of cultural humility and compassion. It’s been a long trip and I’m almost home, but one thing I will takeaway with me is the amazing work we are doing. For all of the stakeholders who are part of mission of HBI, I can assure you that your donations are effective giving. Your donations are not charity. Your donations and support are helping to create clear pathways for the next generation to get involved in shaping new methods and mechanism for challenging the equity problems of their own communities and the broader global community. Your support has allowed us to expand our commitment to creating and facilitating bridges for interdisciplinary, cross-cultural exchange that are surely changing the world – one relationship at a time. |
HBI BlogThe HBI Blog is a rotating journal from our staff. Our Blog is a series of messages from the field, insights from our work, and lessons in service. Archives
February 2021
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