Honors sophomore and Chancellor’s Scholar Gabrianne Ivey is spending the semester in Limuru, Kenya, doing a medical internship. She is working with Africa Impact, a volunteer abroad organization that offers responsible volunteer and internship opportunities in several fields including wildlife conservation, teaching, and medicine. Ivey found this program through Appalachian’s Office of International Education Development (OIED) and decided to pursue it because it provides the opportunity to experientially learn about global healthcare by being involved with medicine in an under-served area.
In the midst of her semester in Kenya, Ivey wrote to share,
“I am grateful for Honors Seminars! Today, the seminar I took last semester (HON 3515: Creativity in the Arts with Mr. Kevin Warner) came in handy. I visited to the Women's Centre in rural Kenya that provides shelter for young girls (12-16 years old) who are victims of sexual abuse. I taught the girls some of the theatre activities we did in my class last semester, as well as some of the activities that I’ve learned studying Modern Dance at App State. I believe this is so important for them, as they have grown up too fast.”
Ivey is fund-raising for the girls at the Women’s centre. Her goal is to raise money to help them buy supplies for the girls to learn skills such as sewing that will allow them to provide for themselves and their children in the future. She also plans to use some of the money to help the community in other ways such as buying food for kids in a neighboring village or supplies for a nearby school. She is under the supervision of Project Manager, Nila Asaji, who knows the community and their needs. As Ivy explained,
“She is passionate in helping me use the money to have long-term impact, rather than providing quick fixes in this community.”
To donate money and help Ivey with these causes, click here. www.gofundme.com/help-families-in-limuru-kenya
To follow Ivey’s journey through her blog, click here. https://limurukenya.travel.blog/blog-feed/
Top photo and photo above shows Ivey with girls from the Women’s center in Limuru, Kenya. Photos by Mikayla Hubner.
