How I Strive to Change The World: Kimberly Brafi

2022-23 Scholarship Recipient

Imagine growing up in a country with limited resources, opportunities, and poor sanitation. Living in a country where transportation is not available, and the nearest healthcare facility is hundreds of miles away. In Honduras, the country points to a larger story of healthcare and political corruption. Growing up with immigrant parents, education was taken very seriously in our house. Every summer, my older cousin would take my siblings and I on educational field trips. I learned about different countries traditions and heritages including my Ghanian culture. In the summer of 2008, we went on a tour of a Chinese Museum in New York City. During the tour, we went into a room that consisted of traditional Chinese toys. I stumbled across an attractive piece of art called the “Kongming Locks”. The locks consisted of wooden blocks assembled in a 3D interlocking shape. I asked the tour guide about the Lock and He replied, “It is a puzzle, and only a few can figure out how to disassemble each piece of wood and put them back together.” As the guide continued to give the tour, I rose to the challenge and stayed behind to figure out how to accomplish this task. From that day forward, my love for solving problems grew. The lack of resources and failed healthcare system in third world countries is a problem I am determined to solve.

Honduras is in Central America and is made up of a large, underserved community, totaling to about 9.2 million people. For every 1,000 people there are only 0.37% of a doctor available. The healthcare system operates in both a private and public system. The Private system is reserved for the wealthy and rich, while the public system is opened to all, even though only a small portion of the population uses it regularly. The public system is divided into 2 divisions, Ministry of Health and the Honduran Social Security. Both private and public healthcare systems of Honduras, both operate under poor management and lack of funding. Hospital beds are limited, and patients usually have to find medications and treatment plans on their own. Over the years, political corruption has overtaken the healthcare system and has led to limited availability. In 2014, the former Honduran president, President Hernandez, was linked to a massive financial scandal with his election campaign. This scandal not only made a huge financial dent in the healthcare system, it also led to 2,800 deaths because heath needs could not be met. This not only depleted healthcare supplies of the country, it also depleted the hope of the country in their people.

Due to the political corruption, poverty is another mountain that must be moved. One of the main problems in economic system of Honduras are the wealth distribution and low income. According to the World Bank, statistical data shows that about 48.2% of the Honduran population lives below the poverty line. This population of people is made up of farmers, and lower-class citizens. To add to the economic disparity, the Honduran unemployment population is as high as 40% as of 2015. Unemployment rates are caused by a number of different factors, such as lack of opportunity, insufficient pay and insufficient hours of work. Starvation is one of the leading causes of death in the country of Honduras. Rural areas are the most affected because the limited resources and food supply. What also contributed to the starvation and malnutrition epidemic, is the isolated homes in rural areas that have less access to foods. The failed economic system not only contributed to the starvation epidemic it also caused a culture of greed and self-survival.

Due to the failed economic system, Violence and robbery is another problem to solve in the community of Honduras. “Violence breeds instability” (Faulkner, 2017). The 1st leading causes of death from ages 18-40 is due to homicides and gang violence. The most common age for gang members is between the ages of 12 and 30. When a family member of the older generation is experiencing financial hardship to afford medication and healthcare, the young women would often get married and try to find a husband who can sustain them, or the young men will join gangs to participate in illegal drug trading to live a better quality of life. Many third world countries, experience the similar corruption in healthcare and politics. As a medical student, the country of Honduras sparked my interest because it was very similar to my home country Ghana. I am determined to solve this global puzzle of a poor healthcare system. To better asses what health care is, I became a medical scribe for City MD Urgent Care in the Bronx. The Bronx is a melting pot of different cultures, with a large Hispanic & Latino population.

During my time as a Medical Scribe, I often encountered many patients that expressed a variety of symptoms and diseases. My job was to provide medical documentation and assist providers in clinical procedures such as abscess removals, taking vitals, administering medications and IV’s, and performing a series of tests. In December of 2019, we experienced an influx of patients with the same clinical symptoms and manifestations. The attending physician at the time showed me chest x-rays of our previous patients. After, looking at X-rays results, we both concluded that there was a larger problem spreading within our community and that this problem needed to be solved. We later discovered that this problem was COVID-19. Early in the pandemic, the COVID-19 virus spread to many countries and created an enormous number of deaths in the world. Due to the social distance and healthcare regulations, many schools, businesses, and churches were closed. The pandemic forced many people to change their daily lifestyles and habits. Our City MD Urgent care team faced many challenges, such as the sudden decrease in healthcare professionals and a dramatic increase in patients. I saw this as an opportunity to maximize patient care. I assumed the responsibility by arriving earlier than my shift time, working longer hours, assembling oxygen machines and nebulizers, and receiving inhouse training in phlebotomy. While attending to patients’ needs, I learned to be there emotionally, physically, and financially for people suffering from the pandemic. This experience changed my perception of the healthcare system. In the mist trials and tribulations, I learned that, in the lack medical resources such as personal protective equipment, we only relied on GOD as our source.

The mental and physical training during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed me to provide more knowledge to the underrepresented community in Las Casillas, Honduras. My Global Brigade trip was geared toward improving the health of the Honduran people in the Las Casillas community. Global Brigades started its work as a medical relief organization. Now the nonprofit organization no longer focuses on the short-term relief, but works to empower the communities through economic development, sustainable healthcare, water, and sanitation projects. For the economic development of Honduras, Global Brigades have set up community banks to provide critical financial services to the community such as providing access to savings and loans. In the Sanitation and water development of Honduras, Global Brigades have constructed clean water systems with volunteers and engineers to improve the purification and cleanliness of water and access to water. To provide sustainable healthcare, I joined a Medical Mission’s trip to Honduras with Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Together with doctors, dentists, and pharmacists we provided free healthcare and discounted medications to the community of Las Casillas. We provided prescription medications, pap screenings, dental work, optometry, consultations and provided medical information on the most prevalent diseases in the community. The people of Honduras taught me that joyfulness is a state of being that is not dependent on anything outside of oneself. In a country of where resources and food are scarce, the people only have one hope to rely on and that is in Christ Jesus. Honduran people are happy and filled with joy, even in the mist of their situation, because their hope and source come from GOD and is not attached to material things. The healthcare system to me is like a Kongming lock. This Chinese puzzle was a problem that needed to be solved. With dedication and teamwork, my siblings and I were able to solve the puzzle. This experience taught me that the healthcare system in third-world countries can be Improved and solved with patience, dedication, and teamwork. We may not be able to change the world, but we can change the world of one person.

References

https://borgenproject.org/tag/poverty-in-honduras/ https://www.globalbrigades.org/countries/honduras/ https://globalbrigadespcom.wixsite.com/website