Student Leaders in International Medicine
University of Pittsburgh
2010 Fall Semester Meetings
WELCOME BACK TO A NEW SCHOOL YEAR WITH SLIM!!
First Meeting: Tuesday, Sept. 7th at 8:45pm in CL 232
All other meetings: Mondays at 8:45pm in CL 232
SLIM welcomes students of all levels and majors who are motivated to learn about global health issues and take action towards positive international development.
Project Malawi 2010
4th Annual Project Malawi trip 5/7 - 6/4
Pitt undergraduate students Elizabeth Van Loon, Nicolas Brink, William Grubb, Bethany Ground, Jennifer Nicka and Vivian Liang spent one month in Lilongwe, Malawi pursuing a shared passion for global public health and providing assistance to Malawian community-based organizations (CBOs). CBOs are grassroots organizations staffed by Malawian volunteers which care for orphans, bedridden HIV and tuberculosis patients, and provide health education to their communities in the form of traditional Malawian song, dance and dramas.
Cooperating closely with Pendulum Project Malawi, SLIM was able to utilize profits from the 2010 SLIM 5k/10k road race to initiate the following development projects for the MPALUTI Network of CBOs:
1. Purchase of a dairy cow, named Tayambapo ("New Beginning" in Chichewa, Malawi's native language) for Paradiso CBO. Sales of milk will provide much needed income for HIV patients and handicapped persons in the care of Paradiso volunteers.
2. Initiation of maize buying and selling businesses at Mchenga CBO and Tilerane Orphan Care Center. Volunteers from Tilerane and Mchenga will purchase locally grown maize cheaply and in bulk during the harvest months of June and July, and resell maize to local families for a higher price during the coming rainy season. Profits from these businesses will fund school fees for orphans in the CBOs' care.
3. Creation of the MPALUTI Network Account and Microfinance Project. The Mpaluti Network was initiated by SLIM in 2007 and serves as an interface whereby neighboring CBOs share information and resources. With backing from several charities operating in Malawi and the Minister of Gender, Childhood and Community Development, MPALUTI will open a common account to provide small loans to its CBO volunteers for the creation of small business projects.
Cooperating closely with Pendulum Project Malawi, SLIM was able to utilize profits from the 2010 SLIM 5k/10k road race to initiate the following development projects for the MPALUTI Network of CBOs:
1. Purchase of a dairy cow, named Tayambapo ("New Beginning" in Chichewa, Malawi's native language) for Paradiso CBO. Sales of milk will provide much needed income for HIV patients and handicapped persons in the care of Paradiso volunteers.
2. Initiation of maize buying and selling businesses at Mchenga CBO and Tilerane Orphan Care Center. Volunteers from Tilerane and Mchenga will purchase locally grown maize cheaply and in bulk during the harvest months of June and July, and resell maize to local families for a higher price during the coming rainy season. Profits from these businesses will fund school fees for orphans in the CBOs' care.
3. Creation of the MPALUTI Network Account and Microfinance Project. The Mpaluti Network was initiated by SLIM in 2007 and serves as an interface whereby neighboring CBOs share information and resources. With backing from several charities operating in Malawi and the Minister of Gender, Childhood and Community Development, MPALUTI will open a common account to provide small loans to its CBO volunteers for the creation of small business projects.
Successful 2010 SLIM 5k/10k!
RACE RESULTS AVAILABLE AT:
http://www.smileymiles.com/2010Results.html
Thank you to Fleet Feet Sports of Pittsburgh, all runners and volunteers for a great day!
Photos at: http://www.slimpitt.org/apps/photos/
http://www.smileymiles.com/2010Results.html
Thank you to Fleet Feet Sports of Pittsburgh, all runners and volunteers for a great day!
Photos at: http://www.slimpitt.org/apps/photos/
We want to give a HUGE thanks to Fleet Feet Sports Pittsburgh for their continued support of our annual 5k/10k! Click on their logo below to go to Fleet Feet's website:
2010 SLIM General Body Meetings
All Meetings are held on Monday nights at 8:40pm in Cathedral of Learning room 313. All majors are welcome! Come out to watch documentaries, see speakers and read and discuss articles relevant to public health and international development.
Last year's event attracted 600 runners, our goal for 2010 is to reach 1000! Support our cause to raise funds for community organizations that fight HIV/AIDS at the village level in Lilongwe, Malawi.
Thanks to KPHP for their support, and all of our sponsors who contributed their products and services: Fleet Feet Pittsburgh, Huntington Bank, Massage Envy, Galleta Engineering Company and Saucony. Also, thanks to the South Park administrative office and police department for their cooperation and assistance. If you are interested in sponsoring our race, please download our letter for potential sponsors (Sponsorship Request Letter.pdf).
Thanks to KPHP for their support, and all of our sponsors who contributed their products and services: Fleet Feet Pittsburgh, Huntington Bank, Massage Envy, Galleta Engineering Company and Saucony. Also, thanks to the South Park administrative office and police department for their cooperation and assistance. If you are interested in sponsoring our race, please download our letter for potential sponsors (Sponsorship Request Letter.pdf).
PROJECT MALAWI 2009
Last summer, from May 1-27, 2009, six SLIM members visited Lilongwe, Malawi, completing the third annual Project Malawi Trip. While in Malawi, the students visited the five community-based organizations (CBOs) in the MPALUTI CBO Network and participated in daily readings and nightly discussions concerning global health, poverty, and international development. The students also conducted interviews, as part of a University of Pittsburgh Brackenridge Fellowship research project. In addition to the interviews, reading, and site visits, in collaboration with Mchenga CBO of the MPALUTI CBO network, the students completed the preliminary research and legwork for a development project to set up clean water sources in three villages in rural areas surrounding Lilongwe. Their work resulted in the completion of three primary elephant pumps and five support pumps, which provide clean water to several hundred people.
