Physical Therapy Graduate Year II students, Meredith Grossman, Madison Gluck, Chloe Dirrigl, Danni Hayes and Alyssa Lam traveled to Malawi this past summer either with Ithaca College study abroad program or volunteered through Children of Blessing Trust, which is a non-profit organization that provides therapy to children in the capital and surrounding rural areas.
Students had the amazing opportunity to work alongside Malawian medical professionals at mobile medical clinics, outreach clinics and a rehabilitation center. Those in the study abroad program toured hospitals in various regions of the country and partnered with a nonprofit organization to assist in the delivery of medical services to rural populations. While in the clinic, students assisted experienced OTs and PTs in providing physical therapy to children who presented with cerebral palsy, cerebral malaria, and other developmental delays in order to facilitate developmental milestones. The experience allowed students to learn about a culture unique to their own and this developing country’s healthcare system giving them an appreciation for the complexity of factors that contribute to it.
Children of Blessing Trust http://www.thrivemalawi.ca/
Office of International Programs Study Abroad: https://ithaca-sa.terradotta.com/index.cfm?FuseAction=Programs.ViewProgram&Program_ID=10240
https://www.ithaca.edu/intercom/article.php/20180830103206155