Who We Are // 3 girls involved with GlobeMed at Brown University
Carly Paul (Class of 2018.5)~ Carly is originally from Fort Collins, CO. She currently studies International Relations and Public Health. Carly serves as Communications director for GlobeMed. In addition to her studies and her involvement with GlobeMed, Carly is also a heptathlete on Brown’s Track and Field Team.
Ariel Silverman (Class of 2019)~ Ariel is from Santa Monica, CA. She is concentrating in Health and Human Biology. Ariel will be the Finance Director for GlobeMed. Ariel is also a member of Brown’s Track and Field and Cross Country Teams, as a middle distance runner.
Sierra Fisher (Class of 2018)~ Sierra is from Fair Oaks, CA. At Brown, she concentrates in Biomedical Engineering. She serves as the Grow Coordinator on the executive board for GlobeMed. She also participates in Brown’s Ultimate Frisbee Team.
GlobeMed
Founded in 2011, GlobeMed at Brown University is one of 50 university based GlobeMed chapters working to improve the health of people living in poverty around the world. In striving for this goal, we partner with the grassroots organization Ungano-Tena (U-Tena), located in Nairobi, Kenya, to support programs that develop creative and innovative solutions to raise awareness about sexual health practices and improve the health, education and quality of life within their communities. Through performance, U-Tena, dispels myths related to HIV transmission and encourages testing, treatment, and discussions around family planning and sexual and reproductive health. Furthermore U-Tena provides a mentorship program for girls ages 13-17 in the Mukuru slum to learn life skills, sexual, reproductive and mental health, as well as financial management.
Our Partner // Ungano-Tena in Nairobi, Kenya
Ungano Tena (U-Tena) is Swahili for reuniting/coming back together. U-Tena is a grassroots community-based organization created in 2005 by youth from the Viwandani-Mukuru slum in East Nairobi. U-Tena’s mission is to educate local communities about sexual and reproductive health, and to raise awareness of related issues through popular education and partnerships with key stakeholders. Using music, dance, two-dimensional art, and theatre, U-Tena teaches communities about HIV, STIs, sexual health and reproductive health, among other topics.
Our Project //The Kuza project
U-Tena established the Kuza Project in 2011 with the support of GlobeMed at Brown University. Currently they are mentoring 75 girls, 10-17 years of age, on issues of sexual health practices, mental health, and financial literacy. U-Tena is also partnering with Equity Bank in Nairobi, Kenya to open bank accounts for the 75 girls in the mentorship program. These bank accounts serve both as a lesson in earning and saving and provide them with a tangible way of utilizing their lessons. U-Tena has just built a second youth center in the Mukuru slum that provides supplies so the girls can learn how to make handicrafts. The girls are also learning how to run small businesses, sell their own work, and start putting money in their new savings accounts. This will help them delay or avoid entrance into exploitative lines of work.
We aim to raise $1500 before the end of our trip for U-Tena and the Kuza Project. The funds will primarily provide the program with books to improve literacy skills, and the establishment of career mentorship within Kuza. It will also support girls with crafting supplies, sanitary pads, and exposure visits to universities with the ultimate goal of increasing financial literacy and academic success. Additional funds will provide sexual health education programming for the girls and for the local community. Please see the GoFundMe link on the home page to donate!
Thank you for your support!
3 in Nairobi 