End of Summer Bash

By: Chinelo Edochi

Last week Friday we the interns, planned an end of summer bash for the community at Los Arcos. This event took place in the club house at the apartment complex. We had pizza, caprisun for the kids and drinks for the parents. Surprisingly, the older people and some of the parents brought their kids without us having to invite them from their houses to come for the event. We were highly impressed by this action, to me it showed that Sewa had been recognized as an organization trying to provide them with a support system that they appreciated.

We had to bring some of the children from their homes and also invited their parents who showed up. We had a display of all the kids arts and crafts display pictures for their parents to see. We also took pictures of the kids and made photo frames for them which they could keep. One thing that really that really stood out to me was a board that had a list of dreams that these children wanted to do in life. We had a video display which showed all the activities the children had engaged in throughout the whole children’s activities week.

Towards the end, we shared the cake and took pictures with the children. They all had a piece and the parents started dancing to various indian music. One of the mothers put cake icing on each interns face a sign of happiness and fun. I was very happy and warmth filled my heart knowing that I was able to make an impact and become acquainted with this community. Toys and different story books were given to the children and they really appreciated it all kindheartedly.

This internship really warmed me up to various cultures and their beliefs. I have learnt so much working with Sewa for the past 9 weeks. Truly, selfless efforts for the welfare of all is the biggest joy and happiness one could ever experience. Having a sense of fulfillment that you’re making an impact on not just one person’s life but a community brings joy into my innermost heart. I really enjoyed every bit of working with Sewa and hopefully wish to volunteer again in the nearest future.  

The Give and Take from Giving

In the world of philanthropy and service, it is paramount to remind oneself of the macro purpose for a cause. At Sewa, our cause is to enhance the standard of living for Bhutanese refugees in the United States. In order to help that demographic, one must be able to comprehend acculturation and assimilation issues. With the general meeting between GIH Interns and the Vice President of Sewa, I was reminded to focus on the big picture and actually elaborate the deliverables I can provide at the end of the internship. But there is no ‘I’ in ‘Sewa’ and it is the Refugee & Empowerment Team, which I belong to, that can truly usher positive change and validate Sewa’s mission. Our team is focused on mitigating the disparity between refugee parents and children through creating an acculturation program that is conducive to dialogue. Sewa provides the necessary resources and capacity to abridge the social gap between Americans and Bhutanese refugees. However, without an assessment of the beneficiary’s need, it is extremely arduous to create effective programming that will better the status quo.

Women's Health Camp Take Two

By: Chinelo Edochi

The Women’s health camp was scheduled to take place today because the previous week there were circumstances that prevented it from taking place. We started out at 12:00 pm recruiting women and we got positive replies from the women about attending the program. At 12:30 pm we started off the health camp by talking to the women about breast self examinations, taking pap smear tests and getting mammograms.These women were really interested in the camp because they would go on to ask us questions on which clinics or hospitals provide them with the services and at what cost. 

We also had a nurse who is in charge of school based clinics and health services for HISD. She came out and spoke to the women about the various schools that their children or grandchildren attend and gave the specific information about what clinical services the schools provided and how they could acquire them. One thing she made them understand was that, they had the rights as parents to go to the schools and let the faculty know that they’re the parents. Even though there might be a language barrier, their children deserve to have the best health system and they should require it.

We had very positive responses from the women who came, they even asked how often we had the health camps and if we could spread the word throughout their various churches to make the population aware about it. They were very open and comfortable asking questions and with the feedback we got from them, I believe we made a positive difference.

The Final Rush

As this internship draws to a close, I find myself more focused than ever to finish my refugee acculturation projects and grant proposals. I find myself pondering on the lessons I’ve learned from all stakeholders and how they have made a difference in my own life. I find myself perusing over old internship documents and wonder what past interns felt like when this enriching experience was ending. I find myself more patient than ever, more understanding of the plights of the refugees, more inured to the everyday struggles of the Bhutanese beneficiaries. The word “more” is appropriate for the gains I’ve obtained at Sewa, and I feel immense gratitude to my supervisors, my fellow coworkers, and to the Bhutanese/Nepali community. As I rush to complete my intern duties, I sometimes forget to slow down and look at the picture. The big picture is made up of tiny actions that are magnified in the long run. And while in the long run I won’t be working for Sewa, I am so proud to say that Sewa and its organizational culture worked for me. 

Make an Impact

As our days wind down at Sewa Houston, we are finishing the tasks we set out at the beginning of the summer. In addition to planning a volunteer appreciation event, we have created our end-of-summer reports. These reports will assist future GIH interns as they begin to implement change next summer.

There is so much that we feel Sewa can accomplish. We hope that future public health interns will implement more health camps for the Bhutanese refugee community living at Los Arcos. We would like future health camps to include speakers from Houston Independent School District, and experts on the subject at hand.

We also would like to see both men’s and women’s discussion groups come to fruition. Although there was not time for these discussion groups to be implemented this summer, there is a great need within the community to open up about the issues that are important to them. Our vision for this group is that someone in the community will lead the discussion and a few interns will create discussion topics.

We’ve accomplished so much over the last nine weeks. Our only hope is that the future interns at Sewa will do the same.

Almost there!!

Where did this week go?! The past couple days have just flown by, and I fear that it still merely the calm before the storm. Today we had scheduled for a health camp devoted to women's health, but unfortunately due to inclement weather we had to reschedule to next week. As a student of sociology, I'm especially excited about this project because it not only brings together the women of the community who so often are excluded from active participation and ownership of their own health dude to domestic responsibilities to their families-- and this goes beyond cultural borders, it's a universal phenomenon. Women, on average, suffer the highest toll of health consequences around the world, and health education is a prime way to combat this. Here are some pictures from last week's camp ( on health and hygiene) for a general idea of the health camp series in Los Arcos:

The Children

By: Sathvika Ramachandran

An unmistakable attachment has developed between the kids we work with at Los Arcos and us as interns. This week, some of the children surprised us by coming to the Sewa apartment without us having to get them. We did numerous arts and crafts, and the kids were running around and clearly having a ton of fun. A few new children came and immediately warmed up to us, and they began creating their picture frames or clothespin animals. Children’s activities often get chaotic with so many kids running and yelling, but the sheer joy they have plastered on their face from the time they enter the apartment to when it’s time to clean up never wavers. One of the children wrapped her hands around my waist and wouldn’t let go until I had to physically put her down so I could take care of something else. At the end of the day, three of the ten year old girls drew pictures for me saying “I love Ms. Sathvika” and told me to take it home and hang it in my room. The attachment that has formed from playing with these kids has been transformational in that I no longer see myself and the people I’m serving as belonging to two separate spheres. Instead, I’m spending time with my own brothers and sisters. I see no separation between us-- we are just human. 

July 17, 2014

By: Maria Mercado

As the seventh week of this internship come to an end, I have reflected on the progress that Sewa and the Los Arcos community have made together. Programs such as ESL, computer literacy, sewing, and children’s activities have grown a lot since the beginning of the summer.

The computer classes have really been received well by the community, especially as Aishwarya, a Girl Scout, established a program that integrates both the need for computer literacy and English lessons through an online English software. I have seen the process of individuals being reluctant to begin and the quick transition of excitement and curiosity.

The children’s activities this week hit a new record with 21 children participating in various crafts and activities. It was inspiring to see the ease with which the children have to connect with other children of other ethnicities; it truly demonstrates that a child’s heart is blind to the divisions of this world.  There is one more week of children’s activities, and I dread the thought of leaving this children. So I wanted to emphasize the joy that I have had as this community has embraced me into their families and homes.

Health Camp 2

By: Chinelo Edochi

Today we were supposed to have our second health camp which would focus on the women’s health camp. We were supposed to have the nurse from Elrod middle school to come and talk to the parents at Los Arcos about the services they provide for the children and how they can get it. Unfortunately, the nurse wasn’t able to come due to some certain circumstances.

We decided to still go ahead with the health camp despite that circumstance.

The health camp was scheduled to start at 12:00 pm and around 12:30 pm no lady had shown up yet. Myself and another intern took the liberty to go around the community with a translator to recruit people for the health camp. Most of the community members were preparing to go for a conference at church, others weren’t comfortable leaving their kids at home without them being watched over. Most of all, it was a rainy stormy day so most people just wanted to stay in. Instead of shutting down the entire health camp, we had some kids who came in and we painted their nails for them. After that, we all sat down to watch a movie. Towards the end we gave them some stuffed animals to play with and they also had some samosa. 

I learned something significant today which was to always make the best out of every situation. Next week we plan to strategize more appropriately for the last health camp to be a huge success.

Revise Your Plans

Today was the date of the second health camp on Women’s Health for the Bhutanese refugee women. For the last week, the interns worked to have a school nurse come speak to the refugees, demonstrate how to do a self-examination for breast cancer, teach about maternal and prenatal care, and host a spa day. We were very prepared for this event, yet when we arrived this morning, we learned that the refugees were at a conference all day and would not be attending the health camp.

Although we were very disappointed to not have the opportunity to engage the refugee women in positive education about their health, our day was not a total loss. Instead of painting nails and giving facials for the grown women, we put nail polish on the little girls hands. Instead of showing slides on women’s health, we put on a children’s movie. The day was not what we expected, but by being flexible we were able to still have a great day.