Medical and Impact Mission Fundraiser
Kaarthiga Selvakkumaran
Join this fundraiser and help make an impact in the lives of families in need of surgical care.
Guatemala City, Guatemala
Population: 1 million
Language: Spanish
Living in Poverty: 60%
Poverty Defined: Earning less than $150 US a month
Mission Facts
Fundraising Goal:
$150,000
Volunteers:
Surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, and medical support staff
Impact: The Osborne Head & Neck Foundation (OHNF) delivers life-saving and life-changing surgical care to communities in need around the globe. Through our annual Medical Mission we connect expert volunteer surgeons with those suffering in remote areas of developing nations. Past missions have included Ethiopia, India and Peru.
Fundraiser Profile
Join Me And Change Lives In Ghana
All my life I felt like I had no clear purpose, but this all changed when I went to Zambia, Africa. My mom fled Sri Lanka during the war and completed her medical education in Zambia. She always told me that if I become a doctor I must serve in a third world country, but I never understood why until I saw it for myself.
In today’s society, becoming a doctor is often driven by prestige. However, I want to challenge that notion by working in a place where my name is unknown, but my impact is undeniable—where people may not know who I am, but they know they will receive the care they need.
During my 1 month stay, my mother and I visited a variety of clinics within the area. This experience was a complete culture shock as someone who is used to the “comfort” of American hospitals. There were patients requiring severe attention scattered throughout the clinic and doctors frantically helping whoever they could. While this clinic in Zambia seemed like a chaotic mess, it serves as inspiration for who I want to be one day.
I never understood the depth of experiencing various environments until I learned more about my roots and the condition of a completely different part of the world. As I continued to explore Zambia, I’d grown a fondness for the people and its rich culture.
Back then and even to this day, I remain a “fly on the wall” waiting for the opportunity to make a real difference in the world of medicine. Now, I finally can.
With your help, I will be able to make a real difference. I’ve always planned on working abroad in medical school, residency, or in my career but I never would’ve guessed that I would have the chance to do it as soon as my high school years.
I won’t just be observing; I’ll be making a real impact by getting involved directly and contributing in meaningful, practical ways. I have never felt so confident and passionate about anything, as I have about this mission. I am on a mission to help those in need, a mission to improve lives, and a mission to come out a better person.
Together we can change lives. Learn More about your impact.
I’ve committed to raising $10,000 towards Medical and Impact Missions in Ghana. With your support we can change lives.
You’re supporting communities with little to no access to medical care, and helping provide a wide array of medical services.
Your donation is…
- Providing clinical and surgical services, at no cost, to those living in extreme poverty in Ghana, Africa.
- Arranging and paying for transportation for patients living in remote villages
- Providing local language experts to eliminate language as a barrier to care
- Securing lodging for patients in the city during treatment and post op care
- Refreshing a orphanage and school with onsite community works
- Increasing access to educational opportunities for children
Fundraising
Make A Gift!
Your gift makes a major impact in the life of someone in need. By donating you are providing surgical care, shelter, food and transportation for families around Ghana who don’t have access to the critical medical attention they need. Thank you.
Ghana, Africa
Language: English and Akan
Living in Poverty: 24% of Ghanaians live below the poverty line.
Progress in Poverty Reduction:
Ghana has made significant strides in reducing poverty since the 1990s, halving the national poverty incidence from 51.7% in 1991
Poverty Defined: Earning less than $11 a day
Key barriers to healthcare access:
- More than half (53%) of Ghanaians or someone in their household experienced not having medicines or medical treatment at least once in the past year
- Geographic inaccessibility: poor road networks, and limited transport options are major obstacles
- Cost: High transportation costs and drug expenses
- Low spatial access to physicians and health facilities: Long travel distances for many to reach care.
- Inadequate distribution of health personnel: A significant disparity exists between urban and rural areas, with the majority of health personnel concentrated in urban centers.
Mission Facts
Volunteers: Surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurses, medical support staff, and concerned humanitarians like you.
Impact:
The Osborne Head & Neck Foundation (OHNF) provides life-saving and life-changing surgical care to communities in need around the globe.
Through annual Medical Missions we connect expert volunteer surgeons with those suffering in remote areas of developing nations. Impact Mission volunteers simultaneously work towards improving the lives of underserved children and those living in poverty in the same region.
Past missions have included Ethiopia, Belize, India, Peru, and Guatemala.
Ghana Impact Mission
Learn more about how your gift makes an impact.
Guatemala Impact Mission
Learn more about how your gift makes an impact
Donate & Change A Life
Your Gift Changes Lives
Thank you for your support!
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