Dear Mr. Dookeram and Class of 1999:
First, let me extend my deepest gratitude to you an the other 99's for their support of my Tucker Fellowship. I am honored to be sponsored by the Class of 1999. As an aspiring physician and a native of Colombia, I have always had a deep interest in pressing social issues. My intellectual interests are widespread, yet focused. My plan is to obtain an MD/PhD and subsequently dedicate myself to research and practical medicine. In my mind it has never made sense to follow one discipline too strictly. My character has always driven me to seek answers in different places and from different perspectives.
Balance of mind and body are also of great importance to me. Despite the hectic and fast-paced life of Dartmouth students, I dedicate time to both physical and intellectual interests. Along with this balance of mind and body, I find it important to contemplate upon how fortunate one is to be a Dartmouth student. A good friend and I would often dwell on such a topic on our long awaited walk from Organic Chemistry lab every Wednesday night. As we would walk, elated by the culmination of 6-hours of lab work, a keen sense of granted us by the prestige of our Alma Mater would become clear to us. For me, responsibility is defined by study of the ubiquity of poverty, both academically and personally.
My purpose in Ghana will be twofold. First, I will mentor and tutor nursing students at the Benjamin School, a school for nurses housed in a two-story rented home. I will be personally responsible for the administration of material pertaining to two courses; Basics of Epidemiology and Community Health and Wellness Needs Assessment. Second, I will be volunteering at the Bomso Church of Christ Clinic, where I will focus on developing HIV outreach and intervention programs. During my stay, I will be living with the director of The Benjamin School, Mr. Timothy Anebakem, and a Native Ghanaian. Alongside his wife, Mr Anebakem will serve as my exchange guardian and mentor in the Ghanaian culture. I will also be under the supervision of other individuals; Mr. Adjei Jesse (at the clinic), Prof. Augustine Tawiah (director of The Bible College of Kumasi), and Rev. John Appiah-Poku (head of the School of Social and Behavior Sciences at the University of Science and Technology (KNUST) Medical School).
At best, my work as a Fellow will only contribute a small amount to the worldwide issue of poverty. Yet, I hope to help educate thirty nurses who will be the future of the Ghanaian health system and to enlighten a populace whose knowledge of HIV/AIDS is limited despite its clear presence. I designed the experience so that it would be focused. Focused in the scope of what could be done and in location, not only so I could concentrate all my efforts but also to increase the changes of observing positive changes.
Despite the temporal limitation of the internship, I plan to continue assisting the Benjamin School. Being in the early stages of "education-hood," the school is in need of many basic luxuries, such as a library for nurses, computer, textbooks, etc. With the assistance of my hometown community and Dartmouth network, I plan to fulfill some of these needs.
Once again, thank you for sponsoring my Tucker Fellowship.
Yours in Service,
Johann A. Maradey
Class of 2008