Alumni Spotlight: Therry Jean-Louis

Therry Jean-Louis, 22 years old, is originally from Haiti and currently lives in New York. She recently earned her bachelors in Clinical Laboratory Science with a minor in psychology and plans on continuing her education in Physician Assistant studies and Public Health. She is a nature lover, enjoys dancing and cooking, and believes that one must adventure through life.

Why did you decide to volunteer with A Broader View in Honduras?

Host family in Honduras

Therry: I chose ABV based on my research findings that it was a trustable organization. After my successful volunteer abroad experience in Tanzania last summer with them, I was confident to embark on another journey to Honduras through them once more this past spring. The advantage of using an organization like ABV is that you can rest assured that the host families are screened for your benefit and you will also have an on-site coordinator who will look out for you.

What made this experience unique and special?

Therry: The fact that I got to interact with so many young people and even adults who were left more aware of a deadly virus made this experience very unique and special; even more than that, the sense of satisfaction that comes with helping those in need and the feeling of gratitude shown by them was simply invaluable. Another added bonus was that I got to practice Spanish, and got closer to my goal of being fluent in Spanish. If I had to add more to that, it would be the fact that I made so many new friends, learned about a new culture and visited a beautiful island as a way to conclude the trip.

How has this experience impacted your future?

Therry: Personally, my horizon has broadened and the resilience of the people we served was an inspiration to me. I realized the importance of being compassionate and sensitive. I slowly acquired the ability not to let feelings of remorse bear down as a heavy weight on my heart; but rather I learned to use empathy and laughter to provide optimal support.

Professionally, I gained more hands on experience and was able to apply the knowledge that I gained in school and clinical rotations to make a difference in the life of others. Beyond that, it was a great opportunity to experience healthcare from a different perspective.

Overall, I learned that I am capable of much more than I ever imagined. It really doesn’t take much to make a difference in the world, a simple smile or gesture goes a long way!!! It’s the little things that each of us can do that will make change happen.

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Highlights: The most outstanding part of my trip is that I was able to support a cause that I hold very close to my heart. I dream of a world where the AIDS virus is no longer destroying the lives of so many around the world. I refuse to simply sit back and watch, I choose to take action. I was honored to be able to provide peace of mind to non-infected individuals that we tested and educate them on how to remain this way. We also did sessions to educate people who are infected on how to live a normal life with the virus. Additionally, we distributed condoms to adolescents and reached out to them. I was left with a great sense of accomplishment. It’s worth noting that we traveled with all of the resources that we used from testing kits to pamphlets and boxes of condoms collected by us as donations.

Morning: We would wake up quite early in the morning (6am) so that we can get ready to be picked up at 7am. Prior to leaving the house, we were served delicious Honduran style breakfast. Our host mom was amazing!!! We would then arrive at the clinic before 7:30 to prepare for the long line of awaiting patients consisting of mostly adolescents and pregnant women. My partner and I served an average of 50 patients a day in the clinic for which we performed HIV testing and prevention counseling.

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Afternoon: We would be taken to our host home at around noon to have lunch and we would also enjoy a power nap which was very much needed after seeing a large volume of patients in the morning. We would then again get picked up at 2pm to serve at a local church until around 5pm where we would do more HIV testing and counseling and community awareness.

Evening: Evenings were super relaxing and fun. There was a beach nearby that you could easily grab a taxi to get to. We often went as a group of volunteers. We would gather at the beach and share our daily experience as we watch the sunset, have a few refreshing drinks and enjoy plenty of seafood. Other times we’d go to the mall, the ice cream plaza, picnic at the river or simply a walk to explore. We would then get back to our host home by the time of dinner and called it a day!