Global Student Collaboration: Transforming Communities in India
Temple PHBB students are partnering with PHBB students from Mahatma Gandhi Mission Dental College and Hospital in Mumbai (MGM) to bring educational activities and health promotion training to communities in the Maharashtra state.
2023: In March of 2023, we travelled to Mumbai to initiate a partnership with MGM which resulted in an executed Memorandum of Understanding between the two institutions in May 2023 and paved the way for PHBB’s trip in 2024.
2024: A group of Temple students met with MGM students January 3-12, 2024 in Mumbai, India. The students from both institutions had been working during the 2023 fall semester via Zoom, WhatsApp and GroupMe to develop educational activities and materials. Temple students developed the activities and materials and MGM students assisted with the cultural adaptation, translation and implementation of the activities and materials.
Upon arrival, the students bonded very quickly and started practicing for their activities before implementing them at Turmale Village, Ajivali Health Center and a rural Boarding School. From performing a hand-washing dance to showing actual menstrual products and talking about menstrual health, the activities were a great success!
Each afternoon, all Team members gathered to talk about what worked, didn’t work, the lessons learned and the recommended changes. The Team also had many discussions about cultural competence to make sense of our cultural differences (American students plan everything! MGM students are so welcoming and supportive!).
This incredible group of students paved the way for a fruitful partnership between the two institutions and also presented seven posters at the College of Public Health Research Day, and will present one poster at the 2024 Annual American Public Health Association Meeting in November.