Dhenkanal, India Program Details
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Location
Unite For Sight Global Impact Fellows work with Kalinga Eye Hospital and Research Centre. Founded by local social entrepreneur Sarang Samal, and managed by Sunil Kumar Mishra, Kalinga Eye Hospital & Research Centre is located in Dhenkanal, in the Indian state of Orissa. Kalinga Eye Hospital and Research Centre is an independent unit of NYSASDRI, Orissa's leading NGO that also organizes several other public health initiatives in the area. Kalinga Eye Hospital provides eye care to a population of .7 million throughout 7 districts of central Orissa. The hospital has a variety of departments, including the Department of Diabetic Eye Diseases, a Pediatric Ophthalmology Department, a Refraction Department, a Cataract Department, among others. Kalinga Eye Hospital is the first and only in the state of Orissa to provide pediatric ophthalmology services, and one of a small number of clinics throughout India to provide pediatric eye care services.
Date Options
Volunteers may combine dates and participate for 10, 20, or 30 days. Volunteers may optionally pursue a research study in the Global Impact Lab, and volunteers pursuing research may participate for up to 8 weeks. Any filled programs are crossed off.
2012
- February 1-10; February 10-20; February 20-30
- March 1-10; March 10-20; March 20-30
- April 1-10; April 10-20; April 20-30
- May 1-10; May 10-20; May 20-30
- June 1-10; June 10-20; June 20-30
- July 1-10; July 10-20; July 20-30
- August 1-10; August 10-20; August 20-30
- September 1-10; September 10-20; September 20-30
- October 1-10; October 10-20; October 20-30
- November 1-10; November 10-20; November 20-30
- December 1-10; December 10-20; December 20-30
Other date options may be possible. Please inquire with rturkel@uniteforsight.org
2013
- January 1-10; January 10-20; January 20-30
- February 1-10; February 10-20; February 20-30
- March 1-10; March 10-20; March 20-30
- April 1-10; April 10-20; April 20-30
- May 1-10; May 10-20; May 20-30
- June 1-10; June 10-20; June 20-30
- July 1-10; July 10-20; July 20-30
- August 1-10; August 10-20; August 20-30
- Other date options may be possible. Please inquire with rturkel@uniteforsight.org
Program Overview
Social Entrepreneurship
Born in a small village in Orissa, Kalinga Eye Hospital's founder Sarang Samal was only the second person in his village to receive an education, and he walked 2.5 hours each way to school when he was a boy. With a zeal for social activitism, Sarang founded an NGO called NYSASDRI. After realizing the correlation betwen blindness and poverty, Sarang decided to establish Kalinga Eye Hospital as a program of NYSASDRI. The clinic began in 2002 in a small house that Sarang rented for 5000 rupees ($100) per month. Eight years later, with a new hospital building, thriving staff, and the latest technology for eye care, Sarang's hospital model is being used by others worldwide.
Front-Line Management and Global Health Delivery Projects
Unite For Sight's program in Orissa is unique in that Global Impact Fellows participate in cutting-edge global health and NGO management programs. While learning first-hand about sustainable healthcare and social entrepreneurship programs, Global Impact Fellows engage in cutting-edge management and front-line global health delivery projects. They work closely with Sarang, Sunil, and other clinic staff to learn about global health delivery while working on projects to further advance and scale up the Kalinga Eye Hospital programs. Specialized skills are not required, and Global Impact Fellows of all backgrounds are able to significantly contribute to Kalinga Eye Hospital's growth and innovation. Unite For Sight works with each Global Impact Fellow to determine what skills, talents, and interests they can bring to a project at Kalinga Eye Hospital. Past projects have included literature reviews about healthcare marketing and presentations to senior clinic staff, literature reviews about patient barriers to care and presentations to senior clinic staff, writing case studies, writing profiles about the local social entrepreneurs and eye clinic staff, grant writing, global health delivery research studies, film and photo projects, website development, patient education projects, social marketing, graphic design, and similar support activities that are important to the eye clinic's long-term sustainable operations. The majority of each Global Impact Fellow's time is devoted to learning about healthcare through work on these special projects. Global Impact Fellows gain an immersive understanding about sustainable eye care, local social entrepreneurship, and NGO and clinic management in India. Global Impact Fellows have an option to work five, six, or seven days per week, and most participate every day of the week.
Educational Opportunities
During their stay, Global Impact Fellows also have the opportunity to spend time at the eye clinic. They learn about eye disease by observing the eye clinic's doctors. Global Impact Fellows usually watch many surgeries and also less frequently watch eye exams and treatment. They also participate approximately once every 1-2 weeks in rural village outreaches that provide eye care to patients who are unable to access or afford the care provided at the hospital.
Who Can Be A Global Impact Fellow
This program is suitable for anyone 18 years and older who has an interest in international service, global health, medicine, social sciences, or social entrepreneurship. Global Impact Fellows range from gap year students, undergraduate students, and medical students to public health students, public health professionals, nurses, educators, opticians, optometrists, filmmakers, photographers, and others.
What Global Impact Fellows Do
Standard Global Impact Fellows
Global Impact Fellows participate in a global health practicum that involves specialized front-line global health delivery projects. Unite For Sight works with Dhenkanal Global Impact Fellows to design and develop a plan in which they can use their skills, interests, and talents to best support Kalinga Eye Hospital's work. Global Impact Fellows arrive at Kalinga Eye Hospital with their specific project plan for their practicum. Past projects have included literature reviews about healthcare marketing and presentations to senior clinic staff, literature reviews about patient barriers to care and presentations to senior clinic staff, writing case studies, writing profiles about the local social entrepreneurs and eye clinic staff, grant writing, global health delivery research studies, film and photo projects, patient education projects, website development, graphic design, and similar support activities that are important to the eye clinic's long-term sustainable operations. Participating on these special projects provides Global Impact Fellows with an immersive understanding about sustanable eye care, local social entrepreneurship, and NGO and clinic management in India.
Global Impact Fellows also have the opportunity to participate approximately once every two weeks in village outreach programs that provide care to patients living in extreme poverty. The outreaches are located approximately 1-4 hours from the eye clinic. A Kalinga Eye Hospital doctor, as well as a medical assistant, paramedics, and a financial manager travel together with the Global Impact Fellows to the villages. The outreaches last about 4 hours, during which time the doctor sees the patients with acute eye problems while the medical assistant counsels cataract patients about surgery. These patients are brought to Kalinga Eye Hospital to spend the night before their surgery the next day. Global Impact Fellows have the opportunity to observe many cataract surgeries at the clinic, and they also observe the eye doctors provide eye exams.
Filmmaker and Photography Global Impact Fellows
Unite For Sight filmmaker and photographer volunteers document the voices of patients who receive sight-restoring eye care through Unite For Sight programs. The videos and photos promote awareness and information about global eye care needs and also demonstrate the commitment and dedication of Unite For Sight's local partner eye doctors who work tirelessly to provide eye care to those living in extreme poverty. The opportunity allows students, filmmakers, and photographers an opportunity to learn about development issues while making a significant impact.
Living and Lodging Expenses
Global Impact Fellows lodge in a furnished dormitory area of Kalinga Eye Hospital. The total expenses are $180 for a 10-day period, $215 for a 15-day period, and $330 for a 30-day period. This cost includes food, lodging, as well as transport expenses to and from the airport. However, if the occupant uses the air conditioning in the room, the electricity bill for lodging increases the cost by $6 per room/day. If two volunteers are sharing a room, this translates to a $3 cost increase per person/day. Air conditioning is usually preferred by volunteers during the summer, but not absolutely necessary during the winter months. Many volunteers prefer air conditioning in the winter months. A cook is responsible for preparing meals, but Fellows may also choose to buy and prepare their own food.
Special Section For Students: Academic Credit and Clinical Rotations
This program is suitable for undergraduate and public health students interested in pursuing an internship for academic credit, as well as for medical and optometry students interested in pursuing a clinical rotation for academic credit. You should consult your academic institution regarding how you can arrange this type of course credit. Unite For Sight will complete student performance evaluations required by a university so that a student can receive academic credit. We can also provide a letter for the university that confirms a student's planned participation in the Unite For Sight program, as well as details regarding the student's pre-departure online global health coursework and global health field participation. Please read the Academic Credit section of the Unite For Sight website.
This program is also appropriate for undergraduate students, medical students, optometry students, and public health students who would like to pursue a research project, which requires that the student have a faculty mentor at their home institution as well as IRB approval. Those interested in research should read the Global Impact Lab section of the Unite For Sight website.
Volunteer Perspectives: In Their Own Words
"Volunteering at the Kalinga Eye Hospital and Research Centre (KEHRC) in Orissa, India was a powerful experience for me. It was fascinating to be immersed into the rich Indian culture and to experience healthcare in India, both of which differ from that in the United States. I learned a great deal from my time in India. Whether I went to an outreach camp or remained in the hospital, every day was a learning experience. I enjoyed building relationships with the hospital staff and learning about their families, their interests, and the work they perform for the hospital. I have been interested in pursuing a career in medicine since I was in high school, yet the new experiences I encountered through my participation in the Unite For Sight program have significantly influenced the career path I would like to take."--Stephanie Reinhold, Global Impact Fellow in India. Read Stephanie's complete narrative at "My Experiences as a Global Impact Fellow in Dhenkanal, Orissa, India"
"Working at the Kalinga Eye Hospital in Orissa was a unique opportunity for me to interact directly with patients and local healthcare providers, and learn more about public health delivery in the developing world...While working as a Global Impact Fellow, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Kalinga Eye Hospital entrusted the volunteers to the extent that we were able to take ownership of these projects and function as representatives of the hospital in these critical initiatives. I think that it speaks volumes of the trust they have in the volunteers and the appreciation they have for our unique skills and experiences. I hope to build upon these experiences and to remain involved in public health. Rather than just treating individual cases, public health providers have a unique opportunity to work at a larger scale to improve healthcare access to the world’s most underserved populations, and working for Unite For Sight has only furthered my desire to become involved in global health."--Benjamin Long, Global Impact Fellow in Dhenkanal, Orissa, India. Read Benjamin's complete narrative at "My Experiences as a Global Impact Fellow in Ghana and India"
"The entire experience foremost reminded me of how much more there is in India than simply the metropolitan town where I had spent my infancy and so many of my summer vacations. Rural India has its own beautiful culture, pace of life, and people, and I am so fortunate to have been able to experience a lifestyle entirely different from the one I have lived in Kolkata or the U.S. I gained a vast basin of knowledge not only about eye health, but also on the healthcare infrastructure, patient interactions, and management systems of the developing world. Reading about health issues in the news or in class became stark reality during my summer in Dhenkanal, and I now aim to reinvigorate my efforts to study and contribute to the field of international health. Over the course of my career, I hope that I can one day return to India as a doctor and remedy the health inequalities that remain ever-present on a global scale."--Pallavi Basu, Global Impact Fellow in India. Read Palavi's complete narrative at "High Impact Volunteering Abroad in Orissa, India"
"There were so many things that we did and saw here that opened my eyes to the plight of healthcare access. The Kalinga Eye Hospital and Research Center (KEHRC) is a novel and admirable hospital that truly gives the word altruism meaning. The hospital runs rural eye camps where the paramedic staff and physicians go to the most remote and underdeveloped areas of Orissa and give free eye care...There are no words to describe how it feels to see the first patient go through the process and have his or her sight restored. Yet, that indescribable feeling still remains with me even as I write this. It goes without saying that we are eternally grateful to the KEHRC and Unite for Sight for giving us such a wonderful opportunity."--Komal Patel, Global Impact Fellow in Dhenkanal, India. Read Komal's narrative "Power of Visionary Work"
"It is through Sarang and my history in community service that I have truly learned about social entrepreneurship, and have come to appreciate it enormously. Even more, I can recognize how trying and sometimes frustrating it must be to be a social entrepreneur in a developing country. While in the United States, or in other more developed countries, support in the form of money and already established organizations is pretty easy to find. Although starting a business or in my case, presiding over a club, is difficult anywhere, I can’t think of a better place to do it than in the United States. Here in India, on the other hand, I cannot imagine even attempting to do what Sarang has done. India has a struggling economy, thus the support and monetary funds to start a business are not so easily accessible. Furthermore, it seems to take much longer for things to be accomplished in developing countries. Time passes slowly and the acceptance and integration of new ideas into society can take years. Despite these obstacles, Sarang started NYSASDRI through hard work and determination. He saw problems in his community and has worked to rectify them through creativity and innovation.--Alexandra Woodcock, Global Impact Fellow in Dhenkanal, India. Read Alexandra's narrative "Social Entrepreneurship in Orissa, India"
"Photo Gallery: Kalinga Eye Hospital," by Kallie Walker, Global Impact Fellow Photography Volunteer