An in-depth, critical review of VIDA (with suggestions for future participants)

[crazycatlady]

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[Pawll]

This was extremely well thought-out and informative. Thank you for sharing.

 

[cloverbug]

You're experience with VIDA is very different from mine, but I also went about 2 years ago. It's strange how much their policies changed over that time, and thank you for letting people know what they're getting in to by going with VIDA. During my trip we actually performed the surgeries under the supervision of a licensed vet, which would only step in if there was a problem or we needed extra guidance. We also stayed with homestays and spent no more than 3 nights in big hotels (we spent 1 night in a locally owned hotel near the airport). We ate almost entirely at locally owned restaurants that served local cuisine, and we walked around the markets in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. I find it really interesting that they've now switched to keeping the pre-vets at more tourist attractions on their trips and less of the actual world. I'm sorry that changed for you, but I'm glad you got some cultural experiences through Ayuda. Good luck in your journey.

 

[twelvetigers]

You're experience with VIDA is very different from mine, but I also went about 2 years ago. It's strange how much their policies changed over that time, and thank you for letting people know what they're getting in to by going with VIDA. During my trip we actually performed the surgeries under the supervision of a licensed vet, which would only step in if there was a problem or we needed extra guidance. We also stayed with homestays and spent no more than 3 nights in big hotels (we spent 1 night in a locally owned hotel near the airport). We ate almost entirely at locally owned restaurants that served local cuisine, and we walked around the markets in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. I find it really interesting that they've now switched to keeping the pre-vets at more tourist attractions on their trips and less of the actual world. I'm sorry that changed for you, but I'm glad you got some cultural experiences through Ayuda. Good luck in your journey.

Ditto. It's changed a lot, I think. And a huge reason for the change is the giant **** fit that everyone threw when they found out that pre-vets were allowed to do surgeries.

So where's the happy balance there?

I have nothing but good things to say about my VIDA experience from 2010.

If you want, I can dig up a couple of old threads for you guys...

 

[crazycatlady]

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[LetItSnow]

Personally, I went into my VIDA trip thinking that I would be comfortable doing cat neuters under the supervision of a vet. I'm surprised there isn't a feral cat project abroad (as far as I know) that courts pre-vets and vet students explicitly for this purpose.

Heh. I love to volunteer, and have a track record to prove it, but there is no way on heaven or earth I'd *pay* thousands to go abroad to do a bunch of cat neuters. It would not be an effective use of learning time.

Interesting review. I remember first year I went to a talk given by some peeps who had been on VIDA. I walked out thinking "that sounded more about the vacation than anything".

Nothing wrong with that if people want a vacation; as long as expectations are set correctly.

 

[crazycatlady]

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[LetItSnow]

Yet, I just came from a trip where the four of us undergrads spent over $13,000 to do much less exciting volunteer work than cat neuters. (An amount nearly equal to the annual operating budget of the local org I visited, which accomplishes so much more.) There's a market for pre-vets who want hands-on experiences, and VIDA's not the only group tapping into that demand. They're just the most famous and controversial because they (used to?) allow pre-vets do surgeries.

Oh, I didn't say there aren't people that would do it. There definitely are. But you said "pre-vets and vet students".

As a vet student, I just can't picture paying thousands to go neuter a bunch of cats. That's all. 🙂 It doesn't give a good return on investment for skill building.

It's a little different in the pre-vet point; you need to build experience that looks good on an application. So it's not really just that you're paying X amount of dollars to do X - it's that you're buying both medical AND volunteer experience that looks great on an application.

 

[twelvetigers]

There was one woman on our trip that was from Russia and was taking the exams to practice in the US, but didn't pass because she was too slow with her spay (I think). So she was getting in practice. She seemed to know exactly what she was doing.

There were also two vet students. And my group, mostly people from SDN. Maybe that made it different, but I felt like I made some lifelong friends *and* had a great learning experience.

(Our group was about 20. We were separate from the med and dental groups.)

 

[LetItSnow]

And my group, mostly people from SDN.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Random brainstorm, but maybe we should get some organization here in the U.S. to organize a trip for SDN students.

Pretty sure I know where we could find a vet or two that might be enticed into coming.

Like a 10-day summer trip next summer.

 

[crazycatlady]

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[twelvetigers]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Random brainstorm, but maybe we should get some organization here in the U.S. to organize a trip for SDN students.

Pretty sure I know where we could find a vet or two that might be enticed into coming.

Like a 10-day summer trip next summer.

It'd have to work within the constraints of clinical rotations. Ours are 3 weeks long each, but I know some places are only two.

Other than that, sure. If it could count as a preceptor, and others were willing to do it instead of [cool preceptor they have planned already or whatever].

 

[crazycatlady]

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[LetItSnow]

It'd have to work within the constraints of clinical rotations.

Oh. Clinics. I forgot I don't get another summer.

Sigh.

 

[twelvetigers]

Oh. Clinics. I forgot I don't get another summer.

Sigh.

*pats LIS on the back*

 

[bunnity]

As a vet student, I just can't picture paying thousands to go neuter a bunch of cats. That's all. 🙂 It doesn't give a good return on investment for skill building.

Seriously... there are multiple organizations within 20 minutes of my house where I can spay and neuter dogs and cats all day... for free. And I can't speak for every school's area, but in Philadelphia, there is a huge need for TNR and low cost sterilization. I can't leave my house without seeing stray cats and the city puts 12k animals to sleep every year due to overpopulation. I'm a big proponent of starting with your own neighborhood's problems.

 

[crazycatlady]

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[LetItSnow]

I resent the tiresome implications that those of us who work on international animal welfare issues callously ignore problems in our own neighborhoods.

Gee, Bunnity, I guess you've been told!

 

[bunnity]

I'm a big proponent of not falling for false dichotomy that one can care about and work on global or local issues, but not both. And I resent the tiresome implications that those of us who work on international animal welfare issues callously ignore problems in our own neighborhoods.

I think you're reading into what I said a little much?

Obviously different people have different callings and that's just fine. I have a classmate who educates farmers about food animal husbandry in Haiti and I have nothing but respect and admiration for her project. I have classmates that do RAVS trips and classmates who, like me, do local spay/neuter, and I think it's great to see people giving back so many ways.

My comment was specifically about vet students neutering animals and I think most people would agree that it's not a very efficient use of resources, or a very efficient way to learn, for a vet student to travel to another country to the tune of thousands of dollars to neuter 5 cats, when they could do the same thing down the street at the local shelter and do that over and over again.

As far as starting with your own neighborhood, it certainly doesn't have to be an either/or situation but I do think there is a dangerous tendency for people to think of the poor/underserved/needy as "other" - separate, far away and part of a separate reality. And there is a certain glamorization or idealization of poor people in other countries whereas the poor in our own cities are scary/dirty/inconvenient. People do not like to see the pain and suffering in their own communities because it makes it more real and, in a way, means it could happen to them too. As future vets I feel that it is so important to be present in our own communities because we have such a potential to be an everyday force for good - to understand the options available for our struggling clients, to feel empathy and not disgust or mistrust when a local client has financial woes, to have good relationships with the local charitable organizations, to understand the realities of our local overpopulation - most of us will be practicing in our own countries and need to realize what we can do every single day to help.

Can you do all that and help internationally? Of course. Can you devote your career to international medicine? Of course.

 

[nyanko]

As far as starting with your own neighborhood, it certainly doesn't have to be an either/or situation but I do think there is a dangerous tendency for people to think of the poor/underserved/needy as "other" - separate, far away and part of a separate reality. And there is a certain glamorization or idealization of poor people in other countries whereas the poor in our own cities are scary/dirty/inconvenient. People do not like to see the pain and suffering in their own communities because it makes it more real and, in a way, means it could happen to them too. As future vets I feel that it is so important to be present in our own communities because we have such a potential to be an everyday force for good - to understand the options available for our struggling clients, to feel empathy and not disgust or mistrust when a local client has financial woes, to have good relationships with the local charitable organizations, to understand the realities of our local overpopulation - most of us will be practicing in our own countries and need to realize what we can do every single day to help.

👍 times a hundred.

 

[T_Rose]

You're experience with VIDA is very different from mine, but I also went about 2 years ago. It's strange how much their policies changed over that time, and thank you for letting people know what they're getting in to by going with VIDA. During my trip we actually performed the surgeries under the supervision of a licensed vet, which would only step in if there was a problem or we needed extra guidance. We also stayed with homestays and spent no more than 3 nights in big hotels (we spent 1 night in a locally owned hotel near the airport). We ate almost entirely at locally owned restaurants that served local cuisine, and we walked around the markets in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. I find it really interesting that they've now switched to keeping the pre-vets at more tourist attractions on their trips and less of the actual world. I'm sorry that changed for you, but I'm glad you got some cultural experiences through Ayuda. Good luck in your journey.

Ditto. It's changed a lot, I think. And a huge reason for the change is the giant **** fit that everyone threw when they found out that pre-vets were allowed to do surgeries.

So where's the happy balance there?

I have nothing but good things to say about my VIDA experience from 2010.

If you want, I can dig up a couple of old threads for you guys...

Same here. I went before everything changed. Some of the vets were still using zip ties when I went (and I refused to participate in that part). I went in 2011 to Costa Rica and Nicaragua.

I had slightly different reasons for choosing this experience. I had previously been to Costa Rica, so I was looking for an experience in that country specifically since i wanted to go back. The first time I went to Costa Rica, it was with a high school teacher (from Costa Rica) and some classmates. We mainly went to the touristy places. I felt like on my VIDA trip, I got to experience the culture in the countries more since we were in the non-touristy areas. We had homestays, visited local markets, and took salsa lessons.

I have friends that have been on the trip since they changed everything, and they still thought it was worth going. Some went on a second trip I believe. Even though you basically are doing the jobs of a tech, I think it's a great opportunity. You get the chance to interact with people from another culture, and you learn about how their views of animals differ from ours.

I've been in veterinary school for 3 months, and I have already lost track of how many times they have encouraged us to consider working/studying abroad. We've had multiple lectures on diversity, and they are really pushing international veterinary medicine. Every year, Miss. State has a VIDA trip, but I want to do something different this time. I'm currently trying to find either A.) Another trip to Costa Rica (something related to amphibian conservation) or B.) A trip to Japan (have to put my language skills to the test). I have some professors/clinicians trying to help me.

 

[crazycatlady]

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[LetItSnow]

It disappoints me that from what I can tell, international and rez volunteering are largely seen as things to do just to score points with admissions committees, but not projects where people would fritter away their energy and money after they gain admission to vet school.

I think you probably can take peoples' comments more charitably than that; I feel like you're trying to take comments the worst possible way. Before vet school, sure, you need to "score points" to get in. It's a fact of life. And trips like this are a good way; the average person doesn't have much tissue handling skill and so helping out on a trip like you described is a good match of ability and need.

Once you're in vet school and start gaining some tissue-handling skill, though, your challenge becomes to ramp that up as much as possible so that you're best prepared when you graduate. And, you have to do that on an extremely limited time budget, and usually on a pretty tight financial budget.

That was the point of my comment about it being inefficient. It's simply a matter of context and priorities - spending thousands to go overseas during vet school to assist/do a small handful of procedures just isn't a very good way to build up skill at a time when building up skill is what you need to be doing the most, and you often don't have time to do much else. You may find that you had lots of time for overseas work before vet school, and can make time after, but don't have much time during.

It's not at all the way you characterized it (as "Oh, I get in, now I don't have to do anything to impress the admissions people...."). For most of us, anyway.

 

[T_Rose]

I think you probably can take peoples' comments more charitably than that; I feel like you're trying to take comments the worst possible way. Before vet school, sure, you need to "score points" to get in. It's a fact of life. And trips like this are a good way; the average person doesn't have much tissue handling skill and so helping out on a trip like you described is a good match of ability and need.

Once you're in vet school and start gaining some tissue-handling skill, though, your challenge becomes to ramp that up as much as possible so that you're best prepared when you graduate. And, you have to do that on an extremely limited time budget, and usually on a pretty tight financial budget.

That was the point of my comment about it being inefficient. It's simply a matter of context and priorities - spending thousands to go overseas during vet school to assist/do a small handful of procedures just isn't a very good way to build up skill at a time when building up skill is what you need to be doing the most, and you often don't have time to do much else. You may find that you had lots of time for overseas work before vet school, and can make time after, but don't have much time during.

It's not at all the way you characterized it (as "Oh, I get in, now I don't have to do anything to impress the admissions people...."). For most of us, anyway.

I agree with this.

I think the way VIDA set-up is great for some people. Back when I went on my VIDA trip, I didn't know anyone who had even heard about the program. My friends were worried it was a scam, but they went with me anyway. My undergrad pre-vet program really didn't have any international trips, so the way VIDA worked was perfect. I needed a structured program like VIDA. I wasn't as independent as I am now, and it had been a few years since I last worked in a clinic (which was in high school). Yes, VIDA is expensive, but some people need that type of structured volunteer program in a group setting to get their feet wet. Several pre-vets from my undergrad now attend VIDA trips each summer because of me, and they have been looking into other international programs as well.

I have become more mature and independent since my VIDA trip, and if I go abroad again, I'm inclined to do something very unique. I'll be looking to volunteer or intern in a place with smaller numbers. I'm currently trying to find my own trip to Japan. I met a vet today who has connections over there, so he's looking. ^_^ I've been searching with little to no luck so far on finding a vet-related trip to Japan, so if I go, it will be something very few people have done. I'm ready for that kind of experience, but I wasn't several years ago.

 

[Minnerbelle]

I'm currently trying to find my own trip to Japan. I met a vet today who has connections over there, so he's looking. ^_^ I've been searching with little to no luck so far on finding a vet-related trip to Japan, so if I go, it will be something very few people have done. I'm ready for that kind of experience, but I wasn't several years ago.

There's actually a hospital in Tokyo whose owner was very impressed with the teaching hospital/specialty clinic model in the US, and therefore really encourages vet students from Japanese vet schools to extern there. They're actually named after Angell. "Angell memorial hiroo central clinic" I think is what it's called. Edit: They've moved and are now the Daktari Animal Hospital, which is the hospital that partners with CSU.

I have a feeling they'd also set up something with anyone from a US school. You're more ballsy than I am though, I'm a Japanese native speaker and while kind of rusty vocab-wise at the moment, I am bilingual and would be able to get around just fine in Japan. But I would not feel comfortable doing vet work in Japan. I mean, a Client at a clinic here who only speaks Japanese I could def handle, but I wouldn't be able to practice in Japan unless there was another English speaking vet in the hospital. I thought about setting something up in Japan and just stay at my parents' place, but i decided against it. Partly that's because there's a special sense of shame if you're Japanese and have language issues (you just seem socially awkward) vs. a foreigner. Japanese people looooove (particularly white) foreigners, so if you fit in that category you may be golden. If you happen to be another variety of Asian American, it may or may not be as comfortable. But in a professional setting, esp in a city with lots of foreigners, it really shouldn't be a big deal either way. Also, a big part of why I also didn't choose to do something in Japan is because I only want my externships to be packed with practical hands on things and focus solely on the medicine/client comm/surgery/etc... and don't want to do anything just for the "experience."But if you just want to go and experience vet work in Japan, I would go for it. Oh, and apparently they actually have English speaking vets and caters to ex-pats so it might actually be an ideal experience I may actually try to set something up with them just for a day or two as well when I go and visit in Dec.

Also, my two kitties in Japan go to a vet in Chiba who spent a year as a visiting scholar vet at Ohio State. So I would bet that he would at least consider taking in an extern from the US, and he may be able to alleviate language barriers. It's a GP clinic with a couple of doctors I think. They looove my tinkerbelle because she's funny looking, and they loooove Minnie because she's a Burmese and they're very rare in Japan. He told my mom he's read about them in school, but had never seen one as a patient. Last wellness visit, I convinced my mom to get a baseline geriatric wellness screens on the two cats done, and he sent her home with the CBC/Chem printout saying that I would prob like to see 🙂

 

[crazycatlady]

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[dyachei]

I'd think the opportunity to get surgical practice would be of even more practical use to a vet student than a pre-vet. Not for impressing adcoms, but for building skills. A huge complaint I've heard by and about fresh vet school grads is that they have very little surgical experience. I've had more than one vet tell me to make sure to seize every chance in vet school to do surgeries, because there aren't enough (unless you do an internship/residency). I've heard of 3rd and 4th year vet students going on VIDA trips precisely because they're trying to supplement their lack of surgical experience, and couldn't find ways to do so at home.

I find that reality inconsistent with suggestions that there are endless free opportunities for vet students to perform all the spays and neuters they want without having to pay for travel or a program fee. Good for you if you can get that at your school or local shelter, but I think structured programs like VIDA do play a role in veterinary education besides just letting pre-vets buy an LOR and try their hands at suturing. If I were choosing between graduating with only a few surgeries under my belt, or adding $2-3k onto a $200-300k student loan, I'd pick the international trip route.

Even if you seize every chance, you will have relatively little surgical experience.

 

[LetItSnow]

I'd think the opportunity to get surgical practice would be of even more practical use to a vet student than a pre-vet.

Totally. But my point was that I can get more experience for substantially less cost through a multitude of other opportunities. That's where I was going with the 'efficiency' comment.

It's possible we just have more opportunities up here than other places - I dunno. I doubt it, but I obviously don't know what the reality of any other vet school / location is.

I find that reality inconsistent with suggestions that there are endless free opportunities for vet students to perform all the spays and neuters they want without having to pay for travel or a program fee.

I guess I don't understand why you resort to hyperbole like that when someone voices an opinion that you don't really like. I'm pretty sure I didn't say that there were "endless free opportunities" for these things (and there's no need for you to put those words in my mouth), just that - at least for me - I have cheaper opportunities to do more procedures without doing something like VIDA during vet school. There's certainly nothing *wrong* with going on an overseas trip like you described if someone wants to do it. More power to you/them. And I'd especially recommend it to vet school types who WANT to combine a vacation with a working trip - it's a great way to do it.

If I were choosing between graduating with only a few surgeries under my belt, or adding $2-3k onto a $200-300k student loan, I'd pick the international trip route.

If you want to look at it that way, sure, your point is made. But you're creating a false dichotomy that doesn't necessarily exist. You aren't just limited to those extremes. You can - if you look hard enough - find opportunities to get more experience for far, far less money. At least, that has been my personal experience.

 

[T_Rose]

There's actually a hospital in Tokyo whose owner was very impressed with the teaching hospital/specialty clinic model in the US, and therefore really encourages vet students from Japanese vet schools to extern there. They're actually named after Angell. "Angell memorial hiroo central clinic" I think is what it's called. Edit: They've moved and are now the Daktari Animal Hospital, which is the hospital that partners with CSU.

I have a feeling they'd also set up something with anyone from a US school. You're more ballsy than I am though, I'm a Japanese native speaker and while kind of rusty vocab-wise at the moment, I am bilingual and would be able to get around just fine in Japan. But I would not feel comfortable doing vet work in Japan. I mean, a Client at a clinic here who only speaks Japanese I could def handle, but I wouldn't be able to practice in Japan unless there was another English speaking vet in the hospital. I thought about setting something up in Japan and just stay at my parents' place, but i decided against it. Partly that's because there's a special sense of shame if you're Japanese and have language issues (you just seem socially awkward) vs. a foreigner. Japanese people looooove (particularly white) foreigners, so if you fit in that category you may be golden. If you happen to be another variety of Asian American, it may or may not be as comfortable. But in a professional setting, esp in a city with lots of foreigners, it really shouldn't be a big deal either way. Also, a big part of why I also didn't choose to do something in Japan is because I only want my externships to be packed with practical hands on things and focus solely on the medicine/client comm/surgery/etc... and don't want to do anything just for the "experience."But if you just want to go and experience vet work in Japan, I would go for it. Oh, and apparently they actually have English speaking vets and caters to ex-pats so it might actually be an ideal experience I may actually try to set something up with them just for a day or two as well when I go and visit in Dec.

Also, my two kitties in Japan go to a vet in Chiba who spent a year as a visiting scholar vet at Ohio State. So I would bet that he would at least consider taking in an extern from the US, and he may be able to alleviate language barriers. It's a GP clinic with a couple of doctors I think. They looove my tinkerbelle because she's funny looking, and they loooove Minnie because she's a Burmese and they're very rare in Japan. He told my mom he's read about them in school, but had never seen one as a patient. Last wellness visit, I convinced my mom to get a baseline geriatric wellness screens on the two cats done, and he sent her home with the CBC/Chem printout saying that I would prob like to see 🙂

Thanks for your input and advice! It was really helpful. 😀 I actually took Japanese courses in undergrad, but I'm nowhere near fluent. I've spent a lot of time around Japanese exchange students here in the US and I have a few friends over there now, so I'm aware that Japanese people love to have Americans visit. I really would like to go over and visit after all the time I spent studying the language. That's the main reason I'm looking there specifically. I'm looking for more of a wildlife or research experience than a small animal hospital experience, but if it ends up being best for me to spend time in a small animal hospital, I'm all for it. My externship/free hours here at MSU are mostly going to go towards PhD work, so I don't mind taking a few weeks off to study something fun even if it involves limited hands-on stuff.

That is really cool that your cats are in Japan! 🙂 How does vet med in their country differ from ours? I haven't really met anyone yet with experience in both countries (at least involving small animal general practice).

A huge complaint I've heard by and about fresh vet school grads is that they have very little surgical experience. I've had more than one vet tell me to make sure to seize every chance in vet school to do surgeries, because there aren't enough (unless you do an internship/residency). I've heard of 3rd and 4th year vet students going on VIDA trips precisely because they're trying to supplement their lack of surgical experience, and couldn't find ways to do so at home.

Even if you seize every chance, you will have relatively little surgical experience.

At Mississippi State, they make sure we get lots of surgical experience. My best friend is a second year student, and her lab group just did their first surgeries last week. She's going to be the lead surgeon for their second round of surgeries next week.

 

[Trematode]

Thanks for coming on this thread and sharing your opinion 🙂

I went on a VIDA trip in 2010. I did get to perform spays and neuters as a pre-veterinary student. I didn't realize how controversial it was until after I got back and I had read about it online. I am still not sure how I feel. I really trusted and respected all 4? of the veterinarians that went on the trip with us and when I felt uncomfortable, I was not afraid to ask the vet to help or to take over for me. Despite the controversy, it answered the question that pre-vet folks all have at some point: Can I handle this?

Can I handle being responsible for an animal's life? Can I handle doing a stressful procedure? Can I handle euthanasia? Can I handle interacting with cranky coworkers in a strange environment?

Come to think of it, the situation was very stressful for me at that time. I think I handled it pretty well and had some fun.

I went on the trip because I felt like I had no other option. I had exhausted the veterinary clinics in my area. I had applied for an internship and had no luck. I had no access to a vehicle to get myself large animal experience. Animal research in my university were done on invertebrates and fish. I came across VIDA and I had the funds to do it, so I did it.

If I could go back and time with my knowledge, would I still participate? I think I would. I learned so many things. I feel like the experience makes me stand out in resume. I met so many interesting people. I realized that I love the countries I went to.

The only thing I did not like was doing the tourist thing. I would have rather spent more time in clinics.

I completely understand about the costs. If I could have spent less to volunteer and did more, I would have done it. Hindsight is always 50/50 though.

 

[attarpd]

...

Hi all!

I know this is a relatively older thread, but I just wanted to comment just for any prospective Vida students! Vida makes it their top priority to keep their students safe. Furthermore, Vida staff visits the homestay families that their volunteers will stay in and test the safety of the town and environment before allowing any students to stay there. Vida also provides the homestays with a fresh jug of purified drinking water and informs the families of any dietary restrictions of their students. Students are provided with 24 hour staff assistance and are always rooming and traveling with other students from the group. Vida allows students in the medical, dental, and vet field make an impact in the rural communities of Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Nicaragua all while proving them with an eye opening educational journey of a lifetime. The ability to interact with those who are in need of medicine, and otherwise without Vida would not have the ability to receive medical care, is one of the many facets that makes Vida’s work and mission so inspiring. Vida teaches professionalism, and provides a unique opportunity for students to engage with a diverse group of individuals that will provide their volunteers with many skills to transcend into their career in the health care field.

I have joined Vida Volunteer for four years and each time I am consistently impressed with how organized and passionate the Vida staff are. Although price is a constant concern for many students. It is important to note that Vida covers a majority of the meals for students abroad, Vida provides transport from the clinics to hotels/ homestays and airport, custom fees, and HOTEL AND HOMESTAYS.

Overall this program is such an amazing and unique experience. Not only do volunteers have the ability to make a substantial impact in communities across Central America, but they gain so much more in return. This experience is more than just shadowing doctors and seeing a few cool procedures. It’s YOU who is working directly with the doctor to make a diagnosis, it is YOU who is providing education to teach community members how to keep a healthy lifestyle, and it is YOU who is working in communities to make a sustainable impact.