Oakland University cultivates a spirit of generosity and service among its students, with organizations such as Humanity First at OU leading initiatives that foster the passion and turn that their commitment into action.
As an international charity organization, Humanity First USA is dedicated to community service, working globally to provide aid to communities in need. The organization operates in dozens of countries, focusing on disaster relief, health care access and sustainable development projects.
Rushda Bukhari, president of the Oakland University chapter of Humanity First, appreciates the community service initiatives that the nonprofit prioritizes. The student organization’s primary mission is to advocate for humanity through disaster relief efforts in collaboration with Humanity First USA, encouraging students to participate in service work.
“Humanity First has initiatives they focus on when conducting volunteer work, one of which is the Global Health program,” Bukhari said.
Through the Global Health program, student volunteers work to bridge gaps in accessible and affordable healthcare. Late last year, Humanity First at OU mobilized in Mexico, providing free healthcare and medication to communities that have limited financial resources. Students on this trip held a medical camp in two communities, spending two days in each area.
On the Gift of Health mission to Mexico, students held a medical camp across four clinic days in Uman and Yobain from Dec. 18 to Dec. 21. In collaboration with students from other universities, the organization served 235 patients.
“We began each day with a long drive, from Merida to Uman for the first two days and from Merida to Yobain for the third and fourth days,” Bukhari said.
Once the team arrived at the camp, labs and tables were set up. The medical clinic began seeing patients around 9:30 am.
“We held four stations: taking vitals, expressing symptoms, shadowing in the clinic with doctors and working in the pharmacy,” Bukhari said.
At these stations, students were assisted by translators, benefitting patients and volunteers alike.
“By the end of the trip, however, many of us noticed significant improvement in our Spanish communication skills,” Bukhari said.
After lunch, students rotated stations and served patients, providing free healthcare and medication until 4 p.m. At night, students held a team debrief, reflecting on achievements of the day and identifying improvements for the next day.
Bukhari said that while she attended this trip initially to uphold with Humanity First’s eponymous core humanitarian goal, experiencing the mission in Mexico transformed her perspective on the social and developmental benefits of international charity work and even provided an opportunity for self-discovery.
“This trip only lasted a week, but it felt like a lifetime of meaningful experiences, from bonding with the rest of the team, forming connections with patients, gaining valuable insight into medicine and to learning more about myself,” Bukhari said.
For students who are interested in volunteering abroad, Bukhari encourages taking the leap. She acknowledged that some students overthink the decision, but said the experience offers significant benefits to both volunteers and the communities they serve.
“The worst that can happen is that you make an impact on the world by helping someone and changing their life for the better,” Bukhari said.
