So many of our former volunteers go on to pursue impressive careers, accomplishments, or academic achievements. Every day we are impressed by the light they bring to the world. With this is mind, we thought we’d catch up with a few of our former volunteers to learn just what they have been up to since moving on from CMMB. The following piece is a part of a series – Where Are They Now? Through this series we highlight the amazing work our former volunteers have gone on to achieve.

“The strongest and most influential power of change comes from within the community itself.” – Sama

Where she served:

Sama was a  CMMB volunteer in Trujillo, Peru for one year, starting in February 2016. While in Peru, she supported the 1000 Days Project, working side-by-side with the community nutritionist. She co-led education sessions, conducted anthropometric monitoring, and advised and trained community health workers.

CMMB Experience:

Reflecting on her experience, Sama said she learned a lot during her time in Trujillo. One of the most salient lessons: “The strongest and most influential power of change comes from within the community itself.”

Sama believes with all of her heart that the people who are truly creating lasting change are the dedicated women who volunteer as health workers in the very communities they live.

“They are the ones who ensure the success of the projects. Meeting and learning from these women were some of the most powerful moments of my time in Peru. I really believe that if it weren’t for them, for their dedication and commitment to educate, lead, and support, we wouldn’t see the huge changes happening in these communities.” She also witnessed how an empowered woman empowers a whole community.

Sama’s dedication to the community did not go unnoticed. Milagros Pinedo, a member of our CMMB Peru team who worked very closely with Sama said, “Sama was loved not only because of the work she did, but because of the charisma and affection she shared with everyone she met. She approached every situation with positivity, despite the many challenges that arose. Every day she carried out her role with solidarity, empathy, and responsibility. It was a pleasure both working with and getting to know Sama.”

With regards to how this experience affected her future plans, Sama says, “It solidified the fact that I want to dedicate my life to supporting and educating women all over the world.”

Where is she now?

Sama has stayed true to her word. She has been working in Mosul, Iraq with a humanitarian NGO for the past eight months. She is working as a mental health and psychosocial support project manager, in an extremely complicated context.

Sama with some of her co-workers

Sama with some of her co-workers!

Sama's team delivering equipment to a hospital destroyed in the war

Sama’s delivering medical and non-medical equipment to a hospital that was destroyed in the war

Sama explained, “one year after the liberation from ISIS, the city experienced complete destruction of infrastructure, a mass migration of civilians fleeing war, and a high prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among the people.”

Destruction in Iraq

A series of photos from Sama that show the destruction in Iraq

The site of the last stronghold of ISIS during the battle and where the most significant and difficult battle since WWII happened. Many people have been displaced and many have been lost because of this violence.

The project Sama is working on is in partnership with the Ministry of Health. The project seeks to educate doctors on mental health issues and give them the knowledge and skills to provide basic mental health support within the primary health care level. The hope is that they will then be able to reach as many people in need of support as possible. Additionally, the program will create a Community Health Network to bring individuals from communities directly into the project. In doing so, the Community Health Network will help spread awareness and ease the referral pathway from the community to the primary health care centers.

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