Beautiful Weather in San Francisco

Sorry it took me a while to get to this post. I have to admit that it’s been hard cementing the fact that my DukeEngage project in San Francisco came to an end. It was definitely a worthwhile experience, and I learned so much from my partner organization, from my colleagues, from my house mates, and from random strangers.

T would be for the many THANKS I have for this experience.

Thank you Duke for providing me this amazing opportunity to live in San Francisco. I was able to find a room in a house full of wonderful people; I was able to cook healthily for myself; I was able to travel around the city. Thank you for watching over every detail. I thank every faculty and administrator in the DukeEngage office that made my partnership with One Heart World-wide possible for me.

Thank you One Heart World-wide for opening this intern position for me. Thank you for setting a platform for me to work alongside you to save lives of mothers and infants in the most remote areas of the world. Thank you for believing in my writing skills, my organizational skills, and my problem solving skills. Because of you, I was able to learn that I have a kink for computer programming. Because of you, I have learned to be a compassionate, humble, and assertive global citizen.

Thank you San Francisco for being so lively, welcoming, and entertaining. Your street festivals, eclectic culture, parks, exhibitions in art museums, and landscapes never bored me. It was absolutely an adventure!

I want to end with a quote that changed my way of life while I was working on a research project for One Heart World-wide.

“Life is not about seeing what you want and how to find it. It is about seeing what you have and how to give it.” ~Frank Baxter

Baby Boy taken by One Heart Mexico!

View of San Francisco

Reflection.

Looking back on the eight weeks in the San Francisco, I have to say that my blog would not be complete if I didn’t mention how I came across One Heart World-wide.

I had been planning for my DukeEngage independent project since last summer.  DukeEngage was what attracted me to Duke, and I wanted my experience to be the most that it could be. I consulted Irina, the DukeEngage coordinator, for advice and guidelines. She guided me to a database called Stirring Fire. There I found multiple entries about possible volunteering work in Tibet that pertains to maternal health and neonatal care. One Heart World-wide came first on the list. Interestingly, when I arrived at the office on the first day of my internship, I found out that Arlene knows Phil Borges, Social Documentary Photographer and Filmmaker of Stirring Fire, personally.

My DukeEngage experience may not have been as exotic as living in a completely new country with communication and cultural barriers. However, I can say that living in a bustling city like San Francisco on my own does have its own challenges. What I had achieved this past summer were more than I had ever expected. I contributed to the organization in ways that I found fulfilling. I learned how a nonprofit functions behind the scenes. I took part in the lengthy process of researching and applying for grants; organized numerous documents, deposit slips, letters of inquiry, project proposals and reports, and statements; and collaborated with my program coordinator on an article submission for the Huffington Post. In addition, I made lasting relationships with my community partner; it would be amazing to work with them next summer, and hopefully obtain an opportunity to serve directly in their target area, either in Mexico or Nepal.

The fact that I am leaving in a few days still bewilders me. How did time go by so fast? Bidding our farewells is definitely difficult, but I believe that this is not a goodbye for life. One Heart World-wide has definitely made an impact in my life, and I am positive that it will continue to do so in every person it reaches, in every life it saves.

On Thursday (6.28), OHWW hosted a meet-n-greet at a sailing school in Berkeley, CA. Arlene, OHWW’s President and Founder, gave an introductory Powerpoint presentation on the “Network of Safety” model that is implemented in our target areas and the whole guiding philosophy behind the life-saving organization. Many, including myself, were moved by her compassion for women and children and the impact that OHWW has in its target areas. I left the evening with a heart of gratitude. It is definitely a privilege to be part of OHWW.

I am greatly thankful for the opportunity to be able to work with One Heart World-Wide. Although what I have done with OHWW did not result in landing a million dollar grant or winning an esteemed award, the past six weeks have taught me to appreciate the little things in life. Just witnessing how much that could be done in a small office space has given me hope in anything. It has developed my work ethic, personal assertiveness, and problem-solving skills.

Outside of my internship, living in the city has challenged me to learn how to be independent and how to take care of myself– buying grocery, cooking, allocating time for myself. I find it true that one can only know how to take care of others when she learns how to take care of herself.

Escape. Exploration. Encounters.

I myself cannot imagine how fast time has passed. I am already here in the Bay Area for five weeks. Weirdly enough, there were days when I had to fight to get up in time for work. I continued to send emails to local Latino and Nepalese Students Associations of nearby colleges and universities to expand OHWW’s community network; I searched endlessly for grant opportunities; and I kept up with the administrative support that OHWW needed. What I found helpful at the office were the pictures of Tibetan and Nepalese women and children. They worked their magic and reminded me of the bigger picture.

Outside of my time with OHWW, I explored what the city had to offer– walked around parks on weekends, visited various museums, and participated in the street festivals all over San Francisco.

Amnesia Jazz Bar in the Mission District

Japanese Tea Garden in the Golden Gate Park

Because I take public transportation to get around the city, I have met very interesting people on the way. One random girl sitting next to me struck up a conversation with me one night. As we proceeded in our conversation, I found out that she had been to Nepal for a climbing expedition. Like I’ve said, great things do come in small packages. These random and transient encounters did the trick.

Home.

San Francisco is definitely a wonderful city to live in…as long as you have a roof above your head.  The majestic Golden Gate Bridge and the busyness of the Financial District have definitely taken my breath away for the first few weeks. As grandeur as it is, San Francisco hides away a forgotten population living under bridges, in tents, or between deserted warehouses and parking lots. According to the data collected by the Human Services Agency of San Francisco, the total count of homeless individuals and families in 2011 reached to 6,455. 3,106 individuals remained unsheltered; the rest of them took refuge in emergency shelters, transitional housing facilities, resource centers, and stabilization units. With a city’s population of approximately 800,000, close to 0.8% of the population was homeless. These chronic homeless individuals have completely separated themselves from society. A decent number of them suffer from psychological disorders that disable them from employment. It is rather a common sight to run across someone who would be talking to himself, occasionally yelling at his imaginary friend.

One of the three housemates that I live with has been volunteering with the Salvation Army for two years. She invited me to join her last night to its outreach program. The Salvation Army’s headquarters was located in the SOMA district, which stands for South of Market. This neighborhood, located south of the Financial District, is populated by warehouses and repair shops because of the proximity to the harbor as well as to the city.

As we loaded 800 turkey sandwiches and 20 boxes of juice boxes into the van, I knew that the night had just begun. I did not know what to expect. The leader of our outreach team gave me a brief prep talk to describe what I would be seeing. Before I had time to digest what he said, we drove under a freeway bridge. It was interesting to see how a community was formed there. A couple actually built a garden under the cement infrastructure. I got the opportunity to talk to a few of the people that night and learned about the mistreatment they received from police officers and from restaurant managers. I did not know how to respond to their stories but to listen attentively. Most of the time, they just wanted someone to listen.

We headed back once our supply ran out. I remained speechless throughout the night.

Expectation. Expression. Encouragement.

In lieu of my “out-of-the-ordinary” move, the following week was closer to what I had imagined to be my internship with OHWW. On the Monday after I submitted my first progress report to Arlene and Sibylle, I sat down with Arlene to go over my expectations for the summer. She asked me to research and compile a list of foundations and funds that we could potentially partner with; to name a few, the Mulago Foundation, the Greenbaum Foundation, and Global Giving. Although it was hours and hours of work in front of the computer and pages of foundations to go through, I was given the opportunity to practice my analytical skills. I searched for what each foundation’s respective initiatives supports and determined whether the grant-making foundation is compatible to what we are doing in Nepal and Mexico. In additional to research, I was assigned to write a few grants and project reports. While completing these tasks, I deepened my understanding of what OHWW has done and how OHWW got to the place it is in today.

Understanding is bidirectional. Expression of one’s emotions/feelings/thoughts is crucial to a deeper and personal relationship. Misunderstanding tends to arise from the lack of communication; in my case, it stemmed from ungrounded presumption. I have to admit that I had wronged  my organization by not expressing my expectations in the beginning. The responsiveness of my supervisor was encouraging; she gave me feedback on my accomplished tasks.

Words of encouragement do make a difference. They empower, loosen tensions, and motivate.

Nonchalance. Not-about-me.

I have to be honest that this week was an interesting one. Not only was I badly injured by the two-hour walk I did in uncomfortable dress shoes over the weekend, I witnessed the arduous work required to manage a nonprofit. As I slowly turned to the same page as OHWW, I saw how much filing, organizing, and documenting needed to implement programs in Nepal and Mexico. It definitely involved numerous phone calls, endless grant-writing, and expanding social network. As an intern, I buried myself under files of deposit slips and grant proposals. Organization and order make things a lot more efficient. As I punched letters into the label maker, I wondered: Am I making a difference in OHWW? 

Then again, this isn’t about me. It is about OHWW. Later in the week, I was able to approach Arlene and Sibylle with my expectations. Because of the communication we had, I realized that assertiveness was definitely not one of my strengths; however, because of this, I was able to reinforce that part of myself. It is not about me. It is about OHWW. Instead of asking what I can get from them, ask what they can get from me. What can I do for them? If they really need someone to make labels, why not?

Photo taken by Robert Niewiroski Jr.

One Heart World-Wide. Observer. Opportunities.

After stepping off the 1-hr flight ride from LA to SF, I had never felt such a strong disorientation. Ironic indeed. As a DukeEngage Independent Project participant, one would expect to be landing in somewhere 50 degrees hotter than Durham, somewhere unsearchable on Google-Map (probably not, considering the advancement of Google), or somewhere that makes one a minority. Well, not for me apparently. I was instead greeted by Starbucks and Pinkberry, a frozen yogurt joint that is widely celebrated on the West Coast. Without any hassle or delays, I was able to retrieve my luggage, buy a metro pass, and travel from the airport to my apartment carbon-free (not on foot but by hybrid-savers).

Since I arrived on a Sunday, my organization thoughtfully gave me an extra day to settle in. I arrived at 1818 Pacheco Street, the location of One Heart World-Wide (OHWW), on a chilly and foggy Tuesday morning. Typical SF weather. From the outside, One Heart World-Wide looked like a residential house. It was. The house belongs to One Heart World-Wide. Being there sure felt like home.

On the first day of work, I was immediately oriented. The 2011 Annual Report of OHWW’s achievements as well as its future goals consumed my first two hours at the office. I was amazed by the its impact on the two target areas- Nepal and Mexico. Never judge a book by its cover, because great things do come in small packages…

I spent the first week getting to know OHWW, Arlene, and the two full-time coworkers, Jenny and Marsilio. My program coordinator is Dr. Sibylle Kristensen, the Chief Operations Officer of OHWW. I asked them how they got involved with One Heart World-Wide and how Arlene found OHWW and the challenges she faced as she piloted the program. Starting a nonprofit is as rough as saving lives in the secluded regions of the world.

What exactly does OHWW do? One Heart World-Wide is a San Francisco-based nonprofit organization that is dedicated to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes within remote communities. With ten years of community assessment and program implementation in the Tibetan Autonomous Region (TAR), OHWW has developed a culturally appropriate, replicable, and sustainable life-saving model called the Network of Safety that is currently effecting its impact in North-Western Nepal and Northern Mexico. The programs include community outreach programs, health care providers training at multiple levels, emergency evacuation systems, and health facility improvement programs. The programs heavily emphasize on the integration of local resources, collaboration with local communities and providers, and respect for cultural norms and practices. Because of the model’s effectiveness, the Nepalese and Mexican governments have granted OHWW official recognition as well as support for the programs’ operations in its respective area.

SBA Satya & New Baby in Dolpa (courtesy of OHWW)

Training in Mexico (courtesy of OHWW)

One main lesson I learned this week is the essence of being an active observer. Being an observer is far from being on the sidelines and passively watching things come and go. It entails asking questions, being open, and seeking opportunities to be immersed in the community.

On the weekend, I resisted the temptation to stay in my apartment since I hadn’t met any friends to hang out with in the city. Thus, I decided to seek my own opportunities and adventures. I walked around the streets of San Francisco, utilized public resources (libraries, parks, street festivals…etc.) for entertainment and leisure, and tried various eateries and cafes. Yelp became my best friend.

Openness and flexibility are must-haves as an observer. Once you have them, opportunities will definitely be coming your way.