Transformative Tales From Grenada
Christopher Floyd
2nd Year, MPH, Global Health Epidemiology Candidate
My eight days in Grenada is a time that I will never forget. It was a time spent making new friends, learning about the experiences of the grenade people, and working on a project that seeks to spark change.
During my work with the Grenada Red Cross, I had the opportunity to speak with so many influential people from different walks of life. I got to speak with students, teachers, medical professionals, shopkeepers, police officers, and everyday people.
Hearing their insights taught me so much about the community and culture of the island. I learned about the altruistic and caring spirit of the Grenadian people. I also saw how friendly and compassionate people were to one another and I loved getting to know every single person that I met.
I thoroughly enjoyed my project and my amazing team members, who I got along with very well and immensely appreciated for their hard work and their dedication. Blood donation was something that I had never thought about until I had worked on this project. I learned so much about the difference in the blood donation system in Grenada versus the United States and gained so much insight into the process of blood donation and its importance on the island. The project encouraged me to consider my own relationship (or lack thereof) with blood donation and to seek more information about blood donation from my family, friends, and peers.
Prior to this experience, despite going into my master's program, studying global health, and traveling to Kenya for my internship, I had actually considered not pursuing global public health work further after graduation. However, this experience helped reignite my passion for global health work with an interest in the English-speaking Caribbean. With the knowledge and experience that I’ve gained from this opportunity, I want to continue to do global health work in the Caribbean and contribute to the need for more research and public health action in the region.
Overall, I am very thankful to PHAST the Grenada Red Cross, and the Grenadian people for granting me this unforgettable opportunity.