Kelsey Renning is a former Curamericas Guatemala Volunteer, Co-president of Duke Nursing Students Without Borders and a recent graduate of Duke University’s Bachelors in Nursing program. We traveled with Kelsey and 11 of her classmates on a volunteer trip to our project site in Guatemala in March 2016.

“We need to listen.  Really, truly listen. We need to listen in order to really care for our fellow human beings.  We need to travel with open minds and open hearts, and stay humbled by the people we meet and the experiences we have.”

What inspired you to volunteer with Curamericas in Guatemala?

I’ve traveled to nearly 40 countries on my own, including several global and community health-based projects. I have a strong interest in global health, and plan to work as a nurse abroad in the future.

I was very excited by the opportunities that Duke affords students to travel abroad. In August 2015, I went to Tanzania for my second time with a group of Duke nursing students, so I was very excited to have the chance to travel abroad again during nursing school to Guatemala with Curamericas.  I’ve spent some time in Central America previously, but I was most excited to get to know the country from a healthcare standpoint and to help create a stronger foundation for our collaboration between Nursing Students Without Borders (NSWB), Curamericas, and the Casa Maternas.

I learned so much more about community and global health on this trip, and got to practice my own skills as a leader. What stood out to me about the experience was how practiced, knowledgeable, and passionate the nurses, doctors, and midwives at the Casa Maternas were.  It was a true collaboration, as we brought our own knowledge and trainings but also learned an extraordinary amount from them about the nuances of reaching community members and the (often difficult) realities of providing care in the region.

What kind of volunteer work did you do?

We volunteered in small groups with children teaching hand washing, worked with midwives in the maternity clinic performing prenatal check ups, and visited local health posts to learn about access to care and health concerns in the community (i.e. Check ups for children, vaccinations, medication, etc.)

What did you do when you weren’t volunteering? Did you go explore? Interact with locals?

One of the most fun things we did in the community was participate in an afternoon of soccer, basketball, and volleyball with the nurses and community members.  We learned a bit of the regional dialects and played games with the children.  We went to the market, tasted the local cuisine, and attended a cultural evening with lots of dancing and plenty of laughter as we exchanged our electric slide for their traditional partner dances and games that involved a lot of balloon popping.

What is your favorite memory of the trip?

My favorite surprise and memory of the trip was being able to attend the birth of a woman who we thought were carrying twins. We couldn’t tell how many babies Mama was carrying during her prenatal checkup.  Based what are called “Leopold’s Maneuvers” that indicate the position of the baby, measuring her abdomen, and using the Doppler to count fetal heart tones, we were convinced that there had to be more than one.  Again – humbled by technology – we were wrong! After one baby was born and stabilized, I was ready for the next. But the second never came, as Mama was only carrying one child. The quiet strength that Mama held on to during childbirth reinstated in me the belief in that women in labor are the ultimate representation of power, patience, trust, and instinct.  It was truly moving and I feel lucky to have been included in such a special moment of life and the growth of her family!

After volunteering, are there any issues that we as a population should put more focus and awareness to? 

We need to listen.  Really, truly listen. We need to listen in order to really care for our fellow human beings.  We need to travel with open minds and open hearts, and stay humbled by the people we meet and the experiences we have.  If we continue to reflect and approach issues with creativity we can collaborate with others so much more effectively! Stay passionate, stay informed.  Problem solving does not happen overnight, and patience and positivity go a heck of a long way.

What advice would you give to other potential people who are looking to volunteer specifically with Curamericas? 

Go! Please go.  Travel as much as possible, and learn all that you can.  Be available.  Also, bring your Cipro just in case, but don’t take it just because.

What do you hope for future volunteer trips to Guatemala to accomplish? 

How long do you have?? I hope for NSWB groups in the near future to work to solidify a list of goals, created with input from the doctors and midwives in Guatemala, NSWB, and Curamericas of achievable short and long-term goals.  I hope each year we can add checks to boxes and see progress toward these goals over time.  I hope our partnership continues for many years and can serve as inspiration for others who are passionate about global health.

Where are you now and what are you doing?

I just moved to Denver, Colorado to start a job as a school nurse! In my summers off I plan to keep working abroad as a global health nurse, but also am very happy exploring the mountains here as well.  I am continuing my education at the Duke school of nursing, pursuing a degree as a pediatric primary care nurse practitioner, which will continue into a doctor of nursing practice degree implementing protocol(s) to improve newborn health outcomes in developing countries.

Kelsey Renning BSN, RN, received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Skidmore College in 2011 and her Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Duke University School of Nursing in May 2016. She is also a member of Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

You can help bring life-saving healthcare to mothers and children too. Sign up for one of our upcoming volunteer trips or donate now to support Curamericas Global in our mission to bring hope through healthcare to underprivileged communities around the world.

Article written by Rachel Ear, Curamericas Global’s Administrative Intern

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