A young Sudbury woman will be seeing a lot of sand this summer, but it won't be at the beach. Kristen Godin, a second-year medical student at the University of Ottawa, will take a two-day flight to Tanzania in June where she'll work in an HIV hospital.
The Canada Africa Community Health Alliance is organizing the trip.
There are an estimated three million people living with HIV in Tanzania, a country of 35 million in east Africa, Godin said.
She'll do testing, counselling and work in the mother-to-child transition program, which helps mothers give birth to healthy children.
Godin caught the travel bug at a young age. She went on frequent trips with her mom and dad to Europe, the Dominican Republic and Caribbean, where she witnessed different cultures.
When she lands in Tanzania, it will be winter time, which boasts an average temperature of 23 C. Godin will stay with a family and in a compound.
This is the second year Godin has been away from her family and country for the summer. Last year, she worked with HIV orphans in South Africa. She doesn't suffer from homesickness, however.
"The communities are very welcoming," she said. Every day, the local people greet visitors by dancing and singing.
Godin attended St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School until Grade 11. She spent Grade 12 and 13 at Trinity College School, then went to the University of Western Ontario. Before going to medical school, she did a year of teacher training at Lakehead University.
The doctor-in-training has her eyes set on obstetrics, which will allow her to care for women and their babies before, during and after the birth. She'll practise in northern Ontario and abroad.
Godin is paying for the trip by fundraising through bake sales, barbecues, canvassing and a concert for high school students in Ottawa.
Contact Godin at kgodi061@uottowa.ca .
