Transforming lives in Bangalore slum
OVER 90 undergraduates from the Management and Science University’s (MSU) International Medical School (IMS) Bangalore campus came together to help slum dwellers of Mathikere, India.
Carrying the university’s culture of volunteering, giving and being grateful, the “Kitchen of Hope” project was set out to raise community wellness and welfare from abject conditions.
It was also aimed at cultivating creativity, competency, communicative ability and compassion in future doctors.
Dietary habit, clean water, and proper sanitation hold keys to health preservation but as the slum faced overcrowding problems, plus lack of basic amenities and health facilities, the inhabitants encounter constant threats to their health.
Health education was highly needed to enlighten the community and was made top priority.
Kicking off the “Kitchen of Hope 2018” edition was a gotong-royong effort to spruce up the surroundings, with cleanliness and hygiene promoted as the first line of defence against disease.
Children were shown the proper way to wash their hands and brush their teeth; health checks were also meted out.
Food items such as flour, bread and biscuits were distributed to help meet the basic necessities.
Such exposure in community engagement brought the realities of people in dire need up-close to the undergraduates and impressed on them the importance of volunteerism and charity for fellow human beings.
The care extended was well-received, with residents expressing hope for more visits.
“Kitchen of Hope” was organised by MSU’s International Medical School Association.
Participating in the starter edition were the first-, second-, and fourth-year students from the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme, led by project director Wan Aishah Farhanah Meor Baharudin.
The 2018 inaugural project followed on the success of the “Hope Project” series themed “Love Beyond Boundaries”, which began in 2009.
The MBBS programme is offered at both MSU campuses, in Shah Alam and Bangalore. IMS Bangalore is the first Malaysian offshore medical school to receive a five-year accreditation from the Malaysian Medical Council, which recently welcomed the IMS dean onboard.
MSU is also recognised by the Sri Lanka Medical Council and the Maldives Medical and Dental Council.