Presentations and Reflections

Today was the last day that we had to wake up early enough to eat breakfast, get picked up by the van, and prepare for a day full of activities like we have been doing for the past two weeks. Rather than a full day of activities however, on our second day of the last week here in Brazil, we had our last class at UFBA. We were all tasked with presenting on chosen topics focusing on Brazil’s health system, health practices, and health research. There were four groups. One group covered education in Brazil and the connection between education and health outcomes. Another group presented on SUS (Brazil’s Unified Health System), the creation of SUS, its implementation, and how it compares to European and American health systems. My group presented last, and we discussed the mental health practices within the Brazilian health care system as well as informal mental health practices. We presented in front of our classmates, Dr. Mota, Dr. Stauber, Dr. White, and  students of UFBA (The Federal University of Bahia).

            While listening to everyone’s presentations and everyone’s questions, it was so fascinating witnessing how in the short amount of time that we have been here, we were able to create coherent presentations and have conversation about the health system and practices of another country. Being an American citizen and living in the United States, American hegemony sometimes makes it difficult to properly asses or even consider the workings of other systems that exist. There are fully functional systems and structures in other countries, and many of the ways that these systems operate can indeed be taken and used in the United States, or at least be an example for how to change some systemic and structural issues some Americans face – in particular with the public health system.

            After our presentations, Dr. Mota asked us two questions to reflect on our time spent here. The first was: What was our general evaluation or opinion of a city like Salvador? The second was: How do we intend to share the knowledge that we acquired here when we return home? The responses by the group to the first question were all very similar. Many of us on the trip truly felt at home here in Salvador. Many of us on the trip are Black, are descendants of the Atlantic slave trade, and something about the culture of Salvador felt so familiar to many of us – regardless of where in the African diaspora we come from. Even for those that are not a part of the African diaspora, the hospitality of the people here has made every single one of us feel welcomed. The responses to the second question were varied, and not as homogeneous as some of us had trouble expressing exactly how we intended to share the knowledge gained here. And my official response is that I intend on using love, spirituality, basic principles of humanity, to both enrich the spaces I enter and spread knowledge. Every space I have entered in Brazil has been filled with love and spiritual resonance, and that alone has made me learn more than many of the courses I have taken back home. The time we have left feels like the appropriate time to reflect on all of our experiences as individuals and as a group.

Discussion Question:

Considering that what we have experienced on this trip: the educational, the spiritual, cultural, political, and social aspects of Brazil, do you feel like you have changed in any way? If so, how do you imagine this new self will be like in the United States?

One Comment

  1. smuhammad17 Reply

    I know for a fact that I have changed in a multitude of ways. The way I view my life, my future, and my spirituality have shifted. I realized that I put too much stress on certain aspects in my life and try to control as much of it as I can. Living in Brazil for 3 weeks taught me that it is okay to let life go with the flow. Sometimes allowing things to just happen is healthier and can create more happiness in the end. Now that I am back in the United States I am going to let life happen and try to refrain from stressing myself out over the little things. I believe that this new me will create a positive dynamic in my life that has been needed.

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