Alumni Interview with Lea Safarpour

What inspired you to travel abroad? 

Since I was a kid I have always wanted to do a program like IMA. For my eighth grade career day I chose to work for the Peace Corps. This was mainly due to my best friend's mother who spent one year in South America volunteering at a hospital. She used to talk about her time there and the amazing connections she made with everyone she met. After listening to her stories I knew I wanted to follow in her footsteps one day. However, instead of jumping directly into a full year, I wanted to get an idea of what working/interning abroad would be like. So after many years of nagging my parents to allow me to do a program like IMA they finally gave me permission during 2018 and I instantly found a program to travel abroad. 

Why did you choose International Medical Aid? 

Like most students looking to go abroad, my parents’ and my main concern was safety. Therefore, I had to do a lot of research before I began applying for programs like this to make sure they were legitimate and focused on their interns’ safety. International Medical Aid instantly jumped out to me because they made it apparent that their main focus was keeping their interns secure and safe. I liked the fact that they had a gated residence with 24-hour security.

Another major reason I chose IMA was because of the program coordinator. Before I was even accepted into the program the coordinator responded to all my emails within 30 minutes, no matter what time of the day it was. This made me feel like the program cared about its interns and wanted to make them feel comfortable with their decision to go abroad through IMA.

Finally, I chose IMA because they offered more excursions than any other organization I researched. IMA offers their interns so many opportunities to travel during their time in the program and they do all the planning to ensure it is with safe companies. This stood out to me because I knew I wanted to explore more of the country rather than just stay in the area of the residence. 

What was your favorite part about Kenya? 

My favorite part about the host country was the people and their culture. One of the main reasons I find so much joy in traveling is meeting new people and learning about their way of life. Kenya was amazing because every person I met greeted me with a smile and a genuine welcome to their country. I have traveled to many other countries, but no country had such a welcoming atmosphere. For example, when I first arrived in Kenya, there was slight mix-up in my flight time. I did not have any wifi or a working phone to contact the program. However, many people offered to help me and even lent me their phone so I could try to contact the program coordinator. I was so shocked by how helpful people were because this is something I was not used to while traveling.

Furthermore, the first day at the hospital was extremely daunting because I was the only pre-dental intern at the time. However, as soon as I walked into the dental clinic, the whole staff welcomed me and made sure I was able to see and learn as much as possible. Another thing I learned quickly while interning was the open nature of the Kenyan culture, which was extremely refreshing to be a part of. For example, topics like religion and politics are normally not spoken about between people who just met. However, in Kenya everyone is very open so I was able to ask a lot of questions without feeling like I was being disrespectful. This was great because it allows you to learn so much more about the country and its people, which I feel is the greatest benefit of traveling. 

What made your experience abroad extraordinary? 

The local staff definitely made my experience abroad extraordinary. As soon as I stepped foot into the residence they greeted me with a smile. Within a few days I felt like I knew the staff for years and you could tell they genuinely wanted you to enjoy the time you spent in Kenya. Also, because I felt so comfortable with them, I was able to ask them so many questions about Kenya that I learned much more about the culture than I thought I would. It was amazing how friendly and nice all the staff members were. We played soccer with the security guards, scuba dived with the program director, and laughed everyday on our way to the hospital because of our driver. I cannot put into words how amazing the staff were; they were a testament to the amazing people of Kenya. 

How did the local program staff support you throughout your program? 

Beyond being amazing, friendly people, they also were amazing at their jobs. No matter what time of day it was you could always get into contact with one of the program directors. They contacted you within minutes of sending an email. One night there was an issue where one of the girls had to go to the doctor, and the director emailed back soon after with a doctor’s appointment already set for the next morning. I always felt safe and knew that if I had any issues they would be resolved with minutes. Furthermore, the security guards always made you feel secure. They stood outside with you to wait for any Ubers and made sure to speak with the driver to make sure we were going to be okay. 

What's one thing you wish you would have done differently during your time abroad? 

I wish I would have asked more questions. The first day I arrived at the dental clinic, one of the women told me to ask as many questions as possible. I started off asking as many as I could but I slowly started to second guess myself and did not want to be a burden on the dentists. Therefore, I slowly started to ask less questions even though everyone was very receptive to every question that came their way. Therefore, if I could go back I would not let my fear of being a burden get in the way of the learning experience my time abroad was meant to be. 

Describe what a typical day in your life abroad looked like. 

As a dental intern, I was on the first shuttle to the hospital at 7am. Upon arriving at the hospital, I would listen in on the morning meeting. At this, the dentists would talk about the more severe cases they have been treating and will be treating later on in the day. After, the dentists did their rounds where they checked up on patients they were currently treating. The head maxillofacial would lead this and would often explain the condition of the patient and what had to be done further.

Once the morning rounds were over, this is when the main part of my day began. There were about six dentists I could shadow spread over a few different areas. I mainly stayed in minor oral surgery because these were the most severe and interesting cases. If no patients were coming in, I would then shadow dentists doing more routine jobs like root canals, pulling teeth, and filling in cavities. Around 1pm the shuttle would pick us up and we would arrive home to the greatest lunch in the world. Most of the interns would then either watch TV for a few hours or take a nap. After, we would normally walk to the beach and spend the rest of the day there. 

What did you enjoy doing in your free time abroad? 

My favorite part about IMA was that when I was not at the dental clinic, they set up a lot of opportunities to explore more parts of Kenya. Therefore, most of my free time was spent traveling. I was able to spend time in the Masai Mara Reserve, Nairobi, and Watamu. This was amazing because I was able to see more parts of the beautiful country and meet more people. Also, even if they did not have an excursion set up for the week, the location of the residence was perfect for walking to the beach. Therefore, after a long day at the hospital, most of the interns would walk to the beach and spend the rest of the day there. 

What type of accommodation did you have? What did you like best about it? 

IMA had two homes in a gated area. Each house had about 6 rooms where 1-4 people would sleep. The houses were cleaned everyday, had really nice bathrooms, and the beds were so comfortable. Both houses had common areas with televisions. My favorite part was this porch-like area in front of the houses with big lounge chairs. After a long day at the hospital this was the perfect place to lay and read or listen to music. 

What is one thing every future participant should know about International Medical Aid before their program begins? 

One aspect of my program that future participants should know is that you may be entering a house where everyone has already known each other for a couple of weeks. Because of this, you may feel like it is hard to make connections with the people in the house because they have already established connections with the people who have been with them since the beginning of their internship. However, after a couple of days when more new people begin to arrive, this feeling subsides. You begin to get closer to the people who have been in the house and start building close friendships with the new people.

This transition was hard for me because I entered as a new intern with only one other girl. Therefore, the rest of the interns were really close friends and I felt very isolated. I regret feeling like this because it just took some time to get used to this major transition. Therefore, I just want to let future participants know that the first couple of days may be difficult if you are entering the house like this; just give it time and you will soon be having the time of your life with the other interns. 

Would you recommend International Medical Aid to others? Why? 

Yes, I already have recommended this program to the students in the pre-dental association at my school. IMA was an amazing experience where I learned so much about Kenyan culture, and made connections with so many people. Overall, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I believe everyone should have this opportunity. Also, IMA is a great program to travel abroad with because it is extremely safe and the local staff are unbelievably amazing.

What do you feel the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is? 

Undoubtedly, the biggest benefit of traveling abroad is meeting and learning about new people. To this day, I still talk to some of the dentists I shadowed in Kenya. This is amazing because I have made lifelong relationships with people halfway around the world, and because of this I am a more open-minded person. Making connections with new people allows you to learn about their culture, their beliefs, and why they believe in what they do. Rather than clinging on to one narrow view of the world, this opens your eyes and makes you realize your way of living is not necessarily the "correct" way to live. As a result, I have become more respectful of other people’s opinions and beliefs, which I believe is a step to becoming a better person. Traveling makes you a person that is more understanding of things you may not fully agree with. 

Now that you're home, how has your time abroad impacted your life? 

People often talk about the advantages you have when living in the United States, but I never truly understood this until I traveled to Kenya. Kenya is an amazing country, but after witnessing their quality of healthcare and living it put my life in perspective. I realized the simple things, like water and electricity, are not simple things for everyone. I have become much more grateful for the life I am able to live in the United States. Overall, it has made me a more appreciative and positive person. Sometimes when I think about complaining I think back and realize the resources I have that not everyone does. My time in Kenya has made me want to work harder and finish schooling so I can go back and help in hospitals as a professional. 

What does meaningful travel mean to you? 

Travel is meaningful when it improves your life and lives of the people you meet. This does not mean you have to donate your time and money because improving another person's life can be as simple as putting a smile on their face. For example, one day we travelled to a school to run a health clinic. After we finished teaching the kids how to correctly brush their teeth, we had an hour to play with the students. I started to play hand games with a group of young girls and I could not help but smile and laugh the entire time. It was such a simple thing but it has stuck with me everyday since. Those girls probably do not realize the impact they had on my life, but this memory is so precious to me I will remember it forever. I hope that during my time in Kenya I had this impact on someone I met. I want them to be able to look back at a memory we share and smile, because it is this feeling of pure joy that makes traveling the amazing experience it is.