Sophie Morse – A Latin Americanist “lost” in Africa

Sophie believes in the power of girls, and that educating girls and women is the future for development. After graduating in 2011, she took a position as health coordinator at the Mariposa Foundation on the northern coast of the Dominican Republic (http://www.mariposadrfoundation.org/). The girls the organization  works with —ages 8-18—include a mix of Dominican and Haitian, and the goal is to successfully educate, empower, and employ them by engaging the entire family and community in the process.  For five months Sophie worked designing and implementing a health curriculum focused on nutrition and on cultivating positive health habits. This video illustrates why educating girls is so important.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1e8xgF0JtVg  

In May 2012, Sophie left for Uganda to begin her 27-month journey as a Peace Corps Volunteer in the health sector.  During the eternal application process, she decided she would commit herself to serving people wherever she was sent and that visiting a new area of the world would expand her understanding of global issues (her heart is still anchored in Latin America). She was placed in eastern Uganda at a local NGO, The Women Alliance and Children’s Affairs, an organization that was started 17 years ago by a Ugandan couple to support the most marginalized people in society, including people living with HIV/AIDS, women, and children.

She is currently working on a malaria project, in the area of prevention education and treatment. She also teaches reproductive health at a secondary school. Upon returning to Uganda in a few weeks, she will start several teaching units. Girls education includes how to make RUMPS (re-usable menstrual pads) that can prevent them from missing school during their menstrual cycle. Youth education includes producing and distributing a board game about HIV/AIDS awareness for youth (http://gamefortheworld.com/blog/). People say Peace Corps is the toughest job you’ll ever love, and she has found that to be true. After her African adventures end, she’s planning on returning to “su gente amada en America Latina” to work and dance hopefully in the area of gender-based violence and its intersection with culture.