Help Harj attend the World Conference on Social Accountability 2017

Harjoland Obenieta is a 4th year medical student from the University of the Philippines College of Medicine (UPCM). He is part of the UPCM Regionalization Program which aims to produce students who will give back to their respective regions by providing medical service especially to the underserved. This cause is very much special Harjoland as he aspires to make a meaningful impact on the lives of the most impoverished in his hometown, General Santos City, South Cotabato.

Driven by this mission, Harjoland, together with Jane Marice Pascual and Aina Salem, conducted a study entitled “The Impact of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4P’s) in the Maternal and Child Health of Selected Barangays in Region XII.” The said study explored the impact of the 4P’s, a government-funded program providing conditional cash grants to the poorest sectors of society with the goal of ending the intergenerational cycle of poverty through investments in education and maternal and child health.

Harjoland with the social workers in his hometown, General Santos City.

Harjoland’s dedication to this study, coupled with his belief in the real and lasting influence it can make on policy-making in the country, impelled him to submit this research as an entry to the 2017 World Conference on Social Accountability, an annual conference presented by The Network: Towards Unity for Health (TUFH). The summit brings together medical students, health policymakers, and civil societies for the advancement of universal health coverage and the World Health Organization strategy on human resources for health.

This year, the World Conference on Social Accountability will be held on April 8-12, in Hammamet, Tunisia, and Harjoland’s research was chosen as one of the studies to be presented.

Being accepted to present in this Summit is an invaluable opportunity not only to raise awareness and interest on the Philippines’ social welfare policies, but also to be able to integrate the national framework with the global context. In addition, for Harjoland, this opportunity would further fuel his passion for the study of medicine in relation to bettering the conditions of the underserved. The wealth of knowledge he will gain in this Conference will be shared not only with his peers, but also with those who share his passion in his hometown, General Santos City.

Through any amount of financial support you can extend, hopefully, this opportunity will be realized for Harjoland.

Below is the rough estimate of the expenses for this trip.