Our School Health Activists are at the core of our work. They are community members who are driven by a desire to learn, teach, and help. They have spent years bringing health education to their students, helping families navigate the health system, and keeping their communities safe.

To get to know them a bit better, Broadleaf is proud to present our "Meet the SHAs" interview series. The following interview was conducted with Nima Choden Tamang, an SHA that has worked with Broadleaf for the last 9 years.

As part of the partnership with Vahdam, we have also supported our existing and new communities in safely reopening schools during COVID.

As part of the partnership with Vahdam, we have also supported our existing and new communities in safely reopening schools during COVID.

VAHDAM Teas and Broadleaf announce strategic partnership to bring health education to more communities in Northeast India.

I am filled with hope as I reflect upon this past year. I know that may be an unusual statement for 2020, as this year has brought incredible challenges to all of our lives as a global pandemic disrupted every aspect of our known reality.

Broadleaf's Mental Healthcare program featured in the IACAPAP,

School Health Activists (SHAs) are an important part of our Broadleaf team. They are responsible for teaching students and the community in Darjeeling about the importance of health and education through curriculum and personal hygiene training sessions. Each of our SHAs have a unique life story which is what makes them so special and such a valued member of our Broadleaf organization. As we’ve gotten to know each of our SHAs over the years, we’ve realized how important their stories are and would like to share them with all of you in our new “Meet the SHAs” newsletter series.

First up is Sushma Gurung, who has worked with Broadleaf for the last 3 years as an SHA in the Manaydara school cluster.

Broadleaf Staff, Partners, and Advisors Featured in University of North Carolina Webinar co-moderated by Broadleaf co-founder, Michael Matergia and Broadleaf advisor, Dr. Christina Cruz.

Broadleaf welcomes two college interns to our team this year, we asked Aarti and Kelsey to introduce themselves in their own words. Welcome Aarti Katara and Kelsey DeSchriver to the Broadleaf team and thanks for your contributions so far!

From Kelsey:

Hi, my name is Kelsey DeSchriver and I am interning with Broadleaf. I am going into my third year at Temple University where I study social work. I am also a graduate of Stroudsburg High school. I was born and raised in Stroudsburg, PA and am lucky to have had the experiences and opportunities that my high school offered. Their many volunteer programs and involvement in the community is what led me to choose my major of social work at Temple University. After moving to such a big city like Philadelphia my horizons have broadened. I’ve realized how much more was out there for me to experience and how many people truly need help in our world. This led me to researching volunteer opportunities where I could learn more about helping others and making an impact on communities in need. As I came across the Broadleaf website and read about this organization, I realized their mission supported everything I stand for. “We believe in improving communities through health and education and that access to quality education and healthcare are fundamental human rights.” Broadleaf builds communities from the ground up in the Eastern Himalayas. So far Broadleaf has implemented programs in more than 70 schools that have affected over 1,400 children. I feel honored to be a part of this organization and to be learning from such down to earth, kind, and selfless individuals. I originally reached out to the founders of Broadleaf, Denna and Mike Matergia, who actually graduated from Stroudsburg High School as well and now live in Denver, Colorado. Denna and Mike were so welcoming and encouraging when we first met and right off the bat showed me what leadership looks like. Throughout my internship with Broadleaf I have learned how they run such a powerful organization in another country almost entirely virtually. I have also learned how to communicate effectively, create PR content, interview individuals, and my latest project includes learning about the process of grant writing. The knowledge I have gained throughout this internship is priceless to me and I can’t wait to travel to India with Broadleaf and get to experience these communities first hand!

From Aarti:

For the past fifteen years, I’ve grown up in a small, quiet town in Northeastern Pennsylvania by the name of the Poconos. The Poconos is beautiful. I was often told it was the “honeymoon” capital of the country, as the sweeping views from Mt. Tammany, placid lakes such as Lake Wallenpaupack, and steep slopes at Camelback often attract swaths of tourists. This was all exciting to me as a kid - growing up in nature, seeing a black bear in our backyard every once in a while, etc. Yet, it was also a secluded bubble. Only in high school did I really begin to understand that the way of living in other parts of the world was far different than my life in the Poconos.
In high school, I knew that I was interested in science and the medical field, but I didn’t quite know why, and I wanted (or maybe even needed) to prove to myself that it wasn’t because both of my parents were physicians. As I explored the numerous questions that helped me solidify my interest in the medical field, I thought it would be a good idea to reconnect with my roots. My parents immigrated to the United States from India after they got married, and they then pursued their medical professions in America in hopes of better opportunities. From both of them, I had heard numerous stories about how different life in India was, and how lucky I was to have access to abundant, safe, and hygienic medical services. It was hard to fully grasp what they meant until my senior year, when I traveled to Madagascar on a medical mission trip. In Madagascar, every patient was thrilled to see the doctors who had arrived. They traveled many miles - often by foot - to arrive at the medical site in time and have the chance of being, or having their children, treated. It hit me really hard at that moment - that the people of Madagascar had waited so long to have access to the services we were providing, whereas I took access to safe and hygienic healthcare services for granted. From then on, I knew then that I wanted to commit my life to working in the medical field, and to help people who didn’t have access to the same medical services that I do.
Following this realization, I was introduced to Broadleaf. Broadleaf’s aim of helping individuals with a lack of access to basic healthcare and education aligned really well with what I was hoping to work on. Whereas in Madagascar, I was able to work on a medical team providing services, with Broadleaf, I knew that I would be able to work at the ground level - educating people on how they can take care of themselves and keep up their health. I reasoned that if I wanted to help people without access to medical services - this was the first step, in giving them the tools such that they can lead happier, healthier lives. I immediately reached out to co-founder, Michael Matergia, about contributing my time and energy to Broadleaf’s mission. Fortunately, Michael was just as excited about this idea as I was, and offered me to intern with Broadleaf once I returned home from school. Although COVID-19 certainly changed the direction of my involvement with Broadleaf this summer, my experience has helped me understand all of the behind-the-scenes efforts that go into helping the individuals in Darjeeling. Two of the most important things that I learned through this internship are that 1) it truly takes a village of individuals with genuine desires to help change the world and that 2) I could make a difference simply working from my home in the Poconos. From my virtual interactions with Broadleaf’s team members, I’ve learned the incredible amount of teamwork that goes into developing programs in order to help people with access to minimal medical resources. In addition to this, my work with Broadleaf has inspired me further to connect with my local community such that I can better understand healthcare insecurity and available resources. As this summer comes to a close, I can’t help but look forward to next summer, where I hopefully will be able to experience Broadleaf’s work firsthand. But until then, I am excited to contribute behind the scenes in every way I can to help continue and support Broadleaf’s growth.

Broadleaf Hosts School Community Workshops to Support Reopening. As India and Darjeeling begin to reopen, our communities have considered how to or if to open school.

Globally, the pandemic and economic shutdowns have brought on an emerging mental health epidemic due to increases in anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. Broadleaf and our partner, DLR Prerna have quickly pivoted to make sure that we are addressing this within the communities that we work in. 

Recently, the local press in Darjeeling wrote a piece about the success of this work. You can read more on the Darjeeling Chronicle: Addressing Mental Health Concerns in Schools in Darjeeling within the COVID19 Pandemic and Beyond

Padeng is a rural agricultural community in the Darjeeling region of India, and one of Broadleaf's CHIP partner communities. Padeng is also home to Yenten, a nine year old boy.

Recently, Nima, a School Health Activist (SHA) from the Padeng community, was performing her annual hearing screening. When Yenten strode up to have his ears checked, Nima quickly realized that Yenten had something stuck inside his left ear. He shared that his ear had been feeling itchy and he was using the sharp end of a pencil to scratch his ear.

Nima walked Yenten home and talked with his parents about the fact that he most likely had a piece of pencil stuck in his ear in such a way that he would need to see a doctor. With the support of Yenten’s parents, Nima helped arrange for Yenten make the 40-hour trip to see an ENT specialist.The physician recognized that the pencil tip had caused a traumatic rupture of the ear drum; fortunately he was able to remove it before it caused any permanent damage.

About a week later, Yenten approached Nima at school and asked if he could share his experience with his classmates. He wanted them to learn from his “pencil in the ear” issue! Nima was delighted to see his eagerness to share his learning and first hand experience with his peers and helped him create a poster to use at his school. Yenten proudly gathered several friends and together they designed a poster to help them teach the other students at Padeng Primary School the importance of keeping objects out of your ears.

Nima and Yenten exemplify how a community-led intervention can help recognize acute medical issues, promote access to care, and empower children as health champions.

As the days continue to pass by and malls swarm with crowds trying to find the perfect gift, please continue to remember that your donation to Broadleaf empowers children and communities in the Darjeeling region

As the lockdown continues for our partner communities, our work has focused on spreading accurate messaging, reducing fear and stigma, and promoting healthy behaviors to reduce the spread of COVID.

COVID-19 disproportionately affects the poor and vulnerable- three ways that Broadleaf is supporting our communities.

Darjeeling PRERNA is our local operating partner in Darjeeling. They are an NGO founded in 1993 working on issues of rural development and equity in the Darjeeling District. They have been instrumental in helping Broadleaf establish, implement and run our programs.

Denver showed up for the 2nd Annual Broadleaf and Brews

This past June, three Denver Public School teachers that make up Broadleaf's U.S. Education Team traveled to India to engage in a week long Education Summit with the Darjeeling based staff. 

This trip has become an almost annual trek for the Denver based Education Team. 

Team members from Broadleaf and our local impact partner, DLRP, spent the week building a shared philosophy around best practices in education. Participants read and discussed various educational pedagogies, engaged in team building activities, and made goals for the upcoming year of work in local schools. Usually separated by half of the globe and 12+ hour time difference, everyone was excited to make the most of the time spent face to face. Broadleaf and DLRP will continue to collaborate in  and prioritize advancements in education, and student achievement.  Thank you to all those who participated!

After an exciting and successful bike ride in October 2018, cyclist and Broadleaf supporter Rebecca describes her once in a lifetime experience. Read about her adventure through India and Nepal that she embarked on with co-founder Mike and fellow cyclists Dan and Colin. Broadleaf hosted this bike ride as a fundraiser to raise awareness of our work in Darjeeling. If you're interested in participating in future bike rides, contact us for more information!

Students in Padeng Primary School set up a local system for waste management - making a small step to improve the cleanliness of their school.

Our 2nd annual Denver fundraising party was a huge success!