The
National Young Women of Distinction honor is given by Girl Scouts of the USA to
ten Girl Scout Gold Award recipients whose Take Action projects demonstrated
outstanding leadership, had a measureable and sustainable impact, and addressed
a local challenge related to a national and/or global issue. The girls and
their projects will be showcased on the Girl Scout Blog in advance of being honored
at the 2014 national convention in Salt Lake City this October.
Varsha Sathappan: Health is the
Greatest Gift
Age: 18
Hometown: San Jose, California
Years of Girl Scouting: 9
Inspiration:
Kodikottai is a town in Southern India
so small that it doesn’t even exist on Google maps. While visiting her family
there last year, Varsha saw firsthand the huge disparities that exist in the
world with regard to healthcare access. Vallal Mena Hospital, the local
outpatient clinic, did not have an inpatient ward, a place for mothers to stay
after giving birth, or an adequate supply of medicine. Locals suffered as a
result; some children had never even been seen by a doctor.
How Varhsa is Changing the World:
Varsha believes in the Buddhist proverb
that says “without health, life is not life; it is only a state of languor and
suffering—an image of death.” The first thing the hospital desperately needed
was a ward. So, with the support of her council, Varsha raised $19,000 to build
one. The ten-bed ward now serves between 70 and 80 patients every day, and as
word of Varsha’s project spread, additional donors jumped in to help expand the
hospital’s services, which now include an ambulance!
Varsha also organized a pediatrics camp
with the help of doctors from the US, including her own mom. Many kids with
unidentified hearing, vision, or cardiac issues were seen and treated.
Varsha faced some serious hurdles during
her project, from the land and construction permits she had to obtain to the local
officials who just wouldn’t take a teenage girl seriously. But through
patience, maturity, and awesome management skills, Varsha showed the world how
much a teenager can really do!
Next Steps:
Varsha participated
recently in a medical internship program for high school students looking for
international experience. She will be studying medicine at Rice University this
fall, and continuing to organize pediatric camps. Girl Scouts will honor Varsha and her fellow
National Young Women of Distinction on Sunday, October 19 at our 2014
Girl Scout Convention.