Would you walk for months to get to a job training? A week? A day? An hour? Surprisingly, some of the participants of GRI’s medic training program along the Thai/Burma border walk for three months through a literal war zone to get to GRI's training site—now that’s a commitment.

Currently, GRI is training 18 Shan men and women to become medical leaders in their villages or internally displaced areas inside Burma. These medics are vital to the health of the Shan people, as they can easily move with this targeted group and monitor ongoing health.

Medic Training Outlined:

• Each training lasts for 6 months and GRI has committed to 3 trainings in 2010 and 2011.
• GRI sends volunteer physicians, dentists, paramedics, physician assistants, nurses and nurse practitioners to the training site to teach the medical curriculum.
• Some student medics have had some formal training before reaching the training site but most have had no formal education past the third grade.
• After the 6 months, the trainee’s will be knowledgeable in disease prevention and treatment as well as how to respond in emergencies.
• They will be responsible for first aid and frontline trauma in area’s of difficulty.
• Upon completion of the program, GRI provides each medic with a backpack containing medicine and supplies to treat those in remote areas.

GRI is committed to the training of these medics to help those most vulnerable in Burma. We stress to the medics that with this opportunity for education and training comes responsibility to help their people….”to whom much is given, much is expected.” The 6-month training and backpack filled with 6 months of supplies and medicine costs $300 per medic.

GRI’s medic program is completely funded by donations,--will you help fund a medic and give them the opportunity to provide care to thousands of people in remote locations?