Entry #1

Everything needs a beginning, and for this blog, this is it.  My name is Mitchell Izower, together with Chris Ilacqua, Tim Pasek, and Greg Goldstein, we are the WTIND Crew.

This blog is dedicated to our upcoming public health work in Northern Thailand with the organization "Where There is No Doctor."  This group focuses on improving the health, sanitation, and education for the Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand, namely the Chiang Rai region. 

The Northern Hill Tribes are a grouping of peoples of various ethnicities, mainly Burmese immigrants, who live in the remote hills of Northern Thailand.  Having escaped from Burma, they've found their situation little improved in Thailand.  Anti-Burmese sentiment amongst the populace and bars to achieving citizenship has left them with severely limited access to clean water and medicine.

Our project is to assist the founder of this organization, Dr. Mar Naw, with providing clinical care for these people.  We will be charged with collecting vital signs, examining patients and assisting with making diagnoses, providing medication, giving injections, dressing wounds, and teaching first aid to villagers.   In our spare time, we will be participating in public works projects, like building toilets and clean water reservoirs.

In addition, we intend to document our time with the Hill Tribes, and use the internet to raise awareness of the plight of these people.  In doing so, we hope we can set up a charity online to collect money for WTIND.

We will arrive in Thailand in mid-June.  Until then, look for more updates about preparing for our trip!

-Mitch