Sawubona! Igama lami ngingu-Alexis Whellan futhi ngingumfundi wesine we-MD/MPH e-UTMB eGalveston. Ngifaka isicelo ezinhlelweni zokuhlala ze-Internal Medicine njengamanje futhi ngiqedela izidingo zami ze-Master of Public Health ngokusebenzisa ukuqeqeshwa noMnyango Wezokudla kwa-GCFB!

Ngazalelwa futhi ngakhulela e-Austin, eTexas futhi ngakhula nodadewethu, amakati ama-2 nenja. Ngaya ekolishi eNew York ngaphambi kokuba ngibuyele eTexas libalele esikoleni sobudokotela. Ngohlelo lwe-MD/MPH lweziqu ezimbili, ngikwazile ukugxila ekuqondeni abantu abanganakekeli kahle ngokwezempilo e-Galveston County. Ngenze umsebenzi omningi e-St. Vincent's Student Clinic futhi ngavolontiya ne-GCFB ngezindima ezimbalwa ezihlukene.

Ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule, bengisiza ephrojekthini yokuhlanganisa izinsiza zokudla zamaklayenti e-GCFB asengozini yesifo sikashukela futhi asengozini ngenxa yemali evela eBlue Cross Blue Shield yaseTexas (BCBS) enesihloko esithi “GCFB Fights Chronic Health Conditions: Diabetes with Imfundo Yokudla Okunomsoco kanye Nezikhithi Zokudla ze-Rx”. Nganginentshisekelo yokusiza ngale phrojekthi ngoba igxile ekusebenziseni ukudla okunomsoco ukuthuthukisa impilo yabantu, okuhlanganisa uthando lwami lokunakekelwa kwezempilo nempilo yomphakathi.

Kuphrojekthi ye-BCBS, ngisize ekwakheni ulwazi lwesifo sikashukela, izindlela zokupheka, nokuhlanganisa amabhokisi ekhithi yokudla esiwasabalalisayo. Ekhithi yokudla ngayinye, besifuna ukuhlinzeka ngolwazi mayelana nesifo sikashukela kanye nendlela yokuphatha nokwelapha isifo sikashukela ngokudla okunomsoco. Besifuna nokuhlinzeka ngolwazi lokudla okunempilo ngeresiphi ngayinye esiyithuthukisile. Kubalulekile ukuthi amaklayenti anesifo sikashukela noma asengozini yokuba nesifo sikashukela aqonde ukuthi ukudla kunendima engakanani empilweni yawo, futhi izindlela zokupheka kanye namaphepha olwazi engiwadalile ayehloselwe ukwandisa ukuqwashisa ngaleli qiniso. Senze izindlela zokupheka ezine ukuze sinikeze abantu baseGalveston County njengezinto zokudla. Ngisize ekuqoqeni amakhithi okudla futhi ngasiza ngokwakha okuqukethwe kwevidiyo yeresiphi ukuze abantu balandele lapho benza iresiphi yabo yekhithi yokudla. 

Ngaphinde ngahileleka emakilasini amabili uMnyango Wezokudla owawafundisa kuleNkwindla - elilodwa e-Texas City High School kanye nelinye e-Nesler Senior Centre e-Texas City. Esikoleni Samabanga aphezulu sase-Texas City, ngasiza othisha bokudla okunomsoco bafundise abafundi bezikole zamabanga aphezulu ngezindlela zokudla okunempilo futhi ngisize ngemibukiso yokudla yabafundi. E-Nesler Senior Center, ngihlele okuqukethwe kwekilasi lokufundisa mayelana nokuthi "Ukunciphisa Ushukela Owengeziwe" futhi ngahola ukuboniswa kokudla kanye nesifundo ekilasini eliphezulu. Ekilasini lakwa-Nesler Senior Center, siphinde sisabalalisa amakhithi okudla kubahlanganyeli futhi sacela impendulo kubo mayelana nolwazi lwabo ngekhithi yokudla kanye namaphepha olwazi. Babekuthanda kakhulu ukudla abakwenzayo futhi bezwa sengathi ulwazi esibanike lona luzobasiza ukuthi baqhubeke nokwenza izinqumo zokudla okunempilo.

Ekugcineni, ngenza izinhlolovo ukuze ngihlaziye ngokunembile ukusebenza kwephrojekthi ye-BCBS. Onyakeni ozayo ngenkathi iphrojekthi isaqalwa, ababambiqhaza ohlelweni lwekhithi yokudla kanye nalabo abathola izinsiza zemfundo bazokwazi ukugcwalisa inhlolovo ukuze banikeze impendulo eMnyangweni Wezokudla kanye nokwazisa ngemiklamo yezibonelelo zesikhathi esizayo. 

Ngenkathi ngisebenza noMnyango Wezokudla, ngiphinde ngaba nethuba lokusiza abasebenzi be-GCFB pantry. Kwakumnandi ukwazana nabasebenzi base-pantry nokusebenza nabo ukuze unikeze ukudla ngezinye izikhathi kubantu abangaphezu kuka-300 ngosuku olulodwa! Ngiphinde ngabona iphrojekthi yeCorner Store eSan Leon. Lokhu bekuwukuhlangenwe nakho okusha ngokuphelele kimi, futhi bekumnandi ukubona umkhiqizo omusha unikezwa izakhamuzi zaseGalveston County esitolo esilula. Ngolunye usuku ngoNovemba, uMnyango Wezokudla wachitha ekuseni e-Seeding Galveston, ufunda ngokulima kwasemadolobheni kanye nokusimama. Ngihlala e-Galveston Island futhi ngangingakaze ngizwe ngalo msebenzi ngaphambili, ngakho-ke ngajabula ukufunda okwengeziwe ngezindlela ezahlukene abantu abasebenza ngazo ukulwa nokungavikeleki kokudla edolobheni lami. Sikwazile futhi ukubamba iqhaza kuMkhosi Wangaphakathi wokuqala waminyaka yonke e-Children's Museum e-Galveston, lapho safundisa khona imindeni ngokubaluleka kokuwasha umkhiqizo futhi sabelane nayo ngeresiphi yesobho enempilo yasebusika. 

Ukungena e-GCFB kube yinto emangalisayo. Ngibe nethuba lokusebenza nabasebenzi abathile abamangalisayo abazinikezele ekufundiseni izakhamuzi zaseGalveston County nokulwa nokungavikeleki kokudla emphakathini wabo. Ngikujabulele ukufunda ukuthi ibhange lokudla lisebenza kanjani nawo wonke umsebenzi ongena kuphrojekthi ngayinye kanye nekilasi ngalinye lezemfundo. Ngiyazi ukuthi engikufunde lapha ezinyangeni ezimbalwa ezedlule kuzongisiza ngibe udokotela ongcono esikhathini esizayo, futhi ngibonga kakhulu eMnyangweni Wezokudla ngaleli thuba.