Bringing Global Health Learning to Hue-MAN’s Work in Minnesota

“India showed me a new perspective on community, joy, wealth and health. It reminded me that richness isn’t always material, and that wellness is intertwined with culture and community.”

Viola Appiah-Danquah

By Viola Appiah-Danquah

I am currently a 2nd year students in the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health Masters Program, studying public health administration and policy. I got connected with Hue-MAN through Dr. Ronda Marie Chakolis-Hassan, who taught a health leadership class I took during my first year. Dr. Ronda emphasized the importance of networking, especially as many of us were searching for summer internships.  After speaking with her about my interests in community engagement and policy, she connected me with Clarence Jones. Clarence described his process as “vetting,” and fortunately, he saw potential in me as an addition to the team. During the summer of 2025, I attended healthcare events and conferences while helping share the work Hue-MAN does within the community.

I bring my public health background, social media expertise and a creative mindset into this work. Through Hue-Man, I hope to continue learning how to engage meaningfully with communities, learn from the great minds at HueMan and contribute through education and outreach wherever I can.

I departed with a mind open to learning

Make it stand out

Second year students in the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health Masters Program.

India had never been on my bucket list. I enrolled in a Global Health course at University of Minnesota to fulfill a requirement for my Master's Program, and saw an opportunity to combine two of my interests: travelling and learning about all things health.

I wanted to be open to whatever the experience had to teach me, and I did my best to avoid forming too many expectations beforehand. I knew my life there would be very different from my life at home and I was all in!

I believe every person and every culture has something to teach us.

My time in India

I believe every person and every culture has something to teach us.

When I arrived in India, I was struck by how much there was to take in, not just about healthcare, but also about food, faith, culture, community, and daily life.

I arrived with a group of undergraduate, graduate and international students. Our home base was in Mysuru, also known as Mysore, a mid-size city in the state of Karnataka in South India. Mysuru is known for its palace and temples, silk, and a local sweet called Mysore Pak.  We were hosted by a non-governmental organization called the Swami Vivekananda Youth Movement (SVYM), [CD1] whose mission is to “facilitate and develop processes that improve the quality of life of people.” The organization has pursued this work for over 40 years and has done wonders for its community in Mysuru and the state of Karnataka.

Each day in Mysuru began with learning sessions on public health topics. This was followed with site visits and field trips to  see those concepts in action. We visited hospitals in urban and rural areas, as well as community centers, sacred temples, and the royal Mysore Palace.  We explored topics such as water and sanitation, watched CPR and tourniquet demonstrations, and discussed the differences between public and private hospitals. We also learned about government-supported programs designed to improve quality of life, providing health education and social services at little or no cost and offering assistance without judgement.

India’s Health System is fascinating to me. I was struck by how different medical traditions co-exist side by side, including the kind of allopathic medicine I’m used to in the United States alongside traditions like Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy, particularly in rural and tribal communities. These healing traditions are over 5,000 years old and focus on wellness, prevention, and palliative care. It made me think about what it means for people to be well and how communities define and support health in ways that work for them.

 The lessons I carried home, and to my work with Hue-MAN

I left with a greater understanding of what it means to build healthier communities through compassion, connection, and cultural understanding.

India showed me a new perspective on community, joy, wealth and health. It reminded me that richness isn’t always material, and that wellness is intertwined with culture and community.

This experience challenged me to think more deeply about what kind of public health profession and overall human I would like to be. I would like to always put the people first when working in the health sector, but also hope to never lose myself in the process. As Dr. Balu the founder of SVYM mentioned in our last class in India, about leadership; it is also important to take care of ourselves, because if as an individual you are not mentally and physically well, how will you be able to serve others effectively.

Overall, I enjoyed my time in India, made new friends along the way and memories I will cherish forever—and more importantly, I left with a greater understanding of what it means to build healthier communities through compassion, connection, and cultural understanding.