When “first world” travelers are planning a trip to the “third world”, their doctors often require them to take a handful of vaccinations, and a few prescriptions. This summer, about 40 students from a graduate program at the University of Western Ontario interned in Kerala, hosted by Raxa Collective; many of them, to err on the side of caution brought medicines for tropical diseases, including malaria. However, most of those medications are not needed in Kerala, whose health profile is comparable to Costa Rica, and which happens to be malaria-free.

As weeks progressed, many of the interns stopped taking their pills and consequently they were left with an excess, which are worth much more to those in need than in the garbage can back home. With this in mind, many of the interns, (organized by the student Robert Freele), decided to donate their extra medications to the Muthoot Medical Center in Kozhencherry, whose doctors will distribute them in regions of India where they are needed.

In total, over $4000 worth of medication were donated!  Raxa Collective appreciates any and all opportunities to collaborate with our guests to make contributions that benefits communities in need.