Sri Lanka: Ciboney Reglos
Program: UW Global Health Community Health & Asset-Based Community Development, Winter Intersession
Ciboney’s Major: Global Health
What is your most memorable experience from your program?
I stayed in a rural village with a host family, and it was so transformative. I got the opportunity to truly experience the daily life of a villager and was able to experience the hospitality of Sri Lankans. They are the kindest and most generous people I’ve ever met and everyone I crossed paths with was so pleasant. We were able to watch a cultural show, engage in community work, and meet so many people.
While in Sri Lanka, I really began to understand what it means to be a “global citizen.”
How did your identities impact your experience? What advice would you give to students with similar identities who are considering a similar experience?
As a Filipino American, I identify as a “brown” person. I consider Sri Lanka to be a “brown” country, and I saw so many overlaps between the culture and mannerisms of Sri Lankans. I’ve never been to the Philippines, but being able to experience Sri Lankan culture felt very close to what I imagined growing up in the Philippines. Both countries have hot and tropical climates, are both in Asia, and eat copious amounts of rice! When I stayed with my host family, I experienced many things that I heard my mom talking about growing up in the Philippines. We were often in places with no AC, different animals like bats, iguanas, and more, and the attitudes/mannerisms of locals are so similar to Filipinos. I came into the program with a strong sense of my Filipino identity and appreciation for community, and leaving the program, those senses were only heightened. It made me really want to go to the Philippines because of how much I saw people appreciated the life they had. Sri Lanka is a developing country, so people live their lives differently than in the US. Everyone was truly grateful for everything and everyone they had, which is a value I still see myself trying to practice since coming home to the US.
How will your experience benefit you in the future? How might it affect your future career or studies?
I think that the program really allowed me to take a step outside of myself. American culture in general is very individualistic, and so many things revolve around money and power. To go to a country with a different culture truly allows you to deconstruct the values you hold and the way you view the world. While in Sri Lanka, I really began to understand what it means to be a “global citizen.” We visited gem mining sites, tea factories, and more locations that specialized in production. As a consumer, I found myself reflecting on where my products come from and who is involved in making them. We saw workers without shoes or proper equipment, climbing down a 120 foot pole without a harness into a gem mine. Our products do not come to our hands in a vacuum, there are people that put themselves at risk for it. Overall, seeing the sometimes unsafe working conditions made me think of the stories of patients I’ve heard; coal miners, farmers, and many more occupations. It allowed me to truly understand that people present health symptoms as a result of their work and living conditions, which is why I went into the global health field in general. This mindset is something that I can truly channel in my future career, as I hope to work in the public health and health equity realm.