Student Spotlight: ND Student Brings Medical Aid to Pakistan

Abida Wali, a fourth-year naturopathic student, is traveling to Pakistan this month to spend four weeks to help with earthquake relief efforts. Originally from Afghanistan, Abida has always had a desire to return home and help revive the natural medicine traditions that have been lost. Now Relief International has made it possible for her to start her lifelong mission to help.

This dream was a long time in the making. Abida had always wanted to pursue a medical career, and the desire continued when she moved to the United States as a teenager. She admits that she was sidetracked for awhile, doing other pursuits, “but then found out about the naturopathic medicine program, and I thought it was a chance to pursue my dreams, partly so I can go back and help out again.”

She couldn’t be more thrilled. “I’m so glad that I’ll be able to serve,” she says. “The whole thing that’s worked out for me didn’t seem feasible before. But now it’s fallen into place.”

Relief International is sponsoring her and helping out during her stay, and the organization even helped her obtain a Visa. While she is the only person from Bastyr going on the trip, she is working with Relief International’s medical team, who will be providing other kinds of medical care.

People at Bastyr University have been instrumental in helping her with this mission. “The Bastyr community has been great. People have helped me gather a bunch of homeopathic remedies,” she says.

In Pakistan, Abida plans to perform diagnoses, dispense natural and homeopathic remedies, and also volunteer in any way that’s needed. “I will do anything to help,” she says, “just to be there for the people. I was imagining 80 percent of Seattle being gone,” she muses. “Where would we be?”

Natural medicine and homeopathy are not new to people in these areas she says. But when so many people leave an area, especially after 25 years of war in Afghanistan, their medical knowledge goes with them. “I’m looking forward to bringing back natural therapies that have been lost over there.”

That’s why Abida would like to start a natural medicine clinic in Afghanistan – to bring back the area’s traditional medicine. When she returns to Bastyr University in January, she plans to create a fundraiser for Pakistan relief that allows other naturopathic students to help out. She also will work to create a Bastyr student network that can join forces with Relief International to provide relief to many countries.

Although Abida will miss the first week of winter quarter, she’s not too worried about it, because, “The learning I’ll get over there will be amazing.” Visit http://www.ri.org for more information about Relief International’s efforts to respond to worldwide crises and to make a donation, or call (425) 602-3330 for more information about Bastyr’s naturopathic medicine program.

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