Deea K Dev
I am currently pursuing my Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree at UBC, working toward my goal of serving psychiatric patients in vulnerable populations. Having volunteered in the Downtown Eastside and engaging with diverse communities struggling with mental illness over the years, I was motivated to become a strong mental health advocate and grew an indelible passion for exploring and addressing mental health through an intersectional lens. I am also passionate about health literacy, as it acts as one of the biggest barriers to care for vulnerable populations. Using my knowledge and experiences, I aim to promote health literacy in a non-paternalistic, trauma-informed and culturally appropriate approach that is curated to specific needs of community members.
Arrival Aid - Health Literacy Program
The Health Literacy Program at the Arrival Aid Foundation aims to empower newcomers with essential health literacy skills through health literacy workshops, each tailored separately to two target groups - immigrant and refugee children, and women. Workshops for newcomer children are delivered in an interactive, STEM-experiment-based approach focusing on health science, while workshops for newcomer women equip them with skills and knowledge to navigate the BC healthcare system, as well as understand health and wellness practices in a culturally appropriate manner.
https://www.arrival-aid.caAbout this Project
Communities Served
My project will involve and/or impact the following communities:
United Nations Sustainable Development Goals
When it comes to community impact projects, the UN has created 17 Sustainable Development Goals. These are the Sustainable Development Goals associated with my project.
How the project works
October - November 2024 (1) two health literacy workshops for newcomer women that delve into health-related topics, and provide health-literacy infographics and health-supply kits (2) two health-science workshops each for 5–8-year-olds and 9-12-year-olds where they conduct experiments to learn hands-on about the importance of health, such as healthy eating and dental care
Project Impact
Our project delivers health education to young children in an engaging manner, such that longstanding takeaways and lessons related to the importance of health are instilled in them. The culturally appropriate health-literacy workshops catered to newcomer women fosters their confidence in advocating for their health, as they gain pertinent knowledge and skills, such as navigating the BC healthcare system, and health-vocabulary.
Project Mission
The project aims to promote health-literacy in immigrant and refugee women and children, in an inclusive, supportive and culturally-appropriate manner, so they are empowered with the knowledge and skills needed to make informed health decisions and choices, as well as access appropriate healthcare services.
Project Team
We went through our undergraduate years together as newcomers in Canada!
- Diya L. Biswas
- Seungyeon Bank
- ... and more to come!
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