Mason Alumnus Teaches Health Care to Villagers

By Connect Mason Reporter Rashad Mulla
Photos provided by Paula Grimsley

George Mason alumna Paula Grimsley returned two weeks ago to the U.S. from her latest endeavor in a now seven-year mission to improve health awareness in underdeveloped countries. Finishing a one-month trip to India, she taught village residents basic health care and hygiene.

“When you go out into these outlying areas, the houses are built with bare hands and they're made out of cow dung,” Grimsley said recently in a phone interview. “These are the same hands that cook food.”

Using speeches, posters, Powerpoint presentations and her bachelor's degree in nursing, Grimsley taught the villagers to wash their hands frequently, cover their mouth when they coughed, how to treat minor injuries and how to clean their water.

She warned the villagers of water-born and animal-related diseases, and she showed them how to prevent the spread of germs.

“Women all over the world are benefiting from my education at George Mason University,” Grimsley said.

As a devout Christian, Grimsley is the founder and president of Lady Care, a missionary health organization based in Chesapeake, Va that strives to give the gift of health awareness to impoverished nations.

Lady Care began in 2002 with the goal of helping residents of the "10/40 window," which includes nations in Africa and Asia known to be rife with health issues.

“Many of these people live in poverty and sickness,” Grimsley said.

Prior to this last trip, Grimsley spent an entire year in India for a village women’s health project. From October 2006 to September 2007, Grimsley and Lady Care volunteers spoke to over 800 women about simple health care needs as well as more serious health issues, such as pregnancy troubles and HIV.

They also bring in grief counselors to help villagers cope with high mortality rates among infants, children and even new mothers. The children die of preventable health issues, such as unclean food and water or dehydration. The mothers die of mishaps in pregnancy, which Grimsley said are routinely fixed in hospitals.

“It’s incredible how many women die,” Grimsley said. “If they just knew a few simple tips, these deaths could be prevented."

Pregnant women are very receptive to this service, Grimsley said. In one case, a translator who was relaying messages to an audience used the advice to have a baby of her own. Success stories from the villagers are rare, but Grimsley hopes they continue.

One issue that requires more than simple advice is the practice of infanticide in Indian villages, which Grimsley said is still widespread. She said the rate of women to men in some poorer villages is 40:100, which is dangerously uneven according to her. She sometimes finds herself having to explain the value of daughters to families, which is nearly impossible in some cases.

“God has a plan and purpose for every life,” Grimsley said. "Girls are always the last ones to eat, the last ones to be educated, and are viewed as a “hindrance to the family."

Despite the emotionally-jarring working conditions, Grimsley maintains she would not trade her job for anything.

Growing up in a military background forced her to travel to Germany, Japan, Turkey and Pakistan in her childhood.

After graduating from Mason in 1982, Grimsley spent 10 years in the Air Force working as a nurse practitioner. Her awareness of international health issues led to the foundation of Lady Care.

“At first I didn’t really understand the plight of women in these parts of the world,” Grimsley said.

Grimsley recalls traveling to a village in northwest India in 2004. She recalls that the village was very dirty, and there were flies everywhere. After a trip which emphasized cleanliness and hygiene, Grimsley and her volunteers decided to wrap up the trip.

After re-visiting the area on a later date, most of the villagers were not implementing anything.

“We need to keep emphasizing [healthy living],” Grimsley said. “Re-evaluation is always needed. [The villagers] need reinforcement.”

Fore more information about Lady Care, visit their website