Presentation by P2P COO at U.S. State Department 2nd Annual Global Diaspora Forum (7/25/12)
Delivered at 10:30am on Wednesday, July 25, 2012 at the Loy Henderson Auditorium at the US Department of State in Washington, DC by Mr. Greg Buie, Chief Operating Officer of People to People
“Since People to People and our Ethiopian diaspora network began participating in this initiative, it has become clear that it holds enormous potential for Ethiopia and for similarly situated countries in the developing world. Ethiopia has a dearth of medical professionals to serve its burgeoning population of more than 80 million, where best estimated put the physician to patient ratio at 1 per every 30,000 people. Last year the country initiated an ambitious plan to expand its cadre of physicians and medical professionals by doubling the number of medical colleges. With such tremendous implications of that decision, the MentorCloud e-mentoring platform offers an opportunity to help bridge that gap and ensure a healthy degree of knowledge share, mentorship, peer-to-peer exchange, and thoughtful discussion.
Our organization first opened this opportunity to 7 medical colleges in the country, including 2 of the 13 new medical colleges, as well as local medical student associations, and our diaspora network across 4 continents. Further continuation and support of this endeavor would enable us to provide specific training in the technology and the utilization of this networking tool. We envision greater coordination with the Federal Ministry of Health and an application of the platform to all of the country’s medical colleges. Interest in the MentorCloud platform has been high amongst the interested parties with whom we have shared this opportunity, and we have only begun to realize the vast reservoir of potential in connecting qualified and skilled professionals in our diaspora network with their counterparts and students abroad.
With such incredible challenges facing its health and medical infrastructure, Ethiopian medical students in search of a holistic and quality education and training, as well as already over-stretched physicians and health professionals in-country, stand to benefit greatly from any effort that works to harness the immense human capital that thrives in diaspora communities, and channel it in support of local government-led initiatives toward the achievement of key development goals. We look forward to continuing to explore and unleash this potential. Thank you.”