She’s been an Ottawa paramedic since 1996, but when Yvonne Malbasha’s not saving lives in the nation’s capital, she’s making a difference overseas as member of GlobalMedic.
What’s GlobalMedic all about?
Globalmedic is a charitable organization founded about 11 years ago by a Toronto paramedic named Rahul Singh, who is really an amazing man and a huge inspiration. GM is made up primarily of paramedics (but also some police officers and firefighters) and their primary function is to send in rapid response teams to respond to disaster situations like tsunamis, flooding, earthquakes, sending medical teams and water purification teams. We have responded so far to about 50 different disaster situations in many countries and we are all volunteers.
When did you first get involved?
I have been involved with GM for about four years, and have been also involved with other disaster relief organizations since 2004.
What inspired you to get involved?
I became involved out of a strong sense of wanting to give back and help those less fortunate who have not had the opportunities in life that I have.
Why go overseas when you can make a difference here in Canada?
I never get the feeling that I really can make a difference in Canada. We live in a very privileged society in North America where clean running water, flushing toilets, food and shelter and clothing are all taken for granted.
