Volunteering with MAF: Caroline Heuschen

Caroline Heuschen is a medical doctor, training in psychiatry, and has been volunteering with Medical Aid Films since October 2019.

Why did you choose to volunteer with Medical Aid Films?

After joining the Healthcare Leadership Academy in September 2019 I saw a proposal on their project platform from Medical Aid Films that captured my interest, so I made contact.

After speaking with CEO Catherine McCarthy and Helen Coombe, Head of Evaluation and Research, we tailored the project to meet my personal interests and professional goals. We spotted an opportunity as there’s currently not a lot of resources available around adolescent mental health in middle-income countries.

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve taken away from working with us so far?

Good communication. I’m grateful for the way that Medical Aid Films communicates – whether that be through film, animation, or with partners. And I wanted to be a part of that. I’ve created a briefing paper and I’m exciting about creating the animations and film.

What would you say to anyone thinking about volunteering with Medical Aid Films?

Go for it. It has been such a positive experience and it’s a place where you can provide a lot of input. You can create your own direction while contributing to a very important cause. We need to make basic medical and health knowledge available to everyone – especially for those who don’t have access to traditional or accessible media. It’s a great feeling knowing that you’re contributing to something bigger.

Caroline will be with us for the foreseeable future, and we look forward to working further with her and sharing the project when released!

If you’re interested in volunteering with us, please email us on finance@medicalaidfilms.org outlining which area you are interested in (production/admin/fundraising, etc).