Bucknell Friends of MSF is a chapter of Médicins Sans Frontières, more commonly known as Doctors Without Borders, and is dedicated to raising awareness and knowledge about MSF’s work regarding humanitarian issues. 

They seek to provide support and raise money for advocacy campaigns and encourage students to consider working with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as MSF post-graduation. 

The club consists of around 60 members, and aside from meeting regularly to discuss Doctors Without Borders’ work and to educate themselves on current global disparities, they organize numerous advocacy events throughout the year to educate the campus community about MSF’s global medical efforts and highlight global health issues. 

Throughout the past year and a half, with COVID-19 becoming a worldwide issue, MSF was active and determined in tackling tragedies throughout the world. To highlight some of the pressing issues MSF has worked through, they launched emergency intervention throughout 2020 to help vaccinate more than 340,000 children, provided over 60,000 liters of drinking water a day to combat devastating floods in South Sudan, gave medical care to victims of the explosion in Lebanon, aided refugees in Ethiopia, and provided medical care and mental health services to migrants along the United States-Mexico Border. Needless to say, the University’s chapter of Friends of MSF is working to make the world a better place. 

The Chairperson of the Special Events Committee and senior member Emily Deschler ’22 believes in the important work of Doctors Without Borders and the University’s support and awareness for the cause. “I love collaborating with club members to plan and organize fundraising events to raise money for MSF. Last year’s virtual fundraising drive, Bucknell Beyond Borders, was a huge success as our club exceeded our fundraising goal and raised over $5,400 to support MSF’s response to emergencies around the world. I feel very blessed to be able to contribute to MSF’s mission of providing lifesaving medical aid to those who need it most,” Deschler said.

Bucknell Friends of MSF already has a lot to be proud of through its work and committed members, yet it welcomes any member of the University who is interested in supporting access to quality medical care for all, regardless of race, religion, political affiliation, or socioeconomic status. The club meets bi-weekly and encourages its members to get more involved in organizing advocacy campaigns and fundraisers and help spread awareness through their social media accounts by joining the Advocacy Committee, the Special Events Committee, or the Social Media Committee.

New members can join by contacting Chapter President Rosie Burynski ’23 ([email protected]), or DMing the club’s Instagram account! Be sure to check out and support their Instagram and Twitter pages (@bucknell_fomsf)!