San Francisco International Program

The SFIP Network provides a virtual community space for participants, alumni and friends to stay connected.

If you would like to share information, ideas, opinions (and photos) please contact us.

"After my return from the SFIP in Sept. 1994, I've been actively involved, for about 6-8 weeks, in the Social Marketing Program (Health Education) of an Enviromental Health Program on Preventing Lead Poisoning, ( in the "lead polluted" area of Zlatna, in Transylvania, in Romania ), coordinated from the USAID, in collaboration with the Institut of Public Health and Health Services from Cluj-Napoca, where I was working.

Like a "continuation", I've changed, since January 1995, after a successful interview, at the UNICEF International Office - in Bucharest, to the job of UNICEF National Health Officer: my MPH degree from the Hadassah University Jerusalem ( 1992 ) and, especially, my ( then ) "recent" SFIP experience, played a "deciding" role in my appointment there.

As you also know I left Romania in summer 1996 and married my husband Dan in Germany - the city of Saarbrücken ( we have just celebrated 10 years of marriage ): Saarbrücken has about 300.000 inhabitants and is the capital city of the "federal state": Saarland, situaded just at the border with France.

I've worked here, initialy, at the Internal Medicine Clinic of the City, then as general practicioner in a primary helth service, and, since 2001 till now, as MD at the Institute for Clinical Hemostaseology and Transfusion Medicine of the University Hospital of Homburg (Saar) - at about 35 km - to east - from Saarbrücken. My actual job includes activities in the lab and in the bloodbank of the hospital but also in the section of "blood donation", partially as 24 hours duties ( about 6 times monthly ).

As you see, is a differrent work, comparing it to UNICEF and the Institute of Public Health from Cluj - Napoca, Romania, but it's an interesting, "varied", job, so as medicine, generally is, with her numberless domaines.

Eunju Oh, Korea, now works in Afghanistan at Good Neighbors International (GNI), a Korean-based nonprofit that works to promote peace and security around the world.

"I would like to tell you some exciting news for GNI. The Afghan Ministry of Women’s Affairs has asked GNI to operate the community center in Baghe-Zanana. Recently, there was a steering committee meeting consisting of French Government, European Commission, GTZ, ADS International, Ministry of Women's Affairs, and Baghe-Zanana, in which I had presented GNI, and proposed GNI's operation of the center.

Baghe-Zanana is fast becoming a symbol of the freedom for Afghan women. It is the only place where women can go and receive education, and socialize with one another, and without the interruption of men. Baghe-Zanana is also the location where the International Women's Day celebration will be held this year in Afghanistan, and I will be participating in coordinating the ceremony and celebration.

So for the community center in Baghe-Zanana, it will be run very similarly to the GNI Women's Center, in which we will run educational programs such as literacy, English, computer and clerical skills class, as well as provide services such as art classes for the children of the members, mother and baby care programs, public health awareness, family planning, etc. We will begin working in Baghe-Zanana in May, when GNI's women's center is operational. We want to run these projects simultaneously at both locations. As an added benefit, the Ministry of Women's Affairs considers the Baghe-Zanana project as one of it's highest priorities. This being the case, it also means that we will have full support of the Ministry, which would be very beneficial for our work with Project L.E.A.R.N."

San Francisco Residence Club
tel: 415/421.2220
fax: 415/421.2335
address: 851 California @ Powell (in Knob Hill, near downtown San Francisco)
price: $1,100 to $2,300/4 weeks, including meals and maid service. Discounts available for stays longer than 30 days.
payment: cash, traveler's checks, money orders. No credit cards.
note: These people are very friendly and nice to talk to. This business has been family-owned for over twenty years and is very popular with students.

VANTAGGIO: the one in Turk street is really bad, because of the location, lots of students need to change, but the one in Post is really nice though a little expensive. There is usually a very international environment and plenty of plans to join.
www.vantaggiosuites.com
All Vantaggio locations have a computer room and a free DSL line in each room
Vantaggio Turk
(complimentary breakfast; community kitchen)
835 TURK STREET
San Francisco, CA 94102
TEL: 415-922-0111
Vantaggio Union Square
(complimentary breakfast; community kitchen; walking distance from school)
580 O'FARRELL STREET
San Francisco, CA 94102
TEL: 415-885-0111
Vantaggio Cosmo
(dinner options, complimentary breakfast; community kitchen; walking distance from school)
761 POST STREET
San Francisco, CA 94109
TEL: 415-614-2400
A note about the area of Turk , Ellis and these streets where there are a lot of homeless (close to Civic Center). When I was in a language school a lot of students paid for some residences placed in that area and they found it really discouraging when they got to SF, you cannot believe until you see it and it is not a comfortable place to live. In Europe usually living in downtown is really safe, and we don´t expect this situation in SF, and what is more, since we do not know it when you see the map of the city it looks a very convenient area…

I think more web sites are necessary: careerbuilder.com hotjobs.com, sometimes entering the word “internship” is helpful to do an advanced search.

It is also very important to let them know about the cover letter (some examples can be easily found in the Internet just googling), it is really relevant when trying to apply for a position.

Ragnhild Husted of Norway, married in Norway to U.S. Citizen Richard Miller. David Strand attended the wedding. Raquild and Richard will live in Oslo where Raquild works for the Norwegian Defense Department

Kai Burr of Germany, married in Germany on July 5, 1997 to Monika Rauber.

Annette Plambeck of Germany, is getting married in Hamburg on August 2nd, 1997 to Lars Warrelmann.

The principle aims of CIF are to maintain relations, and to provide further education and the exchange of work experience between participants in CIPUSA and CIF Exchange Programmes through personal contacts and conferences;
* to sponsor recruitment and selection of new participants for CIPUSA and CIF programmes;
* to stimulate other activities deriving from the aims of CIF, i.e. exchange programmes and seminars in the field of social work and youth work;
* to facilitate the communication between members by the publication of a newsletter or by other means

Please visit their website or e-mail for further information regarding CIF.