2021 Summer Blogs – Page 10 – Gillings Around the globe

Finding the light in a remote internship

Posted on June 21, 2021 by nayavill

As a mother I am so passionate about children and their rights, when I was looking for a practicum, I was hopeful to be working with an organization whose mission is like mine. I believe that all children have the right to be safe and to access to basic needs especially water; this intersects with the UNICEF vision statement which is “to create a world where the rights of every child are realized.” My dream became true, and I was accepted to do my summer internship with the UNICEF where I am currently working with their Water and Sanitation team focusing on the Middle East which is the region where I came from. Since the beginning of the practicum, I was hoping that it will be in person, I miss meeting new friends and learning about their work experiences and networking. I feel being online makes it harder to open new conversations and its more challenging to deal with the online technical issues. Despite those challenges I promised myself to make the best use of my time and to make my internship a fruitful one. Since the first day of the practicum, I set myself daily reminders which are:

Every day is a new day.
I will do the best of what I can.
I am always proud of my accomplishments
I will reach out and ask questions.

An opportunity to work with the Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) team is unique. This practicum is a great opportunity for me to use the knowledge and skills I gained from the first two semesters of my graduate program to help communities around the world. Through my 200 hours training I will be working with the Country Engagement team at UNICEF to develop an engagement strategy so we can expand UNICEF’s work in the Middle East. I will also write a report about the role different UNICEF partners play in different region and how we can expand their work beyond water Sanitation and Hygiene to focus on other areas such as COVID-19. In the first two weeks of the practicum, I enjoyed attending SAWA’s teams’ meetings and webinars on important topics. I have also participated in discussions on how to engage more countries from the MENA region (Middle East and North Africa) in SWAs’ work. It was very interesting to learn about the great work those teams are doing all over the world. I am so hopeful that by the end of the internship I will gain more practical skills which I can apply in my future career.

– Alaa

Zooming to Zambia

Posted on June 17, 2021 by nayavill

With the school not approving Summer travels, I knew it was highly improbable for me to travel to Lusaka, Zambia, for my practicum. Nevertheless, I had the tiniest hope that things would work out just in time to make the journey possible. I felt like I deserved the trip after a semester-long love-hate affair with virtual meetings and zoom (zoom fatigue). Somehow, my “tiniest hope” yielded nothing, as I am still here in the triangle, collaborating with the research team in Zambia via zoom. I call it Zooming to Zambia!

To cope with the disappointment, I decided to make a mental visit to Zambia. In my mind, I arrived in Lusaka (Zambia) on May 17, 2021, to commence my practicum, and since then, I wake up each day saying Zikomo kwambiri, a phrase in Zambia that means “thank you very much.” I say this phrase for a couple of reasons. First, it helps me stay focused on my practicum work. Waking up to this phrase gives me a mindset of rolling up my sleeves and working on my daily goals. Second, to express my gratitude for the opportunity to work on a project I am passionate about. I did not come about this latter reason arbitrarily. Having a heart of gratitude has defined my existence over the past year, and it has seen me through the endless days of zoom fatigue and feelings of isolation.

My practicum is qualitative research to assess the feasibility and acceptability of engaging family members to support HIV-positive mothers to practice recommended infant care and feeding practices, and adherence to antiretroviral therapy. We are using a formative research technique- the Trial of Improved Practices (TIPs) for this study. So far, the work has been gratifying and deeply rewarding. On weekdays, I have a regular work schedule. In addition, I have virtual meetings with my preceptor, Dr. Stephanie Martin, to assess the progress of the study, and I also meet with the research team to review the data and troubleshoot the various challenges and hurdles experienced by the data collectors. Through the research, I look forward to gaining a thorough understanding of the role of partners and other support systems in the prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

To rejuvenate and recharge, I ensure my Saturdays are work-free. I use this time off to hike with international friends and pursue other interests. I recently took a hike at the Raven Rock State Park (see the goofy pictures). Upcoming hikes will be all-day hikes at the Hanging Rock and Appalachian Trail.

For now, even though I am stuck with zoom and virtual meetings, I could not have asked for a better practicum, preceptor, and research team. So I am grateful for the opportunity, and the tech that make virtual collaborations possible. For these reasons, I say Zikomo Kwambiri.

–Olu Adeniran

Zikomo Kwambiri is from the Nyanja language, which is spoken widely in Lusaka.

Just Keep Hiking

Posted on June 17, 2021 by nayavill

For my summer practicum, I am working at PHEAL-ED, a nonprofit research collaborative between UNC and Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST) based in Western Uganda. The collaborative is on the site of a government funded health center (think of something between an overnight clinic and a full hospital).

In 2018, PHEAL-ED received 200 Sickle Cell rapid testing kits as a donation from Biomedomics, in Durham, North Carolina. While the individuals who received the tests were not gathered from a statistically random sample, the results of the testing showed a significantly high proportion of individuals with Sickle Cell Disease (SCD) or Sickle Cell Trait (SCT), in some cases 2-3 times higher than has been found in the surrounding region. So, the government health center and PHEAL-ED began thinking about the possibility of starting a dedicated Sickle Cell Clinic, where individuals with SCD or SCT can come and receive treatment, counseling, and education on the disease.

To assess the need for such a clinic and the feasibility of providing those services, PHEAL-ED needed some background information on the situation in Bugoye subcounty (the community this health center serves). My job is to assess the community and provider awareness of SCD and the current services available to those with SCD (clinics, drug shops, traditional healers, etc.). Then using this information, propose what is needed to conduct a monthly Sickle Cell Clinic and the community’s receptiveness to the service / likelihood of service utilization.

So far, my work has been based around assessing SCD awareness through household surveys in the 35 villages of the subcounty. As of this week we have surveyed 21 of the 35 villages. We have also visited 3 healthcare facilities in the subcounty to provider awareness of SCD, and then 5 healthcare facilities in the nearest large town to collect data from each of their Records Departments on the number of SCD cases each facility has received in the Inpatient, Outpatient, or Laboratory Departments.

The practicum challenges so far are mainly centered around the location. This area is right on the equator, and the strength of the sun here can sometimes be unbearable. Additionally, this subcounty includes portions of the Rwenzori Mountain Range and the valleys between the mountains. So much of my day in this survey portion of the project has been hiking up and down the mountains to reach each village. While I don’t know the main local language, this community also speaks and understands Rutooro, the language used just north of our location. Being able to communicate with the community as I travel and survey villages has been an enormous aid in the efforts of the project. Additionally, PHEAL-ED has graciously hired a research assistant for my practicum project to further aid me in more accurate translations and the establishment of community trust.

Meeting with a VHT from Rwakingi IA Village to discuss SCD and the reason for our survey. Both permission for photo and the explanation for its use was given before photo was taken

What I am most excited about is pulling all the information together and getting to present a case for a full Sickle Cell Clinic (or referral to other nearby SCD service, if one is found). We’ve already discovered dozens of children with SCD and the community is has expressed such a demand for this clinic. Since the project began, the word has spread like wildfire, and every evening when I return to the hospital compound (where my house is), they tell me that even more people have come, traversing the long distance to reach the hospital and inquire about this SCD Clinic. The community understands the dangers of SCD, its prevalence in their district, and are desperate for solution.

So I’m going to keep hiking and gathering data, doing whatever I can to finish this first step towards their solution.

– Tiffany