Guest blog post by Caroline Nelson, MPH-RD student, Kenan Foundation Asia Joan Gillings Public Health Intern
This summer I’ve had the opportunity to live in Bangkok, Thailand for ten weeks to participate in the Kenan Foundation Asia Joan Gillings Public Health Internship in Asia NextGen Healthy Aging Program. Though challenging at times, this internship has been a once in a lifetime learning experience that I am very thankful to have accomplished.
When I arrived in Bangkok, I was rather nervous to spend ten weeks in a completely new environment, surrounded by a different language, culture, and way of life . This soon changed once I was introduced to the incredibly warm and kind people that make up this beautiful country. As soon as the other interns and I entered the Kenan Foundation Asia office on our first day, we were immediately welcomed with open arms. My preceptor, nicknamed K. Pop, has been very supportive of this educational experience, and has included me on several important projects and events.
My favorite event was a community health event that took place in the Khlong Toei community of Bangkok. This district contains some of the largest wealth gaps in Bangkok and a goal of the Kenan Foundation Asia is to improve health disparities for refugees and lower socioeconomic citizens. This event was led by community leaders and change agents who are working to provide better public health resources to their elderly neighbors. Thailand will be a super-aged society by 2030 and the geriatric population already is struggling with obesity, type two diabetes, and hypertension, so Kenan is aiding communities in preventative healthcare education. The community leaders led aerobics classes, meditation sessions, provided blood glucose and blood pressure checks, and massages. It was very informative to observe this health event and see how engaged the community is on their collective health. Participating in this event helped me realize that listening to the community and understanding their personal needs is more impactful than instilling one’s own desires or goals as an outsider.
My main project as an intern is to create a Health Literacy Training Event for key change agents in Khlong Toei. This falls under the Pfizer Healthy Aging Project in which Kenan has focused on providing preventative interventions to the super-aging population in Thailand.
When we are not in the office, the other interns and I travel around Southeast Asia. So far, I have visited Laos, Cambodia, and various cities in Thailand such as Phuket, Chiang Rai, Chiang Mai, and Ayutthaya. The other interns and I get along very well, and we have enjoyed traveling throughout the area together.
Here we are attending the WATS conference in Bangkok.
– Caroline
“I’m so excited to be using this funding to return to a country where I have spent a formative part of my life and made so many friends and connections. I have lived in the Amazon of Ecuador, the Andes, and now will be able to live in the Galapagos for a time. Ecuador is one of my passions, and I’m so grateful that thanks to the Global Practice Award I am able to continue learning about a new part of the country and culture I have grown to love. This has also allowed me to work with an incredible research team and learn from Dr. Clare Barrington, an expert in qualitative research, about the process and expectations for qualitative research.”
“Being selected for a Global Practice Award has opened up many doors and removed many barriers. With these funds, I will be able to work with a leading United Nations agency and learn how to tackle the most pressing policy challenges on a global scale.”
“This funding is incredibly helpful. There are a lot of upfront costs associated with going to South Africa, and knowing that I have this funding is hugely helpful as I make those preparations. Receiving funding has also helped me focus on being a student without worrying about financing my practicum. For a while I wasn’t sure if I was going to be able to go abroad, but ultimately I was able to choose a practicum that really aligned with my interests. I’m grateful for financial support to pursue this opportunity.”
“I feel really lucky to be selected for the Global Practice Award. My practicum would not have been possible without this funding. I would have had to take out loans if I did want to pursue this practicum. It’s definitely really helpful. I’ve always wanted to work in Asia, and it’s one of my careers goals. This is really meaningful and I feel privileged to have been awarded this money.”
“Being able to work and travel abroad is really a privilege and having this financial support is going to enable me to do that. Working abroad in public health is something I’ve seen colleagues do and has been a dream of mine to actually get to do myself. This money is really meaningful to me and is going to make this experience possible. I’m excited for my practicum, as maternal mortality prevention has been an interest of mine, but getting to see how it is practiced in the field with vulnerable populations from different cultural backgrounds is going to be really informative to my education and allow me to bring best practices back to the Chapel Hill community.”
“Receiving this funding is an incredible opportunity for me as it allows me to give back to my home country! I am excited to go back home and to use knowledge and skills that I developed in recent years and learn how to adapt them within the context of Mauritius. I will be working with Gender Links, an NGO that strongly advocates for the advancement of women. I left Mauritius since I was 18, mostly oblivious of the challenges that women face. As I have grown and developed into a woman myself within the North American context, I have often reflected on what being a woman means within the Mauritian context. I am especially grateful that the funding will allow me to better understand the realities of the Mauritian women and contribute to her advancement.”
“When I found out that I received the Global Practice Award to support my practicum, I felt an enormous amount of relief! I am so grateful for the generosity of funders so that I can prepare for and fully embrace my practicum in Kenya without being overly-concerned about finances.”
“Receiving the Global Practice Award for my practicum with Save the Children allows me the space to truly focus on my work rather than worrying about working a second job. Knowing that I have the funding means I can put all of my energy into my work, take on additional projects, and professional development opportunities at Save the Children that will help me build towards the career that I want.”
“Receiving the Global Practice Award is a major support and encouragement in accepting a practicum that excites me, develops a variety of public health skills, and offers the privilege of collaborating in new community and cultural contexts. It shows how the school and alumni value our opportunities and ambitions to engage in meaningful global health work.”
“Receiving the Global Practice Award is incredibly meaningful. It has allowed me the opportunity to focus on my work in adolescent mental health while gathering the necessary quantitative evaluation skills for my continued career in global public health—and I couldn’t do that without this incredibly generous funding.”