Global Fieldwork Experiences
One thing that all my work has in common is a global dimension. Working abroad in other cultures is an interesting and rewarding experience and something I hope to continue doing.
Mbouda, Cameroon
- Service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mbouda, Cameroon
From June 2011 to August 2013 I served as a Information and Communication Technology Education Volunteer in Mbouda, Cameroon. During this time, my primary responsibility was to teach computer classes at a local high school. I also had the opportunity to work on a variety of secondary projects incluing a youth club, some work with a Cameroonian start-up incubator, and projects with the local women’s center. During my two years there, I experienced quite a bit of Cameroonian culture and the work environment. My time there eventually inspired my graduate studies, leading to my further participation in HESE.
GBHS Mbouda
- HESE Field Research in Nyeri, Kenya
In Summer 2014, I traveled to Nyeri, Kenya with a group of HESE students in order to conduct research about data collection by community health workers (CHWs). We spent approximately three weeks observing and interviewing the CHWs as they worked in and around Nyeri, Kenya. This field research directly led to two publications about the Mashavu CHWs and their workflows. One of the major findings of this research was the role that relationships, between the CHWs and the community members they serve, play in potential data collection opportunities. Interactions with CHWs often involved multiple community members simultaneously and involved different types of information flows depending on the nature of each customer and relationship. Designing data collection technologies that address some of these issues would be a gamer changer for health information data collection in developing countries.
Mashavu Data Collection Team – Nyeri, Kenya, May 2014
- Extended HESE Field Research in Makeni, Sierra Leone
In Summer 2016, I again took part in a HESE field research trip, this time to Makeni, Sierra Leone. While all the other students spent three weeks working on their ventures, I had the opportunity to stay a total of three months in Makeni in order to work on several research studies related to diabetes screening and affordable greenhouses. This time allowed me to work very closely and deeply with a social enterprise (GRO Greenhouses), something I had not been able to do with such depth before. Additionally, I was responsible for conducting a pilot study centered around diabetes testing strips and their ability to be sold. After allowing this study to run for several months, I interviewed the healthcare professionals involved with the study in order to collect recommendations for a diabetes test strip business. The lessons learned and relationships made while I was in Makeni were all quite valuable and made my time there a great experience.
Diabetes Screening Training Sessions – Sierra Leone
GRO Greenhouses – Sierra Leone
