Tomorrow I and four other interns will touch down in the Warm Heart of Africa, otherwise known as Malawi. This will be my third trip to Eastern Africa yet this experience I believe will stand out as one of the most profound journeys I will ever take. My reasoning being that this study aboard represents the culmination of practical, ethical, and collaborative research and innovation in maternal and newborn global health.
The Rice 360 Institute is at the forefront of creating innovative ways of solving common medical issues in low-resource settings. They represent a shift in global health that utilizes the talent pool of a university to come up with low-cost innovative medical devices. Their work has had such a profound impact that they have been named one of eight finalist for the McArthur $100 million grant. However, this study aboard is much more than just going and handing over tech that I and other interns created. Its about engaging with Malawians at the Polytechnic University and The Queen Elizabeth Hospital so that I and by extension Rice 360 can learn how to develop devices that will actually be of use. A main concern with global health these days is that low-resource settings sometimes become a tech dump for Western developers because there is no collective transnational research done on the accessibility, affordability, and effectiveness of the product. Rice 360 seeks to fill that void.
Now that I have given my spiel on the practical reasons for being a part of this study aboard, I want to discuss the much more nuanced sentimental reasoning. I was born in Eritrea, a small and relatively young East African country; in fact we just celebrated 26 years of independence. This trip represents an idea and hope that my parents instilled in me: to remember and shape the land of my birth. Growing up in America I have been provided with the skills, knowledge and opportunity to one day make a meaningful impact. My work this summer will be a testament to Rice 360’s notable work in shaping the health outcomes of Malawi and one day the whole African continent.
Here us (missing Eric) making the most of our 12 hour London layover:
