I’ve traveled internationally many times – I’m from India so going home and coming back to Rice always involves long flights and seemingly longer immigration lines. The thought of having to travel for 2 whole days until we land in Malawi is not too daunting. I’m more nervous about what comes after  we land. After 12 years of growing up in Bangalore, India, I can confidently say I am pretty familiar with the ~organized chaos~ of a developing country. But I grew up in a big city. Twelve MILLION people big. I’m not sure how Blantyre, Malawi (population 600,000) will compare. In fact, the only thing I am sure of is that the next two months are going to be different from anything I’ve ever experienced before. Another thing I’m sure of: I will take every new experience in my stride and I am extremely excited for the adventure I am about to embark on.

I’ve spent the last 2 weeks relaxing, and exploring Austin, TX with my sister and some friends. All the downtime got me thinking about my goals for this internship and for my own personal growth.

Internship Goals

1. Introduce current Rice 360˚ technologies – We will be taking 8 different technologies (listed in my previous blog post) that have been worked on by student teams at Rice. I am eager to see how these devices could work in the setting they were made for. I hope that we will receive meaningful feedback and recommendations for future improvements, and that we will be able to better understand the special circumstances of low-resource hospitals that our devices need to cater to in order to be effective.
2. Perform Needs Finding – The opportunity to experience and observe hospitals in Malawi first-hand is extremely unique. I hope to capitalize on this opportunity, and scope out five new potential Rice 360˚ projects that future student teams can begin work on. I will be conducting interviews and observing day-to-day activities in order to gain a deeper understanding of the gaps in healthcare that we, as Rice students, can help to address.
3. Set up MUST Studio – An exciting, new task for the Malawi interns this year is to lead the set-up of a design kitchen at the Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST), similar to Rice’s OEDK. We are taking 7 suitcases filled with electronics: 3D printers, circuit components, breadboards, etc. We also designed posters with safety guidelines and instructions on how to safely and respectfully use the design space.
4. Work on assigned on-site project – When we arrive to work at the Malawi Polytechnic (the Poly), we will be split into four teams, each with one Rice intern, one Tanzania intern, and 2 Malawi interns. We will be assigned a project to work on for the duration of our time at the Poly. We will also be participating in a pitch competition in Lilongwe, so I’m super excited to get started!
5. Work on personal project – While we are there, I will have the opportunity to build a project around anything that sparks my interest! While I am an engineering student and am always eager to work on hands-on electrical and mechanical projects, I would also like to learn more about current educational barriers, training issues, and policy issues that affect the standard of care in Malawi and hopefully find a cool project to adopt for my two months there (and maybe even bring back to Rice to work on during the year)!

Personal Goals

1. Ask questions – These 2 months will surely provide many opportunities for me to ask questions. I am eager to learn about the standard of care in Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) and the other district hospitals. I am adopting a beginner’s mindset, and I am ready to learn from the nurses, staff, and my fellow interns from Malawi and Tanzania.
2. Build confidence – This summer I will be working on many different projects and I want to focus on building my own confidence in my ability to implement these projects successfully. I am confident that I will pick up new skills quickly and learn from my mentors and fellow interns. I am ready to throw myself into the unfamiliar and make the most of any challenges I face along the way.
3. Get creative – One of the most important (and fun) parts of engineering is brainstorming creative solutions. The hospital environment in Blantyre will be very different from what I am used to seeing in the US and India. One of the most important things I learned during my GLHT 360 class is the importance of coming up with simple solutions that are easy for nurses to understand, and easy for technicians to troubleshoot if things go wrong. It doesn’t matter how fancy a device looks – if the nurses and technicians don’t know how to use it, it probably won’t be much help. Sometimes the best solutions are right under our noses!
4. “Lead gently” – Dr. Leautaud used this phrase a lot during our orientation for this internship. Although I am very excited for the opportunity to help serve a community, I can only be here for 2 months. In order to create more sustainable and valuable change, I believe that it is really important to focus on empowering the members of this community to lead their own change.
5. Have fun! – Getting to spend 2 whole months in a completely new culture and environment is the experience of a lifetime. I am excited to immerse myself in a new culture, establish meaningful friendships with the people I meet, and make memories!

I can’t wait for us to finally leave for Malawi. Here’s a picture of us at the airport with 11 suitcases, ready to take on a 40 hour journey!

— Nimisha 🙂