Where am I going and What am I doing?
So what exactly am I doing in Kenya and how did I find out about this? This has been a popular question from everyone so I will answer it here along with the help of links to important sites if you are really that curious. Essentially in a nutshell:
The Canadian government (Global Affairs Canada) runs and funds a program called the International Youth Internship Program in order to provide networking and professional experience to Canadian youth (Part of Government of Canada’s Youth Employment Strategy). As they write on their website, the international Youth Internship Program, along with College of the Rockies aims to:
- provide eligible Canadian youth with international experience, skills and knowledge that will prepare them for future employment;
- increase employment opportunities by promoting awareness among Canadian organizations of the advantages of integrating young Canadian professionals into their structures and programs; and,
- provide opportunities for Canadian youth to promote Canada’s international development efforts both in Canada and abroad.
College of the Rockies(COTR) is a Canadian partner organization that oversees interns and partners with international organizations to provide us with opportunities. My partnership as a Reproductive Health Outreach Officer is with Dedan Kimathi University of Technology in Nyeri, Kenya.
As per the COTR website and their provided job description:
“The objective of the Reproductive Health Outreach Officers will be to conduct research and outreach with primary and secondary schools in Nyeri. The intern will support DeKUT’s Research, Technology Management and Community Linkages (RTMCL) Division by leading training activities for Kenyan youth in areas of health and nutrition. There will also be a specific research focus on improving women and girls’ access to quality health care by building on the College’s and DeKUT’s Maternal Access and Infant Survival for Health Advancement (MAISHA) project.
The Reproductive Health Outreach Officers will work with the RTMCL Division and the Department of Nursing to:
- Perform research and analysis on current gender inequality and health issues among primary and secondary school students
- Conduct workshops and information sessions on nutrition and health for primary and secondary school students
- Explore and establish youth programs with primary and secondary school students; mentor-mentee and youth groups
- Assess and research innovative Maternal and Newborn Child Health (MNCH) nutrition strategies, health care packets, emergency strategies, use of digital tools, etc.
- Support collaboration between DeKUT and College of Rockies which builds upon the two institutions’partnership on Maternal Access and Infant Survival for Health Advancement (MAISHA) project (e.g., collecting data to support efforts to scale-up elements of the MAISHA project, assisting with efforts to sustain the work of community volunteers, etc.)”
Why did I decide to do this?
I have recently graduated from nursing and along came the time to figure out my future career. The hard part about this was I didn’t know what I wanted to do, or where I wanted to end up…but I knew I wasn’t done travelling sooo here I am. In a more eloquent way, I also was interested in gaining experience working in the international sector, expanding my skills and abilities to work in diverse, resource constrained environments, and developing both my personal and professional role as a nurse.
As many of you know I have had past exposure to international health and the diversity of health amongst alternate populations. I have witnessed the disparity within women and children’s health sectors, and have had the opportunity to participate in conferences and first-hand health teaching/ health care delivery. This past fall I had the opportunity to work in community clinics in Grenada, a resource-constrained environment and was exposed to the burdens that fall on certain populations due to the limited resources. I was able to provide culturally competent healthcare, advocate for equality within health care delivery, and gain an immense wealth of knowledge from this experience. Additionally, I have attended and participated in an international conference on women and children’s health in India. Through these experience and my duty as a global citizen, I am motivated and passionate to help provide change in meeting sustainable development goals, optimizing global health and equality in healthcare delivery.
Additionally, (back to my career goals) I would like to continue that desire to work internationally as a travel nurse or as a northern outreach nurse in the indigenous communities in Canada. I would also like to pursue a Masters of Nursing in Global health/education related field to continue integrating my passion of travel and global health into the future of our international health care sector. This internship is providing me with experience, networking and skills to help build my future professional career.
And so, that was not short or sweet…but that is why I am spending 6 months in Kenya. 
