Hope Through Health is proud to partner with Princeton in Africa, an organization that provides motivated college graduates an opportunity to work in Africa for one year. Fellows work with organizations in various fields ranging from public health to social entrepreneurship.
HTH’s Princeton in Africa Fellow (PiAf) is Emily Bensen, a recent graduate from Middlebury College where she majored in Anthropology/Sociology with Global Health and French minors. Emily has public health experience from her involvement in GlobeMed, study abroad experience in Sénégal, and internships with the Charter House homeless shelter and Gardens for Health International. HTH is thrilled to have Emily as our Research and Advocacy Fellow – she has already become an invaluable team member!
Emily has written the following post reflecting on her time in Togo so far.
Rounding out my third month in Kara, Togo, I’m getting used to living my life in French instead of English, and am sinking my teeth into my work as the Research and Advocacy Fellow with Hope Through Health (HTH). HTH is the technical and financial partner of the Togolese NGO, Association Espoir Pour Demain (AED), who provides support for HIV positive members of the Kara community. In order to provide a few snapshots of my life here, I’ve decided to share two of my favorite Togo (and life) pastimes: collecting quotes, and writing in my journal.
“A long journey begins with one step.”
-Kikuyu proverb, Kenya
6/15. On Thursday, I received my first real work assignment! I’m working on finding the survival rate of our patients on antiretroviral treatment. I’ve found that patients are more successful if they receive treatment early—this is especially important for AED because we often see patients for the first time when they are already in advanced stages of AIDS. My boss, Emmanuel, asked me to present these findings at the staff meeting on Monday morning…wish me luck!
“Keep smiling, it makes people wonder what you are up to…”
-Unknown
6/17. Today, I attempted to do my laundry. I filled up my buckets with water and started splashing away, soaping up my clothes in one bucket, and rinsing them out in the other. My neighbors stared at me—the white girl who’s new to the compound trying to do her laundry—in silence, the whole time. I tried to keep a constant smile on my face and make eye contact with them ever so often as if to say, “ah, I just love doing my laundry like this and it comes so naturally to me, see?”
“All alone! Whether you like it or not, alone is something you’ll be quite a lot!” -Dr. Seuss
8/24. This morning I went to church, by myself. A month ago, I would have anxiously texted everyone in my phone (totaling about 7 people I think…) asking if they wanted to come with me. But today, I just showed up and sat down. It was the same satisfaction as when I finally felt comfortable eating a meal by myself in the dining hall in college. It’s ok to be alone among lots of people—I’m starting to feel at home here.
“Disease and disasters come and go like rain, but health is like the sun that illuminates the entire village.” -Luo proverb, Lake Victoria
8/27. After a few minutes, Anisha welcomed everyone and introduced the theme of the day’s discussion: side effects of antiretroviral treatment. She asked the kids to go around the circle one by one and talk about some of the side effects they experience from taking their medicine. The first girl, about 15, was a little shy. She covered her mouth with her hand and whispered, “After I take my medicine, I feel really dizzy. I think they call it vertigo”. A boy across the circle stood up in excitement and called out, “I know exactly what you mean!” Everyone giggled and nodded in agreement. Today I have the kids to thank for a break from the hustle and bustle of the administrative building and a reminder of our common mission: for HIV positive Togolese reach their full potential.
It’s a momentous time to be living in West Africa, and I feel more passionate about the importance of global health than ever. While I am saddened by the news day after day, I am ever grateful for this opportunity to be involved in strengthening health systems and addressing the complex social determinants of community health.