A midwife and an obstetrician meet at orientation…

Cathy Han, Ariel Bernstein, and Dr. Bameka Agery at the Busoga Health Forum office in Jinja, Uganda Ariel and I met during an orientation week at Harvard T.H. Chan. She is a midwife from Maine, and I am an obstetrician from California. We were both interested in volunteering in Uganda, a country with a high maternal mortality rate of 284 maternal deaths per 100,000 women, compared to 21 per 100,000…

What Do Changes in Ghana’s Fisheries Mean For Food Security

Idongesit Sampson, MPH ’24 (left) practicing net crafting with a fisherman in Mumford, Central Region, Ghana By Idongesit Sampson Rose Service Learning Fellow MPH Candidate, Health and Social Behavior The Republic of Ghana, often called the “Gateway to Africa,” is one of the many breathtaking African countries nestled on the continent’s west coast. It is renowned for its stunning landscapes and vibrant coastline, which boasts stunning beaches and vibrant fishing…

Mental Health Awareness in Ecuadorean Schools Through an Art-based Protocol

Francisco Alvarez, MPH’24 with Ecuadorean school educators and other participants

Francisco Alvarez, MPH ’24 with Ecuadorean school educators, school directors, and health professionals who participated in the Pre-Text Protocol workshop. By Francisco Alvarez Rose Service Learning Fellow MPH Candidate, Health Management I spent my last seven years working at one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. I graduated as an economist and have always been passionate about making innovative, groundbreaking, and essential therapies accessible to everyone. Personal family…

The Continued Stories of Rose Service Learning Alumni: Abrania Marrero

La Cajita Mutua (The Collective Box) Project Team

Pictured above: Abrania (left), and the La Cajita Mutua (The Collective Box) Project Team “El pan es el alimento del cuerpo; pero la libertad es el pan del alma.” Bread is the nourishment of the body; but liberty is the bread of the soul. – Luis Muñoz Rivera Let us tell a story—a story of a public health practitioner. A story of a scientist. A story of a girl from…

The Continued Stories of Rose Service Learning Alumni: Jen Cruz

Jen Cruz with Community Health Advocate Mobilization Program

Pictured above: Jen Cruz hosting the neighborhood block party for the Community Health Advocate Mobilization Program (CHAMP) With resources from the fellowship, Jen Cruz (PhD candidate) developed the Community Health Advocate Mobilization Program (CHAMP), a public health education program that provides community members with additional knowledge, skills and language that complement their lived experiences so they can more effectively advocate for the public health needs of their community.  This work…

The Continued Stories of Rose Service Learning Alumni: Esias Bedingar

Esias Bedingar presenting at the Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference

Pictured above: Esias Bedingar speaking at the Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference Esias Bedingar, PhD candidate (GHP) was awarded a Rose Service Learning Fellowship to support his work to understand more about perceptions and beliefs of Chadian youth (aged 15-24) on sexuality as it relates to HIV and AIDS transmission and prevention. Esias recently presented the results of the project as a TedX speaker at the Africa CDC Youth Pre-Conference –…

The Continued Stories of Rose Service Learning Alumni

Notes of gratitude from previous Rose Service Learning Fellows

Jocelyn Chu I found the above collection of statements as I was cleaning out my folders late last year.  We had just awarded and launched the 12th cohort of Rose Service Learning Fellows and this unexpected “find“ was a welcome surprise. These statements of appreciation and impact from past fellows confirm the transformative nature of an intentionally designed field-based learning experience. Whether it be with a local Boston-based organization or…

Moving Forward From Our Time In The Field

Sunset over an ocean

Pictured above: Sunset at the camp. This is the sea that refugees journey across from Turkey to Lesvos. By Maleeka Shrestha and Kendra Sterneck Rose Service Learning Fellows MPH Candidates, Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences Moving Forward From Our Time In The Field  With support from the Rose Service Learning Fellowship, we had the opportunity to work with Crisis Management Association (CMA) in the Mavrovouni Refugee Camp in Lesvos,…

Redefining the Field of “Global Health”: The Importance of Local Partnerships

The research team and I

Pictured above: The author, Valencia Lambert (front, right), with the research team in Mbarara, Uganda By Valencia Lambert Rose Service Learning Fellow SM Candidate, Department of Global Health From a very young age, I was convinced that my career would be in health. I liked helping people; as many of us would say. Even as a primary school student, without the proper-terminology of the concept, I vaguely understood the numerous…

Research in Rural Spaces: What Rurality Can Teach Us About Relationships and Connection.

Sophie and 3 other Interns for the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi holding up certificates in front of the office

Pictured above: Summer 2023 Interns for the Community Foundation of Northwest Mississippi By Sophie Hathaway Winokur Fellow SM Candidate, Department of Global Health and Populations My name is Sophie Hathaway, and I am a second-year Master of Science Candidate at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health, focused on Global Health and Population Studies with a concentration in Women, Gender, and Health. Today in this blog post I will outline…