Out of my 24 trips around the sun, I have spent about 20 of them in a classroom behind a desk. However some of my greatest lessons have not come from a well-known, respected lecturers or 5 lb. textbooks. I’ve learned the most about myself, culture, and the world in general through my experiences in other countries. I consider myself very lucky to have found an enjoyable and fulfilling career that doesn’t feel much like work at all!
Traditional Zambian Dance
In a simplified, abbreviated version, I became extremely interested in HIV/AIDS disparities among minorities while on an alternative spring break trip in college. While this trip only took me across the country (Los Angeles, California), it opened up my eyes to the burden African Americans, especially women, were carrying in the epidemic. Fast forward about a year, I decided that I wanted to make contributions toward fighting HIV/AIDS among vulnerable populations.
Traditional Zambian Meal
After Spelman I started a Master in Public Health degree at Emory University in Atlanta. Still very new to the world of public health, I sought out any and every opportunity in HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment. This led to my first career-related international travel opportunity. After my first year at Emory, I traveled to Zambia as a graduate research assistant with the Zambia Emory HIV Research Group. I had naïvely volunteered myself to conduct research on condom and contraceptive use among female sex workers. Had I ever worked with female sex workers or any other high risk population? No. Did I really know what I was doing? Not one bit. But I knew these were regular women who were 13x more likely to contract HIV due to: 1) living in Africa and 2) low condom use with various partners. So I took my passion for eradicating HIV and willingness to learn to Zambia for three months. My focus groups were pretty much used to get the dirt on what it’s like to be sex worker in Lusaka and Ndola, Zambia! I learned about common myths about contraceptives failing and how difficult it is for them to negotiate condom use. Female sex workers are often offered up to 10x more money to not use condoms! While this puts their health at risk, it allows them provide for their children. By the end of the summer, my perception of these women and their struggle changed immensely. I left feeling a bit helpless. I had spent the summer giving this marginalized population a voice; room to openly discuss their fears, concerns, and needs as women, mothers, and community members. From this I then decided that I wanted to meet their needs.
In the last few months of grad school I applied to work with the HIV Key Populations team at the US Agency for International Development (USAID). ‘Key Populations’ are defined by the criminalization, marginalization, and stigmatization they face their communities as a result of behaviors engaged in. This includes female sex workers, men who have sex with men, transgender individuals, and injection drug users. These populations are disproportionately impacted by HIV and struggle to receive adequate care due to discrimination in healthcare settings. The key populations’ team at USAID aims to break down these barriers so that these individuals have adequate access to HIV and STI care and treatment. So far my work has taken me to Cameroon, where CARE, USAID, and PEPFAR are implementing programs to increase HIV prevention, care and treatment to female sex workers and men who have sex with other men. For me, there is simply nothing like working on the ground and having contact with the population you are serving. It keeps me motivated to stay in this work!
Bungee Jumping over the Zambezi River