Final Reflection: Before Departing to Zambia

My research topic for the summer is with the Sani Foundation and their goal is to change the attitudes of people towards disabilities and promote inclusivity. Exploring my research topic started off easy because we were collecting a good amount of research articles on disabilities within Zambia but then trying to delve deeper became difficult because a lot of research still has to be done. Of the organizations that we found, most didn’t have a website and a couple had a Facebook page. Even tracking down addresses for these organizations took some time. This just told my research partner, Erica, and I that we’ll be able to gather most of our needed information while in country.

Erica and I didn’t have a set idea for what our research topic would focus on so we started gathering any research articles we could find and from those, there were multiple avenues we could pick from. Granted, a lot of these topics were interconnected; we couldn’t just pick one without taking about at least two others. One topic that really hurt to read about was parents and how challenging it is to be a parent of a child with disability. If a random person thinks that you’re not raising your child properly, it might not bother you because you have no ties but if someone from your community tells you, it will affect you. For the pregnant women with disabilities, reading about what they went through was harder for me because they were being judged constantly when they needed support the most. I realized that I might have to push my feelings down because there is a possibility Erica and I will come across harsh opinions we don’t agree with it. After our research presentation, I’m glad that Tatyana brought up the point that education, as means to change attitudes and stigma towards people with disabilities, is a Westernized way of thinking because that’s something I never even realized.

While in Zambia, I plan on remaining open-minded because our research topic might change or we might not be able to contact certain organizations. Once we have chosen our topic, the plan is to contact as many stakeholders as possible so that we have ample amount of information. I want our research to not only help the Sani Foundation but other organizations that want to make programs and offer services for people with disabilities.

My personal learning goals have stayed the same. One thing I might add is working on my presentation skills. Speaking in front of groups, on topics that do interest me, are less difficult but I still get nervous. This summer will give the perfect opportunity to continuously practice so that by the time we present at the end of the program, I’ll be ready.

I’m becoming a bit nervous (but still very excited!) because the numbers of days until departure are becoming smaller and smaller. This will be my first time traveling outside of the US and I’m thrilled to make the most out of it.