Final Reflections: Action Plan and Personal Learning Goal Updates

As the end of the semester approaches and as I arrive at the final stages of preparing for my experience in country, I realize that I have grown in ways already that I had not foreseen at the beginning of this semester and at the beginning of this process of preparing for my time in Zambia. I was more than thrilled when I discovered I would be working with the Zambian Governance Foundation (ZGF) this summer, especially after researching the real impact they have in Zambian communities, and the mission statement they abide by: strengthening the role of civil society in pro- poor policy engagement and community development. After James and I received our initial research topic from ZGF concerning the “specifics” of our assignment, we realized that the possibilities of what we could delve into were literally endless. Nevertheless, we did zone into two particular aspects of the assignment that further defined how to approach our research: the concept of asset based community development and the realm of health accountability. While we have identified more specific aspects of research that we will focus on, the scope of our topic is still extremely broad, as we have not received any vital, further guidance regarding the purpose of our research which ultimately influences the direction that our research will go in. Despite the current state of ambiguity surrounding our project, James and I have already begun brainstorming potential topics that fall under the umbrella theme of health accountability and incorporate mechanisms of asset based community development, which is arguably the most effective mode for successful policy implementation and practice. One of these potential topics that James and I have identified as particularly fascinating is the problem of Zambia’s infant mortality rate (74.2 per 1000 live births)- which stands at a rate significantly higher than that identified by WHO Africa (55 per 1000 live births). This discrepancy obviously points to a serious issue in Zambia’s health sector, which does not necessarily stem from lacking education of health professionals in tackling this issue, which James and I realized after reading over research conducted by Zambian doctors on this topic. Thus, we can only hypothesize that this disturbing statistic stems from ineffective community health policies that allow this serious problem to continue. I foresee that during the course of researching current health policies pertaining to infant mortality in Zambia, we will incorporate the asset based community development approach by utilizing the resources that Zambian communities have available to them in implementing/adjusting current policies and emphasizing the importance of community education surrounding this issue so as to assure sustainability. Additionally, I foresee James and I conducting research into the health policies surrounding infant mortality in surrounding Southern African nations that have lower infant mortality rates in order to have a greater understanding of what works and what doesn’t, in the context of similar nations. Additionally, we will likely be in contact with various professional health organizations that hold offices in Zambia, such as WHO and the Zambian Ministry of Health. Therefore, our first steps will likely be to contact these organizations to not only gain a greater insight to the current Zambian health policies in place pertaining to infant mortality, but also and understand the cultural context of these policies and recognize what the weaknesses of the system are. This will allow us to begin the process of comprehending what possible solutions can be implemented, through the ABCD approach.

In terms of my personal learning goals, I feel as though I have fostered new goals and perceptions of my upcoming experience that I did not foresee at the beginning of this process. Particularly, I did not foresee the impact that a greater awareness of my own identity would have. Through the discussions in class surrounding privilege, cultural backgrounds, and personal values, I genuinely feel as though I have gained a clearer insight to who I am as a person- clarity I did not have just a few months ago. I believe that this clarity of knowing myself, my roots, and most importantly, my privilege, will guide my actions and perceptions of day to day experiences in Zambia and will allow me to reflect more deeply and more meaningfully. Additionally, through initial research on the context of health in Zambia and through conversations in class, I have begun to experience a shift in my mindset that I intend to continue fostering throughout my experience- this shift simply being recognizing the importance of humility, keeping myself grounded and in check with the unimportance of my presence. While that sounds harsh, I have come to understand that it is an important realization in keeping myself grounded and keeping my ego in check- because while we all might not admit it, at times we are not all as humble as we likely should be. To conclude, I could not be more grateful for the seminar that I have taken part in this semester, as it truly has prompted me to grow as a person and has greatly prepared me for the incredible experience I am about to take part in.