What is your initiative?

My initiative strives to promote the reproductive health of young women living in Moshi, Tanzania through the accessibility of sustainable healthcare resources, services, education, and empowerment programs. This initiative will collaborate with community stakeholders to build capacity and skills for sustainably addressing the burden of women’s reproductive health issues, including cervical cancer and HPV prevention, menstrual health and hygiene for schoolgirls, and adolescent contraception.

What is your connection to your chosen community?

My connection to this community first began when visiting Tanzania in 2017 as a guest at a primary school in Arusha. Upon entering the Health Sciences program at Queen’s, I got to study under Dr. Jenn Carpenter, who is one of the founders of Pamoja Tunaweza Women’s Centre (PTWC) in Moshi. Since then, I have focused my studies on female reproductive health and global health advocacy in hopes of supporting the PTWC clinic and research efforts, with my life goal being to improve female health inequities in low-income countries.

What are you looking forward to this year?

I look forward to building meaningful connections, developing skills in advocacy, and contributing to sustainable improvements in women’s health. I hope to learn as much as I can from the lived experiences and expertise of my peers and the community!