Lilliam Ambroggio, MPH, '08 earned her public health degree concentrating in epidemiology this spring. But, she didn’t stop there.
Instead, she headed to Africa, along with her friend and second-year medical student, Joseph Douglas Johnson, and started the process of building a much-needed health clinic in the village of Sidobe. The village is located near Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe.
It all started when the village headman, Mr. Mopfu, asked his physician, Dr. Edmund Munatsi, to build a medical clinic in his village. Joseph, Lilliam’s friend, worked with Dr. Munatsi last year, and the seeds to start a clinic were planted.
Now a PhD candidate at the School of Public Health, Lilliam went to Africa this summer to visit rural clinics. She learned the process of establishing and running a sustainable clinic and will apply this to the medical clinic in Sidobe that is wanted and requested by the villagers of Sidobe.
Lilliam spent five weeks in Africa. She first spent time in Tanzania and Botswana visiting the urban and rural hospitals and clinics taking inventory on everything from medical supplies and equipment to staff and pharmaceuticals. She also made detailed notes of the major ailments, antenatal care and medical data from those clinics.
She then traveled to Sidobe and spent time with the villagers.
“I got to talk in depth with Mr. Mopfu about the village and the expectations he and his constituents have for the clinic,” said Lilliam.
“I gained a greater understanding about village life and the challenges that they face in their daily lives. For instance, excessive rains and political instability has caused a severe food shortage, and the villagers are unsure of what will happen when the food runs out.”
It was hard for Lilliam to come to grips with the knowledge that the villagers were tying to eat every other day to make their food last as long as possible, when this is not a concern for her back home.
Yet, she will work even harder to establish the clinic over the next few years.
“The Sidobe Project is unlike many others in that it was initiated by the community that it will benefit. This speaks well for the clinic’s long-term sustainability,” said Lilliam.
The MPH degree taught her how to look at various factors that contribute to a community and how these factors contribute to the overall health of the individuals. Her degree helped her know what questions to ask during her visit and will continue to be of use with her work on The Sidobe Project. Most noticeably, she’s learned that a successful project is one that the community requests from the beginning
Lilliam plans to return to Africa in 2010 to ensure that the clinic is functional and underway. While construction is slated to start in spring 2009, fundraising will continue for the next two years.
Back at Drexel University, Lilliam is studying for her PhD in Epidemiology and working under the advisement of Alison Evans, Sc.D. Her long-term career goal is to do research in pediatric infectious disease.
For more information on The Sidobe Project or to make a donation, please visit www.holistichealthinternational.org.
For more profiles of students "living" public health at Drexel University, please visit the main Student Profiles page.