First Dornsife Global Development Scholar Hits Ground Running in Zambia May 5, 2014 Valerissa Baker, an undergraduate student majoring in biology with a public health minor, was recently selected as the first Dornsife Global Development Scholar at Drexel University in April. An experienced world traveler who can speak several languages, she is already making a meaningful impact on addressing poor water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in African communities. Once selected, Valerissa quickly packed her bags and traveled to Zambia, where she is partnering with the international humanitarian organization World Vision International and its Southern Africa Region WASH Learning Center (SAR WASH LC) team to significantly improve child well-‐ being by enabling families and communities to achieve sustainable access to adequate safe water, improved sanitation facilities and good hygiene practices. According to World Vision, WASH contribute significantly to the death of children under the age of five. In the world today, 2.6 billion people do not have access to sanitation and an estimated 884 million people do not have access to safe water supplies. The program is designed to expose the students to World Vision’s holistic developmental models as well as their approaches in water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion, and behavior change communication. Valerissa has already participated in meetings with SAR WASH LC directors in Zambia (image below). You can keep up-to-date on Valerissa’s work at @DrexelGlobalH. In addition to being a Dornsife Global Development Scholar, Valerissa is also using the opportunity to work abroad as her third co-op at Drexel University. Experiential learning, such as Drexel’s unique co-op program, has been shown to improve life skills and professional development. Most undergraduate degree programs at Drexel University require students to complete at least one co-op, which also helps them to establish a professional network while a student. Valerissa will travel to different locations in Zambia, including the towns of Lusaka and Kapululwe, between April and September conducting operational research on the impact of full WASH coverage on maternal and child health. She will present her research findings and recommendations to key stakeholders. The Dornsife Global Development Scholars Program is administered by the School of Public Health’s Global Health Initiatives and the Drexel University Office of International Programs.
icon above to turn off Compatibility Mode, which is only for viewing older websites.