The Laidlaw Scholarship Programme undoubtedly became one of the most invaluable experiences I had during my undergraduate studies. I had the opportunity to not only take part in research to innovate solutions, but also to weave these learnings into real-world contexts. It constantly challenged me to think of resourceful ways to deal with situations, be it in my research project or in my leadership experience.
In my first summer, I went to the University of Leeds to work on deploying ion-exchange resins for fluoride removal in high-fluoride regions of Tanzania. I encountered numerous failures when I was running my fluoride column experiments. I had to place the resins in the syringe and secure a filter paper on top of this bed to prevent them from shifting under water pressure, ensuring that the fluoride removal was uniform. But when I placed the filter paper on top, it was too thin and kept tearing apart even under the slightest pressure. I needed to maintain the balance between the speed of the water and not disrupting the resin bed. This prompted me to rethink my approach to the experimental set-up. Taking funding into consideration, I layered multiple filter papers to ensure it was strong enough to push the resin bed so it would not separate. This hindrance taught me that sometimes fixes to the methodology do not come from grand innovations, but from the patience to make small adjustments in your work. It pushed me to be more resilient towards problems, as I learnt to remain composed in moments of obstacles and turn towards looking at details of things I work on. It enabled me to become adaptive and reflective when it comes to the things I do. It was an important lesson to allow myself to embrace imperfections in various facets of life.
Aside from experimental skills, this programme amplified my understanding of ethical leadership in research. All throughout the research, we kept confronting how we can ensure that the solutions we develop will not inadvertently undermine the communities we wanted to help. Tanzania has its own existing practices and traditions which have sustained across generations. For example, the locals utilise bone char as a form of natural filtering material made from animal bones to remove fluoride. We did not want to impose our innovation on them from a space of superiority, stripping them away from their agency in how things are normally done. To avoid this saviour complex, we partnered with a local university to co-create a solution with them by hearing their first-hand experience with excess fluoride issues. Ethical research entails having respectful conversations, as those we intend to serve through our research are not passive, but active recipients in their own development. The Laidlaw programme is continuously shaping the way I approach research, grounding it both in scientific rigor and in empathy.
Moving into my leadership project, I carried these values with me as I took on a wide array of roles at Branches of Hope. In many ways I felt that my work was an extension of my research experience. In Leeds, I was investigating the effectiveness of a physical intervention to protect communities from dental and skeletal fluorosis. At Branches of Hope, I am working with the STOP team which is centered around providing psychosocial and legal support to survivors of human trafficking. Although the contexts of each respective project was different, both parts of the programme gave me insights into different aspects of health; mental and physical health which are often intertwined. Given this, I recognised that the most sustainable impact comes from not doing things for the community, but empowering the community itself to lead. Rather than positioning ourselves as experts delivering top-down solutions, it is important to invite community members to take ownership of the workshops and outreach initiatives. By placing the community at the forefront, we also honoured their capacity to shape their own well-being. By doing that, this increased their personal competence and helped individuals achieve a sense of mastery over their own lives. It is from my amazing supervisor that I learnt that leadership encompasses finding reasons to include rather than exclude them from our services. Instead of assuming their story, we need to listen to them to gain a deeper understanding of systemic barriers that are present, which will allow for us to create conditions for others to find their own dignity.
Moreover, I worked with a diverse team from different corners of the world, including the Philippines and Australia. Each person in the team brought in distinct expertise and cultural lenses. Besides engaging in discussions about our respective cultures, the way everyone approached problems was very unique. I noticed how one member prioritised structural efficiency more, whereas another member would ideate beyond the established ways to support our client’s needs better. When we encountered challenges, it was a combination of these ideas that helped us to resolve setbacks and guide us forward. This experience helped me to embrace disagreements as an opportunity for a more nuanced understanding of a topic, rather than obstacles. True collaboration requires courage to challenge your own perspectives and humility to recognise that your perspective is not the only way of seeing the world. Hence, being a global citizen to me means leading with curiosity and openness. Understanding divergent perspectives is essential to being able to solve problems, as more often than not, we have our own assumptions and biases that we are not aware of. By engaging in cross-cultural conversation, you not only learn about others but also importantly yourself.
Looking back on my journey with Laidlaw, I changed in many ways I never anticipated when I first embarked. As the Annual Laidlaw Conference stressed last year, bravery is not the absence of fear but choosing to proceed even in conjunction with those fears. Although I entered as a curious student eager to acquire research experience, I was extremely nervous about moving abroad for 2 months and navigating a world that is completely different from mine. I was uncertain about what lay ahead of me, but upon completing the research, I left with much more than research experience. I left with meaningful friendships, encouraging mentorship from my supervisors, and a transformed world lens. My lens is continuously expanding as I now complete my leadership project. I hope to carry these values I gained from Laidlaw into my personal and professional life in the future, in which I approach problems with a learner’s humility instead of expertise. Even when it is difficult, I want to be as compassionate and open-minded as possible to perspectives which do not align with my own. I will continue serving my community, however small the steps, because I now know that meaningful change comes from starting with the courage to show up and commit to listening to others.