This summer in Arusha meant a lot to me in ways I didn’t really expect going in. For my Leadership in Action project, I worked with WEHAF to distribute sustainable pads and help build out a sexual health curriculum with local teachers. After talking more with local teachers, I realized teachers specifically wanted better ways to teach topics like female genital mutilation and early marriage, which aren’t always easy to talk about. We tried out lessons in classrooms and then adjusted them based on what teachers told us, which made me rethink what it actually means to make educational materials. 

I also spent a lot of my time volunteering in the labor and delivery unit and the emergency department, which ended up being one of my favorite parts. I loved being in those spaces. It was really interesting seeing how different the equipment and clinical practices were compared to what I’ve seen in the U.S. At the same time, it was interesting to watch how providers made decisions and took the lead in patient care with what they had. It made me realize how much medicine depends on context and adaptability. 

Through both the hospital and WEHAF, I started to understand the disparities in a more real way. Things like mother to child HIV transmission and the financial stress patients face weren’t just topics anymore. I could actually see how they affected people’s day to day lives. Being able to connect that to the education work was very insightful. 

Honestly, one of the hardest parts was leaving. I didn’t expect to get as close as I did with people there in the limited time we had. I built real friendships in the community, in the classrooms, and in the hospital. Saying goodbye was very difficult. It made me realize that this experience wasn’t just about what I was working on, it was also about the people who made it meaningful to me. 

Overall, this experience changed how I think about health. It pushed me to see both the community side and the clinical side at the same time, and how they depend on one another. It also made me think more about what it means to lead, not just having ideas, but listening, showing up, and learning from the people in the community.