January-February 2021

Past editions of the Fellows Flyer are available here.

January/February 2021

Dear Friends,

We hope that this publication of the Fellows’ Flyer finds you and your family well. PiAf began the new year by interviewing candidates for the 2021-22 fellowship year. This was our first time hosting exclusively virtual interviews. While it was sad to not have the opportunity to meet the nearly 200 exceptional applicants in person, the new format allowed for alumni from California to Zambia, and many places in between, to join in our selection process.

We are continuing to work with our host organizations to carefully monitor COVID-19’s impact on the continent and our ability to restart onsite fellowships. In the meantime, we have surveyed our host organizations and have had overwhelmingly positive feedback about the ways that the current Fellows have been able to adapt to the challenges of remote work and make positive contributions to their organizations. In fact, 100% of reporting host organizations have expressed that their Fellow has been effective in their role and an added asset to their organization. Additionally, 91% of reporting host organizations say their Fellow’s skills and experience match well with their fellowship role and 91% reporting say their Fellow has adapted well to the organization’s work culture. We are grateful to the host organizations and Fellows for their flexibility and perseverance through this uncertain period.

Thank you to all of the alumni, donors, and friends who continue to offer support to the Fellows and host organizations and we look forward to seeing what the next couple of months will bring.

Warm regards,

Jodi & the Piaf Staff

  • Notes from the Field

     By Michelle Lee, '20-'21 Fellow with Kupona Foundation in the United States

    At Akagera National Park in Rwanda in August 2019!

    I’ve been working as the Resource Management and Development Fellow for Kupona Foundation for 5 months. In my role I support Kupona Foundation and CCBRT in business development, helping to write grants and develop partnerships with organizations that are also working towards disability inclusion and strengthening health systems in Tanzania. I’ve learned a lot about the kinds of partnerships and collaborations needed across organizations and across sectors in order to ensure that the movement towards universal health coverage in Tanzania is successful. I am so happy to be working with Kupona Foundation and CCBRT in supporting Tanzanian-led community health interventions that have an important impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of Tanzanians each year. 

    Trying to use this time to safely explore my own backyard. This was only a 10-minute walk from my house!

    Being located remotely in New Hampshire while I conduct work based in Tanzania, has me thinking a lot about the linkages between what is occurring in Tanzania and what is occurring in the United States. Many of the subjects I write funding proposals about—such as disability inclusion and a lack of respectful maternal care, are prevalent in the United States, as well as in Tanzania.  What does it mean to be working to fund health systems strengthening projects in Tanzania, when hospitals in the United States are being overburdened due to Covid-19? To write about reducing maternal mortality in Tanzania when Black women in the United States face an increasing maternal mortality rate? To talk about strengthening resiliency for nurses and midwives in Tanzania, when Black birth workers have been systematically disenfranchised and discredited in the United States? The parallels are heightened too when thinking about the Tanzanian elections in October 2020, which led to the internet and social media being limited to reduce opposition, and the false claims of voter fraud in the United States that led to a white supremacist insurrection at the Capital building. I find myself reflecting often on these false binaries between “local” and “global” problems and wondering about collaborative solutions that could be pursued.

    These questions feel even more urgent when considering the similarities in the causes of these racialized problems, both in Tanzania and the United States. While the health disparities may manifest themselves in slightly different ways, the root causes can be found in centuries of racist and white supremacist exploitation, slavery, colonization, and oppression. I wonder how to connect these movements and, even more importantly, ask myself who is already connecting them? What would a Black-led, global response look like and how can it be funded? How can I, as an individual within the development sector, support movements that are equitable, address historical inequities, and adopt

    A photo from my trip to Acadia National Park in October.

    reparations-based frameworks? While these are large and perhaps unanswerable questions, I am glad to be in a position where I can contemplate amongst a community of like-minded co-Fellows. 

    ↑ Back to Top

  • Notes from the Field

     By Afi Bello, '20-'21 Fellow with the African School of Economics in Benin

    It’s important to get some fresh air while working, I’m pretty sure my furry friend, Jeremiah, agrees!

    Teaching English during a pandemic was never something that I had imagined myself doing, but here we are, and I am enjoying the experience! This is not to say that the journey has not come without its challenges, because it has; however, these challenges have not come without creative solutions. For example, in the middle of one of my lectures, Zoom decided to crash, and from there, a thread of other technical difficulties. What did we do? Well, we transitioned class to WhatsApp! With a little creativity, flexibility, and proactivity, I have been making things work. I cannot stress the importance of those three things and how useful they have been in teaching during this pandemic.

    Friday English Language Table meetings: where students practice speaking English.

    English instruction has paved the path for an exploration of diverse topics. Throughout the semester, our class has discussed a variety of topics ranging from Pan-Africanism, to the EndSARS Movement, to the preservation of indigenous languages in Africa, to brain drain, among many others. I have used these topics to facilitate instruction on various grammar points, and in introducing new vocabulary and concepts. The diversity which the students bring to the classroom has also been very enriching, which I highly value. Many backgrounds are represented; I have students from Benin, Togo, Nigeria, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, and Cameroon, all contributing different perspectives to the classroom.

    One thing I am most proud of, that I have been able to accomplish in my class, is helping students to grow more confident in their use of the English language. I can remember the first day of class where students were very shy to speak, but now, they zealously unmute themselves in order to answer questions and share their opinion on a topic. I am also proud of the community that we have been able to build as a class. This manifests in the way students treat each other in class. This communal energy has facilitated learning, creating a space in which people are able to feel valued, to really learn, and not be afraid to participate in class out of worry about what others may think. Throughout the semester, I have seen and witnessed my students’ growth, also reflected in their writing assignments and assessments, which has been very rewarding. 

    My responsibilities at ASE are not limited to teaching. I also mentor and advise in the Pre-Doctoral Fellowship program and work with the Communications department, where I translate and publish articles and other cool things like video subtitles and

    Nothing like a good cup of ginger-lemon-green tea to start the day.

    documentaries. One of my favorite projects with the department has been the translation of a documentary on the Smallpox pandemic of 1951 in Benin. This documentary compared the effects of the Smallpox pandemic of 1951 on Benin with that of the current effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

    As I wrap up, I send greetings to you from Charlotte, NC. I am very excited about the rest of the fellowship year and what it has to offer! 

     

    ↑ Back to Top

Our History

In 1999, a group of Princeton alumni, faculty, and staff launched Princeton in Africa as an independent affiliate of Princeton University inspired by the University’s informal motto, “Princeton in the Nation’s Service and in the Service of All Nations.” In 2010, the program opened up to include graduates of any US accredited university in order to meet the growing demand from host organizations and allow more young professionals access to the unique opportunities afforded by PiAf. During the past 20 years, we have placed over 600 Fellows with more than 100 organizations in 36 countries, while developing more strategic partnerships across Africa and creating more opportunities for our alumni community to engage with the continent and with one another.

Testimonials

The International Rescue Committee has been so fortunate to have had a longstanding relationship with Princeton in Africa since our very first Fellows landed in Rwanda in 1999.  Whether it was Emily or Renee in 1999 or the 110 Fellows across 14 IRC countries over the years, we have been blessed by the relationship, the quality of the Fellows and the impact on what IRC does on the ground every single day.

Brian Johnson
Chief Human Resources Officer
International Rescue Committee

My fellowship has been the most impactful personal and professional development opportunity of my life. I wanted a post-college experience that would push my limits, expand my comfort zone, and help me discern the next steps in my career journey. And this has been the case.

Ryan Elliott
2014-15 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative in Lesotho

I can honestly say that this year has changed my life and my view of what’s possible for the future. Princeton in Africa isn’t just a one-year fellowship, it’s an introduction to a particular way of life and a new way of thinking about the world. I feel like so many doors are open now that I never would have considered before.

Katie Fackler
2010-11 Fellow
UN World Food Programme

My Princeton in Africa fellowship was everything I could have hoped for and much more. The myriad of experiences makes my head swim, and it has strengthened my desire to help underserved populations worldwide.

David Bartels
2006-2007 Fellow
Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative

Princeton in Africa was an invaluable experience for me. I learned an infinite amount through my work and through living in Uganda. I also realized that I want to continue working on African issues as long as I can.

Alexis Okeowo
2006-2007 Fellow
The New Vision

The International Rescue Committee’s experience with Princeton in Africa has been exceptional. Each Fellow brings excellent writing and analytical skills as well as unique interests and passions that enrich the program and the field office environment. We were so pleased we expanded the program to more field offices.

Susan Riehl
Human Resources, IRC

The Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation has been working in Africa for over 11 years through its Secure the Future program.  One common theme in all aspects of program implementation is having passionate, energetic individuals on the ground who can think outside the box and then transfer the skills for sustainability.  The Princeton In Africa Fellows have been a huge asset in this regard and our programs and patients have been better for it.

John Damonti
President, Bristol-Myers Squibb Foundation