October 13, 2020
Extension Global International Work in Ethiopia
Submitted by Elizabeth Brunscheen-Cartagena
The health work we do as Extension professionals in our communities makes a real difference. This effective model is repeated in many countries around the globe. Dr. Sandy Procter was very fortunate to have the opportunity in late October, 2019, to travel to Ethiopia in eastern Africa as part of the Mandela Washington Fellowship Reciprocal Exchange program. In this program, Sandy learned firsthand about the important role Health Extension Workers provide in Ethiopian communities.
Here's how it came about. Each summer, about two dozen amazing young professionals from all over Africa come to K-State’s campus as part of the YALI program. The Mandela Washington Fellowship for Young African Leaders – the flagship program of the U.S. government’s Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) – was created in 2014 to invest in the next generation of African leaders. This six-week intensive course, offered through universities around the U.S., works to connect the YALI fellows with people who can share, discuss, partner and participate with them on the work they do so well in their home countries. As a follow-up, the Reciprocal Exchange component provides Americans with the opportunity to travel to Africa to build upon those strategic partnerships and professional connections developed during the Mandela Washington Fellowship in the United States.
As a Reciprocal Exchange Awardee, Sandy had the unique opportunity to implement a co-designed project with YALI fellow Hiwot Getaneh in order to form lasting partnerships, expand markets and networks, and increase mutual understanding between the United States and Africa. The project was a series of workshops on the dual topics of maternal/infant nutrition and personal leadership. Please join our live, one-hour Zoom presentation at 10 a.m. Monday, October 26, as Sandy and her collaborator Hiwot share about their amazing experience, and about the important role Extension educators play in helping Ethiopians improve their personal health and the health of their families.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://ksu.zoom.us/j/92915375852?pwd=TWV3U1dkbGdKclRYbWhmSTN0YWpQUT09