My concentration is in Global Health because I have a strong interest in communicating medical findings and advancements to people across borders. Language barriers limit the opportunity to communicate with people in diverse language communities, and people across the world. So, I believe that language is the foundation for the true understanding of another culture.
When deciding where to study abroad, I knew that I wanted to have some level of proficiency in the language of the host country. Two years ago, I completed a study abroad program in Iringa, Tanzania (East Africa), where the main language is Swahili. When I traveled to Tanzania, I already had studied Swahili for 2 semesters, and I had an intermediate language proficiency. Having that foundation in Swahili allowed me to communicate with the people of Iringa from the first day I arrived.
Because of cultural context, languages often have additional interpretations beyond the actual translation of words. I also studied Swahili intensively while abroad in Tanzania, and this changed the way I learned the language because I was able to add cultural context, appropriate usage, and Swahili customs to the language, which furthered my understanding of Swahili.
While in Tanzania I had the opportunity to create an original poster health message relevant to children in Tanzania. I applied my knowledge of the Swahili language and culture, and I created a health message that will promote clean hand-washing practices and, hopefully, reduce the transmission of bacteria. The colorful yet informative poster health message was put on display for children at a local village orphanage. Take a look at the health message below!