July 17. 2015. JHU Fellows

The building reminded of me last year this time. I grinned at the building and said ‘Hello, it’s been a while!’ inly. I have been here in June last year for World Vision orientation. One year has passed in an instant: Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, South Korea, Mozambique, and back to the U.S. during one year. In the office, there would be new Johns Hopkins University fellows who have been receiving training from this morning. I was a little nervous at first to get inside the office. What story would I tell them? Erin invited me to come to the World Vision International office in DC for sharing my Global Health Fellows Programme experience to the upcoming group of JHU fellows. A security guy opened the entrance door and took me to the orientation place. “Hello, people!” It has been more than a year since I saw Erin last time. We embraced each other, but I was kind of embarrassed because five ladies who sat on the chair in a line were looking at me at the same time (I did not know where to look!) This year, there would be five female JHU fellows who will work Lives Saved Tool from August/September. Where are men? There were 2 female and 2 male fellows last year. Men, let’s give it a little more effort for public health! J

I arrived 30 minutes early, but my sharing experience and Q&A went off immediately. Haha, I liked this flexibility. I talked this and that; overview summary of my fellowship focus, my personal experience and learning, and top recommendations for a successful fellowship. I should have known who the audience are to understand how much they are familiar with Africa. I simply considered that they must be novice about anything for Africa, but they were not. Many of them were originally from Africa or someone has already been to Africa. Ooh… This was the big gap between my school colleagues and friends outside of the school. My school dudes and junior colleagues are normally into Africa! Since I have seen many friends these days who do not care whatever I say about Africa, I said too much basic things to them, such as “Behave humbly in Africa!” When I said, “I want to be an Africa expert!” they laughed; I was saying that in front of native Africans! Anyway, they are going to go to Laos, Mauritania, Kenya/ Ethiopia, Senegal/ Mali, and Zambia/ Malawi/ Swaziland. They have just become my great motivation because they are rising stars for public health in Southeast Asia and Africa. I was very happy to share my experience with them, and I hope they will enjoy their work and life outside of the U.S.

The next step after fellowship work? Yeah, one thing always leads to another, and we have to prepare for that. I believe there will certainly be an interesting life that makes me really excited. All I can do is to try harder than yesterday to become an “Africa expert.” J Wait a sec, Africa. I will be back!