A maternal health project in Ibadan Nigeria and an adolescent sexual health project in India
Miira Klemetti, Finland
Where and when did you work abroad?
I have worked as the project coordinator of two Physicians for Social Responsibility’s (PSR Finland, www.lsv.fi) projects: a maternal health project in Ibadan Nigeria during 2003-2011 and an adolescent sexual health project in India during 2008-2012. During 2003-2012 I made approximately 15 project planning, monitoring, and evaluation trips to these countries.
In addition, I have worked as the project coordinator of a sexual and reproductive health project of the Finnish Family Federation (=Väestöliitto, IPPF affiliate) in Malawi for four months in 2004.
Did you need a visa or a working permit? If yes, how did you arrange it?
No. The lengths of my trips to the above-mentioned countries have ranged from 2 weeks to 4 months and I have worked for Finnish non-governmental organizations (PSR-Finland and the Finnish Family Federation) funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
How much experience did you have before going? Was that enough?
Before medical school, I lived in Canada during 1996-2000. In college, I became interested in international development issues (in model UN activities, for example) and I also acquired some scientific writing skills which were useful when I prepared project plans and funding applications later on.
I got involved in the international work of PSR-Finland and the International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations (IFMSA) during my first year in medical school in Kuopio, Finland. Through these organizations, I received some initial training in global health issues, project planning, coordination and evaluation.
I came up with a project idea for a maternal health project when I spent one month in Nigeria in 2001 (after my 1st year in medical school) doing field work and other studies included in the Public Health Program of University of Eastern Finland. I started planning a project with a Nigerian NGO and the chief physician of a maternity hospital in Ibadan. Together with the Nigerian partners, I applied for development cooperation project funding from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs for the collaboration of PSR-Finland and this Nigerian NGO. To my surprise, we received funding, first for 2004-2005 and then for 2006-2011. When I received the project grant, I asked Dr. Teija Kulmala from Univ. of Tampere to collaborate with me to get the project started (Teija is a gynecologist who made her PhD on maternal health in Malawi and has worked e.g. in Finnish Family Federation’s projects in Malawi and India). I took a year off from my medical studies in 2005 to work in my Nigeria project (I had to organize a large needs assessment study there, and a lot of other things…). During that year, I also worked in an FFF project in Malawi, planning e.g. the evaluation study of the project. (Teija recruited me to that Malawi project). In addition, I completed a Master of Public Health (MPH) diploma during 2004-2005 (Univ. of Eastern Finland) and several courses organized by KEPA on project planning, management and evaluation. I also read a lot of scientific literature on maternal and reproductive health problems and interventions in developing countries when I prepared several project plans and funding applications (including literature reviews) for the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. So, all in all, I did not have much experience or training when I started but I tried to acquire as much training as possible along the way. The first three years were hard but the work got easier gradually. Training is certainly essential in order to be able to plan evidence-based interventions and to make appropriate project monitoring and evaluation plans.
In 2008, I got involved in the planning of an adolescent sexual health project in India, which wasa collaboration project of PSR-Finland and a Delhi-based Indian NGO. By then, I was much more experienced and I felt that my training was sufficient, especially since we had a very competent and well-resourced partner NGO in India.
My “story” is probably not the most typical way of becoming involved in developmentcooperation… It is easier to get involved in a project planned and coordinated by somebody else. During 2004-2012, I recruited many medical students and young doctors to learn development cooperation in PSR-Finland’s projects in Nigeria and India. PSR-Finland still offers similar possibilities of acquiring training in development cooperation and international health issues through its current projects in various countries (see www.lsv.fi).
What kind of work have you been doing?
I have done project planning, planning of needs assessment and evaluation studies, monitoring, evaluation, reporting (to the funders, for example, e.g. the Ministry for Foreign Affairs), fundraising, organization of various trainings, advocacy work at local ministries of health in developing countries etc. I have not done clinical work in developing countries. In general, PSR-Finland supports and favors collaboration with local health care workers, institutions and politicians (at universities, hospitals, ministries) in developing countries, and organizing training in target countries etc. We do not bring Finnish doctors to work in developing countries since it usually is not a sustainable solution.
How did you find out about this possibility? Did you have a contact person who will be willing to organize a stay for another trainee (or at least give some information) and whose name you can pass on?
I learned about different ways of becoming involved in international development work through IFMSA and PSR-Finland, during my medical studies. PSR-Finland still runs development coopearation projects in collaboration with local NGOS in several developing countries. You can become involved by contacting lsv@lsv.fi
How did you finance your stay?
In PSR-Finland’s projects I received a daily allowance and my boarding and trips were paid from grants applied/received from the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In the Finnish Family Federation project I received a monthly salary and my expenses were paid by the FFF (also funded by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs).
Are there any ongoing research projects at the hospital?
I am not aware of any ongoing research projects involving my hospital (Dept. of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Helsinki University Hospital) and institutions in developing countries. However, many of PSR-Finland’s projects have involved a research component, in collaboration with local hospitals and universities in target countries.
Your e-mail-address in order to answer questions from interested trainees:
