Global Learning and Service
Global Learning and Service
Pamoja Community-Based Organization (CBO) is committed to fostering productive collaborations with esteemed academic institutions, research establishments, and international governmental bodies to facilitate student and volunteer exchanges. Over the years, we have established fruitful partnerships with universities across the United States, Canada, Germany, and Denmark, as well as with the U.S. Peace Corps. These partnerships have enabled us to conduct impactful research, provide valuable support for elective and practicum courses, and engage volunteers in our field projects.
Through these collaborations, we aim not only to enhance the learning experiences of participating by providing students and volunteers with education and international learning exposure through community service but also to enrich our own organizational capacity. Our students and volunteers actively contribute to various interventions, including Biomedical intervention, behavioral interventions economic empowerment, caregiver group meetings, the implementation of our reusable pads workshop, community-based advocacy for girls’ rights, as well as participation in our planting and nutrition programs.
We invite you to meet our volunteers from various countries! Explore some of their testimonials to gain insight into their experiences:
Sydney
, University of British Colombia
Since my first day, Pamoja CBO embraced me as part of the team. They do amazing work in the community, and it's great to see how dedicated and passionate everyone is in helping vulnerable populations in Kisumu West and Seme. The safe spaces I witnessed showed the true connections Pamoja has with their beneficiaries and is a testament to the work they have put in over the years through DREAMS, OVC and She Leads. It’s hard to put into words how special my time volunteering here has been. I hope to be back soon and stay in touch. Keep up the outstanding work!
Isabelle St. Martin
, University of British Colombia
Isabelle St-Martin is a Master of Science student in Medical Physics at The University of British Columbia. Her research is exploring the energy-dependence of radiation therapy beams, and how this can be optimized in order to treat cancer more effectively while minimizing harmful side effects. Prior to this, she completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology, Physics, and Mathematics in her hometown in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia.
Since her undergraduate degree, she has been volunteering at a local sexual health clinic. This is where she first discovered her passion for public health promotion. She joined Canada’s National Contraception and Abortion Research Team last year, where she is currently looking at improving healthcare access for underserved communities. She also volunteers at her university’s sexual assault support centre, doing outreach and education.
She is so excited to be part of the work that Pamoja does, and grateful to gain a deeper understanding of sexual and reproductive health in Kenya.
In her free time, she loves dancing, running, hiking, and entertaining her friends with sexual health trivia.
Alexandra King
, University of British Colombia
King is a first year medical student at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She grew up in a small agricultural town in rural British Columbia and loves spending time outdoors. Her curiosity about the world and its diverse cultures led her to complete her undergraduate degree at the University of Victoria majoring in Geography and Spanish.
After graduation, she spent a few years working on the ocean in maritime search and rescue. This exposure to providing primary emergency medical care in remote and challenging environments inspired her to apply for medical school. This first year of education has been an incredible experience, as she pursues extra-curricular roles in Global Health leadership, wilderness medicine workshops, and health equity advocacy work.
In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, reading, and being near the ocean.
She is so grateful to join the Pamoja CBO and UBC partnership global health initiative in Kenya, and can not wait to meet and work with everyone!
Lilyan Jia
, University of British Colombia
After graduating with a Doctor of Pharmacy at the University of British Columbia (UBC), Lilyan Jia decided to pursue a career in medicine and is now a first-year medical student at UBC.
Her past leadership in initiatives promoting safe sex and contraception coupled with her clinical pharmacy work in rural BC communities, brought about an interest in reproductive health advocacy and working with underserved communities. As a result, she has volunteered for AIDS Vancouver and fundraised for Options for Sexual Health.
She is ecstatic to take on this cross-cultural, multidisciplinary project in rural Kenya which offers a unique opportunity to bridge her interests and further her commitment to patient care and community outreach.
In her downtime, Lilyan enjoys volunteering at cat shelters, reading from her tall stack of library books, and drawing.
Annie Yip
, University of British Colombia
Annie Yip is a first year medical student at the University of British Columbia (UBC). She received both her BSc in Microbiology and Immunology and Master in Public Health at UBC.
With a passion for community health, Annie has spearheaded several client-centered community-based projects, using both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies, aimed at addressing health disparities among high-risk and medically underserved populations. Her efforts have focused on supporting individuals living with diabetes mellitus in rural and remote communities, immigrant seniors, and LGBTQ+ refugees in Canada. In addition, her previous experience as an immunization policy analyst at the Ministry of Health led her to recognize the significance of advocating for institutional policy change.
She is looking forward to collaborating with Pamoja CBO, furthering her commitment to making a positive impact in underserved communities.
During her leisure time, Annie finds joy in exploring the outdoors - both hiking and snowboarding.
Sarika Walia
, U.S. Peace Corps Response
Sarika is a Peace Corps Response Volunteer specializing in Public Health. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Public Health from the University of Maryland, focusing on global health and health equity. Prior to her time in Kenya, Sarika worked at the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime, where she was involved in drug counter-trafficking initiatives in the global programs division.
Her day to day work at Pamoja CBO involves supporting comprehensive PrEP awareness and dissemination program, teaching evidence based interventions on sexual and reproductive health to local students, collaborating with Plan International's She Leads program on local advocacy endeavors aimed at combating gender-based violence and enhancing media and technical capacity in the office.
Our partners
