My favorite part about undertaking any research endeavor is the time when I get to go to the field. I love it! During fieldwork, I lean into an old nursery school lesson that has remained with me over the years – the power of the five senses. Utilizing my visual, auditory, and olfactory cues allows me to contextualize my surroundings and to connect with people, especially as I listen to perspectives from local experts and key community stakeholders. I am also reminded that immersing myself in this reality and learning to take it all in comes from empathic listening – a skill I am keen to harness.
For my ACHIEVE project, I investigate A Community Engaged Approach to Investigating the Transferability of Youth Readiness Intervention (YRI) for Adolescents Facing Adversity in Post Conflict School-Based settings in Northern Uganda: Barriers and Strategies to Increase Adoptability, Acceptability, and Usefulness. Specifically, this cost-effective approach applies the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) and the Human Centered Design (HCD) Framework to address the existing EBI research gaps for youth.
I have split my process into two phases: a planning phase and an action phase. For the first half of my ACHIEVE/Fogarty year, I have spent a great deal of time developing “my building blocks” to execute my action phase. This includes ethical clearance and community stakeholder engagement. During stakeholder engagement activities in Uganda earlier this month, I engaged with the team I will be working with in Kitgum and Alebtong districts- Center for Children in Vulnerable Situations (CCVS), an organization that has been addressing trauma challenges in Northern Uganda. Together we will be chipping away at ways to tackle intergenerational trauma challenges for youth. Naturally, by combining my research efforts, CCVS and I hope to curate a symbiotic relationship – encased in mutual respect and compassion.