RESEARCH-BASED SOLUTIONS
Local Context Meets Global Impact
A public health sciences doctoral student returns to his native Democratic Republic of the Congo to make a difference
By Emery Ngamasana
When Emery Ngamasana returned to his childhood home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after many years away, he was dismayed by the deteriorating social environment and living conditions of his countrymen. He made a decision to do what he could to help. The first step was to educate himself about effective, research-based solutions; next came their implementation.
Here, Ngamasana shares the ways he is applying knowledge he is gaining through UNC Charlotte’s Ph.D. in Public Health Sciences program to make life-changing differences for the people in his village of origin.
“My first semester at UNC Charlotte was completely virtual, which left me feeling isolated and anxious not only about my academic performance but my ability to establish connections with my peers. To alleviate these concerns, I made it a priority to join organizations on campus that matched my interests and passions.
“I felt blessed beyond measure when I thought about the schools, hospitals and parks my kids are experiencing in the U.S. However, I was powerless at that moment; yet I knew any action would have a positive impact on the lives of people. I then decided to create a nonprofit to give back to my home village; it was incorporated with the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State in May 2020.
“What I’ve learned about health behaviors and health improvement have largely contributed to inform the selection of some social cognitive constructs and community-based participatory research methods that are important drivers of change within a community.”
“Despite the daunting nature of the task, I was almost certain that health and education were the top two priorities because so many lives are at stake, especially those of children, young girls and women. Thus, I needed to rely on proven concepts to streamline my actions. Until 2018, I was trained as an economist (undergraduate) and biostatistician (graduate). I then decided to seek training in public health with a focus on maternal and child health or in health behaviors. I enrolled in a postgraduate certificate program with King’s College London (May 2020) and later a Ph.D. program with UNC Charlotte (September 2021). I’ve taken courses in subjects such as the social determinants of health, health behavior, theory, research and practices, health improvement and health protection.
“From an educational standpoint, my learnings at UNC Charlotte have been influential in the design of the model that is currently used by our nonprofit. The model, which I named Rural Development Center, combines elements of individual, interpersonal and community health behavior models. It features activities around three main areas: education and health, youth mentoring and rural agricultural cooperatives. What I’ve learned about health behaviors and health improvement have largely contributed to inform the selection of some social cognitive constructs and community-based participatory research methods that are important drivers of change within a community.
“For instance, early and forced marriage of young girls is a serious problem. Our model proposes some elements of the social cognitive model – role model, positive reinforcement, changes in normative beliefs – to counter this problem. In addition, we are engaging local community leaders and youth groups. We have also improved concepts and strategies regarding the need for early childhood care, based on learning about the social determinants of health. I would say that what I learn from a theoretical standpoint almost translates immediately into an actionable item for the nonprofit, with some considerations about the local context. It’s a wealth of knowledge that I am accumulating and applying to improve the lives of the population.
“From a communication standpoint, early on I was very happy and grateful to learn that the College of Health and Human Services at UNC Charlotte tweeted about me and the work that I am leading in my home village. That tweet led another UNC student to read our website and learn more. He decided to write a paper about my work.
“This type of support from my campus community is just thrilling. It not only encourages me to do even more, but also it really creates a sense of belonging to the university. I am grateful to the people who oversee these platforms for the support they are giving me, and through me the community I am helping. I couldn’t thank them enough.
“My hope is that as more people read about this effort, they come to realize the needs that are out there and consider ways of helping either through research, donation, mission trips or simply by spreading the word further.”
Read more about Rural Development Center.
RESEARCH-BASED SOLUTIONS
Local Context Meets Global ImpactA public health sciences doctoral student returns to his native Democratic Republic of the Congo to make a difference
By Emery Ngamasana
When Emery Ngamasana returned to his childhood home in the Democratic Republic of the Congo after many years away, he was dismayed by the deteriorating social environment and living conditions of his countrymen. He made a decision to do what he could to help. The first step was to educate himself about effective, research-based solutions; next came their implementation.
Here, Ngamasana shares the ways he is applying knowledge he is gaining through UNC Charlotte’s Ph.D. in Public Health Sciences program to make life-changing differences for the people in his village of origin.
“My first semester at UNC Charlotte was completely virtual, which left me feeling isolated and anxious not only about my academic performance but my ability to establish connections with my peers. To alleviate these concerns, I made it a priority to join organizations on campus that matched my interests and passions.
“I felt blessed beyond measure when I thought about the schools, hospitals and parks my kids are experiencing in the U.S. However, I was powerless at that moment; yet I knew any action would have a positive impact on the lives of people. I then decided to create a nonprofit to give back to my home village; it was incorporated with the North Carolina Department of the Secretary of State in May 2020.
“What I’ve learned about health behaviors and health improvement have largely contributed to inform the selection of some social cognitive constructs and community-based participatory research methods that are important drivers of change within a community.”
“Despite the daunting nature of the task, I was almost certain that health and education were the top two priorities because so many lives are at stake, especially those of children, young girls and women. Thus, I needed to rely on proven concepts to streamline my actions. Until 2018, I was trained as an economist (undergraduate) and biostatistician (graduate). I then decided to seek training in public health with a focus on maternal and child health or in health behaviors. I enrolled in a postgraduate certificate program with King’s College London (May 2020) and later a Ph.D. program with UNC Charlotte (September 2021). I’ve taken courses in subjects such as the social determinants of health, health behavior, theory, research and practices, health improvement and health protection.
“From an educational standpoint, my learnings at UNC Charlotte have been influential in the design of the model that is currently used by our nonprofit. The model, which I named Rural Development Center, combines elements of individual, interpersonal and community health behavior models. It features activities around three main areas: education and health, youth mentoring and rural agricultural cooperatives. What I’ve learned about health behaviors and health improvement have largely contributed to inform the selection of some social cognitive constructs and community-based participatory research methods that are important drivers of change within a community.
“For instance, early and forced marriage of young girls is a serious problem. Our model proposes some elements of the social cognitive model – role model, positive reinforcement, changes in normative beliefs – to counter this problem. In addition, we are engaging local community leaders and youth groups. We have also improved concepts and strategies regarding the need for early childhood care, based on learning about the social determinants of health. I would say that what I learn from a theoretical standpoint almost translates immediately into an actionable item for the nonprofit, with some considerations about the local context. It’s a wealth of knowledge that I am accumulating and applying to improve the lives of the population.
“From a communication standpoint, early on I was very happy and grateful to learn that the College of Health and Human Services at UNC Charlotte tweeted about me and the work that I am leading in my home village. That tweet led another UNC student to read our website and learn more. He decided to write a paper about my work.
“This type of support from my campus community is just thrilling. It not only encourages me to do even more, but also it really creates a sense of belonging to the university. I am grateful to the people who oversee these platforms for the support they are giving me, and through me the community I am helping. I couldn’t thank them enough.
“My hope is that as more people read about this effort, they come to realize the needs that are out there and consider ways of helping either through research, donation, mission trips or simply by spreading the word further.”
Read more about Rural Development Center.
