Kenya Changed the Way I Think About Global Health

Written by Venus Camille Kamisendu

There are experiences that teach you new skills, and then there are experiences that completely change the way you see the world. For me, my time in Kisii County, Kenya, was both.

As part of my Master of Health Administration capstone at Dartmouth College, I had the opportunity to travel to Kenya with the Impact Global Health Alliance (IGHA) to support the Kisii Konya Oroiboro Project (KIKOP). In the months leading up to the trip, I independently analyzed organizational data, conducted stakeholder interviews, reviewed reports, and developed recommendations that would ultimately shape KIKOP’s three-year strategic plan. By the time I boarded my flight, I felt as prepared as I could be. Well… after my original flight was canceled and Kenya decided I could use one extra day of anticipation.

Although the team on the ground had done an incredible job preparing me for what to expect, and I had already begun speaking with stakeholders remotely, nothing could have prepared me for being there in person. Walking through health facilities, meeting clinicians, speaking with community leaders, and listening to the people responsible for delivering care every day transformed pages of data into real human stories. Seeing the realities with my own eyes - the challenges, the resource limitations, and the daily resilience - was completely different from hearing about them through a screen.

What struck me most was that, despite each stakeholder bringing a different perspective or set of priorities, they all shared the same vision. Whether they were clinicians, administrators, community leaders, or public health professionals, they all wanted healthier mothers, healthier children, and stronger communities. They welcomed me with an openness and kindness that I will never forget, not because I had all the answers, but because I had come to listen, to learn, and to work alongside them in building solutions together.

Every conversation reminded me that healthcare is deeply personal. Behind every statistic was a mother hoping for a safe delivery, a healthcare worker doing everything possible with limited resources, or a family simply trying to access the care they deserved.

One of the most important lessons I learned was that meaningful global health work starts with listening.

It can be tempting to believe that expertise comes from degrees, research, or the latest evidence. While those things matter, I was reminded that local healthcare professionals understand their communities in ways that no outside consultant ever could. My role was not to arrive with all the answers - it was to ask thoughtful questions, understand their vision, and use my skills in strategy and healthcare management to help develop a plan that reflected their priorities and could continue serving them long after I had returned home.

While on-site, I worked closely with KIKOP’s leadership and the Ministry of Health to refine a three-year strategic plan focused on strengthening the organization’s long-term impact. We discussed partnerships, sustainability, workforce development, maternal and child health priorities, organizational growth, and what success would look like years into the future. Although there was a lot to improve, I was very impressed by everything that had already been accomplished.

Despite operating in a resource-constrained environment, the team had achieved remarkable progress through persistence, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to the communities they served. Their work was a reminder that impactful healthcare is not defined by the size of a budget but by the dedication of the people behind it.

Being in Kisii also helped clarify the direction I wanted my own career to take.

I have always been passionate about improving health systems across Africa, but Kenya made that passion tangible. It reinforced my desire to work at the intersection of healthcare strategy, operations, and innovation - not simply designing ideas from afar, but partnering with organizations to strengthen systems in ways that are practical, sustainable, and locally driven.

Looking back now, I also recognize how much that experience influenced my academic journey. The questions I began asking in Kenya about maternal health, access to care, health equity, and responsible innovation eventually evolved into the focus of my doctoral research. What started as a capstone project became part of a much larger commitment to understanding how emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, can responsibly strengthen health systems in low-resource settings.

Kenya reminded me that leadership is not about having the loudest voice in the room. It is about creating space for others to be heard. It reminded me that partnership is stronger than charity, that humility is just as valuable as expertise, and that lasting impact is built alongside communities - not for them.

Years from now, I may not remember every presentation or planning session. But I will always remember the people who welcomed me into their communities, trusted me with their stories, and reminded me why I chose this path in the first place.