Tangible impact: Finding purpose in Public Sector work
For the first year and a half, I focused on health and agricultural projects across Eastern and Southern Africa. During this time, I discovered what motivated me the most – tangible impact. I am energized by work that can resolve the everyday challenges of ordinary Africans.
Three client projects resonated with me most and help guide my consulting journey.
Designing a regional digital food balance sheet
My team and I supported an agriculture-focused development partner in creating a digital food balance sheet covering ten countries and three commodities in East and Southern Africa, which didn’t keep reliable records on food balances across Sub-Saharan region. Our effort aimed to develop real time food balance estimates that provide early warnings on food availability and inform policy making. It’s a powerful tool to determine adequacy of food supplies and address food security concerns.
Self-care to meet contraception needs of adolescent girls and young women in Kenya
My team and I worked with private and social sector partners in Kenya to better understand barriers to contraceptive use and how to overcome them for adolescent girls and young women (AGYW). We designed interventions with an understanding of what self-care is and used it to develop effective strategies. Our work intended to shift the thinking beyond one-size-fits-all approaches and instead design tailored solutions to match different needs within the AGYW population.
For example, we defined an approach for the typical college student with disposable income. We identified primary concerns for this segment to be convenience, privacy and consistency in using modern contraceptives. The most feasible concept or use case for this segment would be a digital application that provides the user with information on available methods, options for having contraceptives delivered, and tools to manage use. This approach empowers users to build awareness of their own needs, provides access convenient for them, and provides them with tools to manage any side effects for continued use of contraceptive methods.
Evaluating the impact of country-defined community health systems, specifically on maternal and neonatal mortality
My team and I evaluated existing community healthcare packages across 15 countries for their impact in terms of lives saved, specifically maternal, child and neonatal lives. The goal of the project was to assess the impact of existing interventions within the country-specific packages, estimate the impact of the full realization of the universal package interventions and bridge the gap between the two in line with Sustainable Development Goals 3: Good Health and Well-being by 2030.
More about Nicole
Outside of work, I enjoy reading African literature, watching rugby, baking, and travelling. My latest read is “A Certain Amount of Madness: The Life, Politics and Legacies of Thomas Sankara”. Once it’s safe to travel recreationally, I hope to resume my tour of Africa’s best beaches (thus far Diani is in the lead).