Amid candle light and a traditional Ghanaian meal of fried chicken and jollof rice, GHEI staff gathered to bid farewell to Christina Briglieb, GHEI’s outgoing Health Program Coordinator. The evening proved bittersweet as the Health Team and Humjibre Community Health Workers (CHWs) paid tribute to Christina and her service to GHEI. With a Master’s Degree in Public Health and more than 2 years of international experience, Christina arrived with a wealth of research skills and cross-cultural awareness. She collaborated closely with GHEI’s Malaria Program Manager, Mensah Gyapong, Humjibre’s CHW Manager, Agnes Obeng, and both the Humjibre and Surano CHWs on a myriad of projects including: planning and facilitating a household malaria education program in which 2000 bednets were hung in 400 households; organizing a system for monitoring and evaluating the malaria program; expanding upon GHEI’s school Hand-Washing Program; and forging partnerships with the Bibiani District Health Service. Her numerous contributions have benefited staff and community members alike. Though Christina will surely be missed, GHEI eagerly welcomes Carly Edwards to the Health Team as the new Health Program Coordinator. A former Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco, Carly received her Master’s Degree in International Development and Social Change at Clark University and brings more than 3 years of development project experience from Morocco, Ghana, and South Africa. For the past month, Carly worked alongside Christina to develop a framework for her 13-month term, which will involve expanding GHEI’s malaria program to the neighboring village of Kojina, building on GHEI’s reproductive health program, and facilitating training for GHEI’s Health Team.
This week, Carly launched into her new position with a staff training on GPS Data Collection and GIS Mapping. Local staff will utilize these skills to map Kojina, a GHEI satellite community and the next target village for GHEI’s malaria education and bednet distribution program. Carly’s skills and experience will build on Christina’s accomplishments and ensure future success for GHEI’s Health Programs.
--Natalie Rich, GHEI Communications Director
