A Testimonial from Malawi

The research team in Malawi interviewed Paul, one of the supervisors, to see how he feels about the project and its impact.

What have you learned, both in terms of experience and knowledge, skills, thanks to this project?

It’s been a great honor to be back on the project as supervisor, am very excited to be in the field again to meet our esteemed respondents. This project has taught me a lot; I have learned how to be organized in terms of preparing our interviewers for field work, making sure all the study materials are in place. The work itself is very humbling, knowing how to administer the questions especially International Cognitive Assessment, taking measurements among other important sections of the study, just to mention a few. Basicallynow I a better field worker thanks to the project.

Through the project I now know to cooperate with people. We carry one vision as a team of MLSFH but honestly we are different people in terms of Traditions, Culture, Visions, occupations and many more but through the project then we are like we are just one. Through the interviews conducted we do have more experiences. Doing the interview with a pastor after some hours doing the same interview with a chief there after a teacher, we learn a lot. The question should be how do we approach these people and let them take part in our study is the thing we really have to say thanks to the Project because of the training we always have , We are very equipped with the skills and Knowledge.

As a whole, do you think the project is useful (or not) for the community and why?

Being in the field I have seen how our respondents are always glad to see us over and over again, not because of whatever incentives we give them to appreciate for the time the lender to answer our questions, but because the understand that the information that we obtain we will be used to guide our policy makers of how best they can solve some of the problems they face as people who are living in high risks, disease areas. The project is very useful to their communities because mostly the older people are forgotten and are not considered in terms of knowing how their health and daily living can influence their mental capabilities and their expectations on life. This project will forever go on as rural community centered project that will influence the people on how best we can assist our elderly for the betterment of their lives and their households, community and the nations in general.