Adefunke Faly

Assessing Community perceptions of Antiretroviral Drugs in Rwanda

My Global Field Experience took place in Rwanda, under the direction of CARE International in Rwanda. I was assigned to the CARE office in the province of Cyangugu and focused my project in within the Health District of Gihundwe. The province of Cyangugu is located west of the country and borders the Democratic Republic of Congo. For a period of two and a half months, I worked under the CARE Rwanda’s Community Based Responses to AIDS (COMBAR-AIDS) project. This program aims to strengthen the capacity of community based and faith based organizations to implement prevention, care and support programs for People Living With HIV/AIDS (PLWHA), Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and other vulnerable populations.
               
Among its objectives, COMBAR-AIDS seeks to develop community based treatment literacy, treatment support, and Antitretroviral (ARV) adherence programs. I was thus hired by CARE Rwanda to make an assessment of community perceptions of ARV in the province of Cyangugu. The objectives of my study were to assess the extent and sources of knowledge concerning ARV in both PLWHA and non-PLWHA; and to asses the use of ARV in PLWHA.

Prior to my arrival in Rwanda, I developed my research instruments: a questionnaire and a focus group discussion guide. I also submitted my IRB proposal with the appropriate consent forms. Once in Rwanda, I reworked my instruments and had them translated in the local language, Kinyarwanda. I also worked closely with my CARE colleagues to plan the logistics of my research project.  My study population was recruited from PLWHA associations and non HIV-related associations within the health district of Gihundwe. I will not have been able to conduct my research successfully without the support and dedication of my colleagues at CARE.

I found this entire experience both personally and professionally enriching. I got to meet and interact with a variety of people who, during my stay, went out of their way to make me feel very welcomed. I experienced the academic satisfaction of developing and conducting my own research project. I gained first hand experience working in an international setting and within the framework of a renowned NGO. Lastly, I spent my summer in one of the most beautiful countries I had ever visited or lived in.

Awards made possible by: The Eugene J. Gangarosa Fund,
The Anne E. and William A. Foege Global Health Fund,
and The O.C. Hubert Charitable Trust.