Sharon Osembo joined LVCT Health as an intern and is now transitioning to pursue her Master’s Degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
At a glance, Sharon looks composed. However, her smile is enough to invite you to a conversation. First, having a one-on-one interview with her gives a glimpse of her research experience and what inspired her to pursue her master’s degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Her story is a true reflection of the great value of LVCT Health’s impact on interns and young employees who join the institution at an entry-level level to grow in their careers.
Sharon’s first encounter with the Research Department began with the ARISE Hub Research Consortium, which aims to enhance accountability and improve the health and well-being of marginalized people living and working in informal urban spaces in low-income and middle-income countries.
The research team at LVCT Health is implementing the photovoice approach with persons living with disability, children heading households, and older persons.
Through the photovoice project, LVCT Health identified vulnerable and marginalized groups living in the informal settlements of Viwandani and Korogocho of Kenya’s capital, Nairobi.
She confidently exudes her expertise in data collection, data analysis, and presentation of findings.
Her nine months of hands-on research experience in LVCT Health have had vivid, memorable moments ranging from a warm and welcoming research team to a family that cared about her growth in the institution.
“I like how the research team was eager to listen to my views and appreciated my input on certain tasks. This gesture gave me the confidence to execute my tasks efficiently,” says Sharon.
As a researcher, Sharon talks of her experience in the field. One of the most exciting aspects Sharon confesses about her career is that she did not know that, at some point, one would require counselling due to the nature of the work in the field.
I understood that counselling was critical to me since I would lay out my frustrations from the field, which taught me to be emotionally prepared after various demanding experiences.
“Two new concepts I learned in the research field are coding and analyzing qualitative data as priority aspects in research have enabled me to present accurate findings, that I am grateful to the teams’ open-door policy,” Sharon.
I am glad LVCT Health is aware of this fact and cares about staff mental health by offering support from time to time,” adds Sharon.
Through her work, she prides herself in giving a voice to the community and seeing transformation in people’s lives. Moreover, her great interest in research and academia has inspired her to pursue a master’s degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science.
She hopes the skills she has gained will position her in a better place to represent the organization and Kenya on the global research map.
The research team and LVCT Health wish Sharon the best in her future endeavours.