Internship beginnings!

Surabhi Rajaram

In the twenty-minute stretch from Dhaka International Airport to Gulshan Thana alone, the driver pointed out Save the Children, BRAC, UNFPA, UNICEF, ICDDR, WTO, DFID, Grameen Bank, CARE, GSK, and various country embassies - an overwhelming presence of international heavyweights in the form of offices, billboards, and marked vehicles. This silo of foreign relations leaks into the bustling markets, cottage industries, and traffic gridlock that is Dhaka. It is an interesting thought on a small country’s affinity for a large global investment and certainly an apt introduction as I engage in the global health field with CARE Bangladesh.

Fragrant jasmine flowers

My name is Surabhi Rajaram and I am pursuing an MPH in Health Behavior and Health Education at the School of Public Health.  I am a professional student with internships abroad as my limited insights into the “real” working world. This, in addition to an obsession with The Office, has probably skewed my understanding of the traditional workplace. I love it!

This summer, I am grateful to be joining the CARE-GSK Community Health Worker Initiative (CGCHWI). The initiative is part of GSK’s 20% reinvestment program to strengthen health systems through development of a skilled workforce. In a remote area of Bangladesh, female health workers called Private-Community Skilled Birth Attendants (P-CSBAs) are being trained and deployed to combat high rates of maternal and infant mortality.  My project this summer is to develop a sustainable and scalable business model for equitable healthcare delivery through this network of P-CSBA entrepreneurs.  I will be primarily field-based in the Sunamganj district with Dhaka bookending my stay.

Safe birthing kit

Thus far, my impressions of CARE BD Headquarters have been provoking. There is not enough to say for an organization that internalizes the core tenants it hopes to foster through its projects – women empowerment, dignity. As much as the workplace is filled with self-aware fathers of daughters, sons of mothers and brothers of sisters, it is filled with daughters, mothers, and sisters empowering themselves through work for their fellow people. The team brings a dignity to their work through compassion and mutual respect. I am thoroughly enjoying being called Surabhi Didi (sister) and welcomed not just as an intern, but as a member of the “family.” Looking forward to learning with this amazing team!

Stay tuned as I continue to share about my experiences this summer! And apologies for the embarrassing amount of acronyms.