Nafeesa Dawoodbhoy, MHA ‘19

Nafeesa returned to Sri Lanka— her home country—for a summer residency at the Family Planning Association (FPA), a member association of the International Planned Parent Federation. Her clerkship project involved an evaluation of contraceptive access by the end-user (consumer).

Reproductive Rights for the Underserved

“FPA is part of a locally owned, globally connected, civil society movement that provides and champions sexual and reproductive health and rights for all—especially the underserved. I was humbled to witness and participate in much of the comprehensive and easily accessible care provided around midwifery, ob-gyn, and contraceptive access. I was able to understand the realities of service delivery, advocacy, and political lobbying.”

Opportunity to Influence

“My knowledge of sexual and reproductive health allowed me to take on greater responsibility and create much-needed data for FPA. I hope to gather more data and synthesize it as useful insight for evaluating consumer satisfaction. Revenue increases will most likely follow as well. I hope my recommendations are a jumping off point for FPA.”

Final Takeaway

“The MHA curricula, particularly the statistics course, was extremely helpful because my project involved research. It was incredibly useful to have a working knowledge of regressions and how to evaluate controlled variables when devising and executing my study.

I highly recommend seeking out something unconventional, as I did in approaching and negotiating a summer residency at FPA. Being the first resident at a site—especially a small organization—allows new opportunities, flexibility, and the ability to gain access to leadership and strategy.”