New Job

I have left CHIA and have joined another international NGO.  This one is particularly sexy.  I am the Immunization Research Specialist.  A specialist!  Ha!  Crazy!  I spent my first two weeks up up in Northern Uganda, 9 hours drive on a bumpy dusty road from Kampala, to the district of Kitgum, bordering South Sudan.  I met my boss who is a tall blonde with Dutch descent who started working in conflict zones when she was 20.  I met her, she hugged me, we got in the car, and did not stop talking until she left 4 days later. 

The project is researching how to increase immunization coverage for children under 1 in Northern Uganda.  I remained in the field a week longer than expected to get my sea legs.  Went into clinics, into government offices, into villages and asked what they saw as the main barrier to vaccination.  Based on the results, I’m designing an experiment to address these barriers.

 I move to New York in May!  I’ll be based there but will be traveling more than 45% of the time to support immunization research in other countries. 

I am giddy and trilling at this new job.  My life is unreal.  I hope I don’t wake up.