Recently, we received a wonderful email from Eliza who volunteered with us back in 2019. With her permission we are delighted to share it with you.

Hi Julian, Peatry and the rest of the Mbedza team!

It’s been a while since I’ve reached out to any of you, but I’ve just completed my first week studying for my Global Health BSc and I’ve been reflecting on the gap project I did with you in 2019 an awful lot lately!

Back in 2019, I was getting ready to study medicine in Bristol as I spent my summer in Malawi. I had the idea of studying Global Health back then but wasn’t really sure what that would mean. During my project, you gave me the opportunity to be immersed in a culture vastly different from my own in many ways, and the opportunity to expand my horizons and begin to understand what it meant to be a global citizen.

That summer, I grew to love Malawi as a country and felt so at home. I learnt so much about what it meant to be a small charity working with communities struck by poverty - and how small changes can make a world of difference. That has stuck with me for the last few years and has remained a key motivation in my studies. We had a couple of lectures on the concept of global health in my first year which fuelled my passion further. I had the opportunity to do a small research project on traditional medicine practices. By this time, my mind was made up that I would pursue this academically as soon as I had the opportunity.

This year, I have paused my medicine degree to work toward a BSc in Global Health. I’m learning more about the policy behind globalisation and development, the global burden of diseases, and more importantly, how we as a global community can use our different skill sets to address inequity and health challenges faced globally.

My Gap Project definitely fuelled a fire that has lead me to this point, still eager to seize any opportunities to work with different communities globally to make differences in peoples lives, not matter how small. I wanted to thank you guys for giving me that first chance to begin to understand this part of myself.

It’s been brilliant to watch Songani grow through your newsletters over the past few years, and I look forward to the day I can hopefully return and see everyone again!

I hope you’re all well,
Eliza Burdass

We are delighted to see the positive impact that Malawi had on Eliza. We hope to see her back in Malawi one day!