University Partnerships
CMMB is fortunate to partner with several universities including Fordham, Fairfield, Notre Dame, Columbia, St. Catherine’s, and Regis University. The core of our relationships with universities is around capacity building for program development and implementation. As students and faculty contribute valuable knowledge and skills in research and training for CMMB and our programs, they gain authentic, often tangible, international experience and have a very real and direct impact on the work that we do. These partnerships are a key components of our volunteer program.
Fairfield University
We are fortunate to partner with both the faculty and staff at Fairfield University in Connecticut as they support CMMB’s Children and Mothers Partnerships (CHAMPS) programming through class projects and operations research. In addition, several students from Fairfield University have completed internships at our New York City headquarters. The internships provide students with opportunities for professional development, to build networks and relationships with experts in the field, and to get authentic work experience.
We are working with Fairfield to link their state-of-the-art nursing school with current and future nursing education programs in some of our country offices. The first is the newly launched nursing school in Mutomo, Kenya. A press release about launch of the nursing school highlights their hopes and objectives:
The school envisions being a Center of Excellence in the training of nurses for the health sector. Its mission is to develop a nursing workforce that will provide holistic, accessible, and sustainable quality healthcare. Students are actively engaged in meaningful learning experiences so that they can gain a wealth of skills, vast amounts of knowledge, and a genuine love for learning.
Aware that infrastructure alone cannot infuse the vision and passion that guides the school’s development, the school promotes the human spirit and interaction between teachers and students. It is this interaction that will make the difference and ensure that the buildings and the environment support higher levels of learning. The school is committed to ensuring that students receive not only the appropriate skills in their field but most importantly, formation in their physical, social, psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects. This is with the sole objective towards their personal growth and integration. Character formation must be the driving force behind all the instruction and interactions.
The learning center, library, and lab skills room at the new nursing school in Mutomo.
CMMB has partnered with Our Lady of Lourdes Mutomo Mission Hospital in Kenya for years—it is the hub of our Children and Mothers Partnership (CHAMPS) program. CMMB is now looking for nurse educators to serve at Mutomo Mission’s new nursing school. Learn more.
Our partnership with Fairfield University is always evolving and growing and we are always looking for new ways to engage our partners. For example, during our winter 2018 international volunteer orientation, Dr. Terry-Ann Jones, Director of International Studies and Associate Professor of Sociology at Fairfield University, presented a session about cultural humility and cross-cultural communications. Dr. Jones (pictured below) spoke about culture and biases, and the challenges of serving abroad. She encouraged us to examine our own culture and to understand that what we bring with us impacts our ability to develop relationships and serve effectively. Dr. Jones reminded us to observe and listen closely and remember we don’t have all the answers.
Another collaborative project between Fairfield and CMMB focused on WASH initiatives. Anna-Maria Aksan, the Associate Professor of Economics at Fairfield University describes how her class got involved:
Fairfield University: Helping Us WASH-Up
Fairfield University’s Economic Development class scoured the academic and policy literature to provide supporting evidence on best practices in implementing WASH (water, sanitation, and hygiene) initiatives in CMMB’s CHAMPS sites around the world. After studying each CHAMPS site, the students conducted literature reviews on initiatives to improve water access, storage and treatment, hand washing, latrines, and waste disposal as well as to provide dignity kits to adolescent girls.
This project brought me a sense of fulfillment beyond simply completing an assignment for a grade. I am excited that our work will be shared with CMMB and will possibly be able to contribute to some of their various initiatives throughout the world.
—Chase Crean, student researcher at Fairfield University
The semester-long research project concluded with an individualized report on each CHAMPS site, recommending best practices for CMMB’s proposed initiatives. The students range in academic interests includes economics, finance, international studies, international business, and politics. Student research was monitored throughout the semester by Fairfield University professors.
Only by working together can we address this public health issue, strengthen health systems and make the delivery of health care safe for every patient in Africa, every time.
—Dr. Marie-Paule Kieny, Assistant Director-General, Health Systems and Innovation WHO
University of Notre Dame
The University of Notre Dame partnered with CMMB in 2015 to provide opportunities for research and capacity building in Peru, where we have a country office. Notre Dame students linked their thesis and capstone projects to CMMB community programs. Paulina Luna, a master of science in Global Health at University of Notre Dame and MD candidate at Yale School of Medicine, shared her experience collaborating with CMMB in Trujillo, Peru:
A Picture Truly Worth A Thousand Words
Since 2015, the University of Notre Dame and CMMB have collaborated to improve the health of vulnerable populations. In 2016, we teamed up to evaluate CMMB’s Rehabilitation with Hope, a community-based program that assists children with disabilities by providing access to quality therapy. There was already clear evidence of the benefits for children enrolled in the program, but we wanted to find out how the program affected the parents.
We used Photovoice, a community-based participatory research methodology, to invite parents to describe and explain their experiences through photography. We learned that parents perceived feelings of disdain towards their children and judgment and blame for their children’s disabilities by others, leading to isolation.
It was incredible to witness how the parents in our study displayed leadership in presenting their photos to their communities. As they shared their powerful stories, they advocated for their children’s rights and educated others with the hopes of creating a more welcoming community.
Our results were be presented at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health in March 2018, to ensure that the parents’ stories continue to be shared and to help advocate for the rights of children with disabilities and their families worldwide.
Fordham University
Preparing for Careers in Global Health
Our partnership with NYC’s Fordham University started in 2014 and it provides students and alumni with an opportunity to gain hands-on experience and meaningful professional development through placements at CMMB’s New York City office. They support all departments as well as our five country offices to build skills and experience for careers in global health and development.
The longer you spend at CMMB the better it gets. This is not your typical intern position. I’ve worked in other offices before, but this is the first time I’ve felt like a part of a team that values my input and wants to include me in the process. Because of this, I’ve learned more than I ever expected and I feel like I am ready to transition into employment.
—Greta Schneider, former NY volunteer and Fordham class of 2017
Regis University
Providing Therapy, Dignity, and Hope in Peru
Based in Denver, Colorado, Regis University began its partnership with CMMB through the efforts of one long-term field volunteer, Amber Walker. In 2011, while in Peru, she noticed that one segment of the community was stigmatized and ignored: children with disabilities. Amber took action. She decided to engage and mobilize her Regis University colleagues to become a force for change in Trujillo.
With a team of professionals in tow, Amber returned to Peru to train and assist caregivers and physical therapists to work with children who needed rehabilitative services. Regis University faculty and students have been going back every year since. CMMB is committed to developing academic partnerships that increase our capacity and ability to serve communities, while offering universities meaningful, skills-based international service opportunities for their students, faculty and alumni.
I feel fortunate to have had the opportunity to participate in the global health program at Regis, to learn from the people of Peru, to challenge myself to practice with cultural sensitivity, and to gain a better understanding of a culture different from my own.
—Abby Burger, Regis class of 2017
The partnership between CMMB and Regis University’s Rueckert-Hartman College for Health Professions (RHCHP) focuses on the following three components:
- Building a community of practice linking CMMB technical staff to RHCHP Faculty
- Increasing the flow of students doing clinical rotations at CMMB volunteer placement sites.
- Creating new academic programs in Global Health which include a service learning component, linked to CMMB sites
This partnership provides RHCHP access to ongoing, sustainable and high-quality programs in the developing world. This access increases the University’s visibility within the global health sector, enhances opportunities for students and staff to be more involved in long-term projects, and creates new funding opportunities (including both private and government funds).
All of these benefits will increase the caliber of students and staff that are attracted to the University, which will support the growth of the University into the future. For CMMB, the benefits from this partnership include: increasing access to technical support though faculty communities of practice, enhancing the pool of volunteer candidates who have the specific skills needed for its programs, and creating new funding opportunities through linkages with the University (including both government funds as well as private revenue).
St. Catherine University
St. Catherine University’s mission is to educate women to lead and influence. CMMB is proud to partner with St. Catherine in a joint grant with Zambia’s GHR Foundation.
The GHR Foundation was founded in 1965 by Gerald and Henrietta Rauenhorst and is pioneering design-build philanthropy to create change with its partners around the world in the areas of global development, education and health. GHR started its partnership with CMMB in 2014, funding and supporting the Kusumala Child Protection Project, a long-term initiative to build system capacity and provide stable, protective, nurturing family environments for children.
The project aims to increase:
- The capacity of existing formal government structures and staff specifically, and ensure a coordinated and integrated response that promotes pro-family alliance systems and policies that enable stable family environments and reduce institutionalization of children.
- The capacity of the health sector to prevent and respond to family separation cases, by strengthening their ability to identify assess and refer vulnerable children and families.
- Awareness of the need to prevent harmful cultural practices for children and families and promote knowledge of positive attitudes that contribute to strong families, prevent separation and reunite children.
- The knowledge, skills and positive practices of communities, families and children that promote stable, protective, nurturing family environments for children of all ages
Kusamala+ and St. Cate’s
In 2017, CMMB joined forces with St. Catherine to launch the pilot Kusamala+. The purpose of this two-year pilot was to test an intervention designed to mitigate stigma and limited resources of children with disabilities and their families through family and community engagement, advocacy and skill building, and systems linkages.
The first phase of the intervention included a survey to estimate the prevalence of children with disabilities and the environmental conditions. It also included baseline measures for assessing change in knowledge, attitudes, and skills. The second phase of the intervention involves St. Catherine faculty developing the curriculum and implementing the training of trainers. The training will be done with health professionals from the Kanyama clinic and include dialogue and education around disability, skill-building, and ways to enhance local resources, including a referral system.
The curriculum will be evaluated by CMMB and the trainers will then train community outreach workers to engage with the residents in the Kanyama community and support families through education, support groups, skill development, and sensitization. This is now a placement site for global health MPH practicum students.
Other Key Partners
Our partnerships with universities are also key for our recruitment efforts for both field and NYC volunteers. We also collaborate with NYU, NYITT, Rutgers, Upsala, Liberty, Benedictine, and AIC and are always looking for new partners. Interested in partnering with us? Look no further.