A Pen for Social and Economic Impact

One day I was asked to share something interesting about myself. I sat there for a moment, stuck, not knowing which part of me was more interesting than the other. Then it hit me! What I always rediscover about myself is, in fact, the most interesting thing of all. I am the kind of person who turns everyday moments into stories, whether through writing or conversation. I am deeply curious about people and their lived experiences. Not long ago, one of the training wheels on my daughter’s bicycle broke. We set out to find a bike repairer and thankfully, we found one. It was a rainy day, the kind of rain that soaks through clothes and leaves you cold and uncomfortable. It was not a good day to spend time outdoors, but we had no choice. It was something we had to do for our daughter. Finding the repairer felt like luck, but what caught my attention was where he was working. He sat under a tree that barely provided any shelter. If anything, the branches caused the rainwater to drip directly...

  As a communication professional, I am curious about many things, because communication is an essential part of daily life and more importantly of development work. Recently, I enrolled in a Research Communication Program, which equips researchers, faculty, practitioners and advocates with the skills and strategies needed to communicate research findings effectively to different audiences, including academic peers, policymakers and the general public. When I first came across the program, one question immediately stood out to me: how are research findings communicated to people in rural communities? What happens to the beneficiaries of development projects and programs in villages? What about the rural man, woman, or youth who participates in research but never truly understands the findings? In many cases, research results are either not communicated at all or are shared in language that is too technical and difficult for community members to understand. This question took me bac...