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I was fortunate to have been able to work for Helen Keller International-Bangladesh, which is a division of Helen Keller Worldwide. Helen Keller International (HKI) is among the oldest nonprofit international development organizations devoted to fighting and treating avoidable blindness. My original scope of work included the analysis of a subset of data from HKI's Nutritional Surveillance Project (NSP). In June 2003, HKI broadened the scope of the maternal health portion of its questionnaire. The data obtained from this period of collection, had not yet been analyzed by HKI staff. The variables contained in the questionnaire monitored the utilization of prenatal, delivery and postnatal care, as well as the receipt of government services including tetanus injections and nutritional supplements.

As it turned out, the analysis was not able to be completed and I developed a revised scope of work. The new project was to design a new maternal health module that would be integrated into the NSP. Working on the design of a new questionnaire was challenging because of limitations of time and my limited experience in questionnaire design. However, I thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and enjoyed having a role in the development of something that would be of use in improving the health of mothers in Bangladesh. In working on the new questionnaire, I used skills that I had learned in my core CHS courses and I was pleased to put that education to use in the field.
I was in Bangladesh during the monsoon season. The rain causes an annual flood and every year many families become displaced for prolonged periods of time. Food becomes scarce and the government, local and international organizations provide food and medicine to the flood-affected families. Although not part of my internship, I accompanied an international team consisting of Bangladeshis, Germans and Americans to flood-affected villages outside of Dhaka and distributed food to many families.

The country of Bangladesh is faced with many challenges. Political and health-related challenges are great. I found working in Bangladesh to be intense at times, but I also found it rewarding. There is a great need within the country and I believe that anyone who is interested in Public Health would find a suitable project with any of the numerous organizations that work in the country.

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