My Story of Impact
by Dr Gwanyama Noella, 2023 Fellow from Cameroon
The Mandela Washington Fellowship at the University of Delaware was a game-changer. I have learned resilience and effective networking, built self-confidence, and courageously embraced life challenges.
My story begins…
BEFORE MANDELA WASHINGTON FELLOWSHIP
I am Dr Gwanyama Noella, a medical doctor passionate about mother and child health. I am the founder of Talk Pregnancy with Dr Noella (TPWDN), a Non-Profit Organization (NGO) whose primary objective is to decrease maternal and neonatal deaths in resource-limited areas. When I started this organization, I did not think of how long it would take me to impact society, but I was determined to start and grow. As my work gained more recognition over three years, I began exploring other avenues to grow out of my comfort zone. That was when I heard of the Mandela Washington Fellowship (MWF) and decided to take the shot. I met with some of my mentors, MWF Alumni Yurika Raymond and Jacqueline Ngong. With assistance from mentors like James Akaba and Cristina Kullberg and great support from my husband, mother, and other family members, I made it after my first attempt. The biggest news I ever received was the congratulatory message for being among the finalists for this program, and my whole life changed. Thanks to all the mentorship I received during the pre-fellowship orientation, which prepared me to embrace the challenges ahead of this new journey.
LIFE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE
Life in Delaware was filled with love, laughter, and empathy among all of us. On day one, I met all the other fellows, starting with Florence, whom I had already met online and at the airport. The other fellows were Mihret, Prisca, Marc, Ally, Leonilde, Nadege, Selam, Abdel, Sibulele,
Kgothatso, Diamondra, Coretta, Annabelle, Elizabeth, Trivone, Melissa, Teni, Akal, Farouk, Julius and Mwende. Not forgetting our administrators, Dr. Tracy, Dr. Jessica, Dr. Nike, and Collins, were very enthusiastic about receiving us. I remember one fellow Chioma who missed her flight, and when she arrived, the administrators had to send one of the graduate assistants to wait for her and bring her to campus before we could start. The first lesson learned on day one was ensuring inclusion. Secondly, something struck my attention that I will never forget. As leaders or administrators, we sometimes need to forgo our comfort for the sake of others. For example, when one fellow became ill, Dr. Nike took it upon herself to carry him to the hospital and spend the night with him there. That was way out of her duty. Empathy brings out the human nature in us, no matter our status. Dr Tracy, Dr Jessica, and Collin also took turns in the hospital to ensure they met all his needs.
Furthermore, the administrators were very strategic about creating opportunities for us. They allowed us to network with some American and African families, where we met with families from the same countries. This no doubt created stronger bonds among us. Like the Delaware African Coalition, this is where I met Kevin Coleman, who taught me a valuable lesson: when applying for an opportunity, I always remember WIFM (What’s in it for me). This golden method made me reach out to now one of my primary mentors in the US, Ndansi Elvis, whom I met in New Jersey, not even knowing that he was also an MWF alumnus. He coached me very well, especially on project writing, and since then, he has been a valuable input in my work. Again, I met other Cameroonians like Dr. Eunice Gwanmesia and Ambrosia Mondoa, who have been like family to me now. They keep on encouraging me to ensure I keep working on my projects. I also created solid relationships with other American families, such as Prof Douglas Buttery, who consistently encouraged me to work harder.
In addition, during one of our lectures on leadership taught by Dr.Lorraine. She delved into the Clifton Gallup Strength, which gave me a profound understanding of who I am, my top five strengths, and how to use them differently. This helped boost my self-confidence, which
Consequently, it helped me manage my organization better and understand how to select leaders that complement me, thus strengthening my organization. The administrators also made it possible for us to visit top government officials in Delaware, such as the Governor of Delaware, John Carney, and the County Executive of New Castle County Matthew Meyer. We had the opportunity to discuss our work back in our countries and gained great insights on how to move forward. They also shared opportunities for some of us to meet with leaders in our respective fields. More so, the graduate assistants Segun, Kunlere, Baffo, Vincent, and Jane taught me how to be patient when working even with other leaders and that sometimes, you need to make tough decisions when necessary for the benefit of the majority.
AFTER THE FELLOWSHIP
The Mandela Washington Fellowship has boosted my self-confidence, given me a long-lasting American and African family, and provided me with the appropriate network I needed. Through the MWF, I have mastered my top five strengths, which have helped me achieve most of my goals. This has also permitted me to partner with my country’s government, other organizations, stakeholders, and community leaders in carrying out more significant projects like the project on preconception care, which was recently launched titled Action on Preconception Care. It should be noted that this aspect of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) is seldom practiced in resource-limited areas. Meanwhile, it serves as a primary preventive measure in the fight against maternal and child health, thus promoting healthy families and communities. We carried out a novel project in the region to train other partners in the Northwest region dealing with SRH on preconception care. The Regional Delegation of Public Health approved this workshop. We successfully trained over 12 different organizations with over 60 participants. We plan to scale up the impact to all other districts in the region and the other areas of Cameroon.
