Masters in Malawi: David Manjaya

David Manjaya is a studying for his Masters degree at Malawi College of Medicine. His research project is funded through SHARE, and here, he tells us a bit more about himself and his project.

What is your background?

I did my bachelors in environmental health right here at the Malawi Polytechnic, and graduated in 2008. Then I was employed by the Ministry of Health as an Environmental Health Officer in the Mwanza District, where I have been working for seven years. I then decided to do a Masters degree in Public Health at the College of Medicine.

What is your research project on?

I’m very interested in water and sanitation. My project is looking at the hygiene practices, contamination and safety of water sachets from street vendors. I wanted to study this area to see if the water that is acceptable for human consumption.

What do you enjoy most about this work?

I like to help improve water safety and sanitation and avoid related diseases. Many of these diseases are preventable, but because of the knowledge gaps in the community there are lots of episodes of diarrhoeal diseases. Sensitising people about WASH improvements and prevention is very important.

How far into the MSc programme are you?

I started the Masters in October 2015, and I will begin the analysis in mid-March. I should have it written up and completed by September 2017.

Do you think your research project will have an impact on policy?

Yes, the district may implement interventions which we recommend for safe water consumption, to meet WHO safe standards for drinking water. I have plans to present my research findings to the College of Medicine in seminars, to present at the District Health office in their quarterly meeting, in communities and to water vendors.

What new skills have you developed?

We have a module on research methods and also on statistics, so I’ve learnt a lot of material which will help me carry out my research.

What advice would you give to other students?

You must have a passion for this field – it’s a challenging field and you need to know a lot of things, so read WASH papers! When you are doing your study, you should know what you should do in relation to what others have done and what they’ve found.

To read an interview with Pacharo Msoyowa, another MSc student in Malawi, click here.