GSTEM South Africa The culture of public health. -Alexis
Sykes
Slide 2
Background: About Me Accepted by Gstem Spring semester 2014
Travelled to Cape Town South Africa Summer 2014 Rising Senior I
love to travel, make new friends, and always looking for ways to
minimize my bucket list (YOLO)
Slide 3
Why South Africa? Things Ive heard Public Health Program
Culture Once in a lifetime opportunity
Slide 4
Cape Town
Slide 5
Cape Town Details Currency: Rand Cheap food Cheap cabs 10:1
Coins up to 5 Rand Culture: Post Apartheid Segregated city living
settlements Townships vs gated homes Rainbow nation Global city
(jeans, food from everywhere, same shopping centers ect.)
Slide 6
Coastal Region
Slide 7
Town Ships In South Africa, the term township and location
usually refers to the urban living areas that, from the late 19th
century until the end of Apartheid, were reserved for non-
whites.
Slide 8
IES Abroad: Public Health Service Learning Health Promoters Red
Cross Childrens Hospital Retreat Day Hospital Douglass-Murray Frail
Care Facility Culture Learning
Slide 9
UCT Campus
Slide 10
Community Development As a supplement to our course Public
Health and Community Development HL345 we were given the task to
implement some way to make the community better before we left.
(Pictured: map of Egoli)
Slide 11
Garden Route
Slide 12
Homestay in Gugulethu Gugulethu is a township 15 km from Cape
Town, South Africa. Though much more tranquil than it was under
apartheid, Gugulethu is still a troubled area.
Slide 13
Jo-Burg: 1 Week Stay
Slide 14
My Research Interest Pediatric public health Universal health
care Socio-economic factors Research Question: Examining the health
status of (20) black children living in informal (10) and formal
(10) areas in Cape Town. Has their living environment contributed
to them developing preventable childhood diseases?
Slide 15
Research Supplemented by my Experience Egoli & Lotus
River
Slide 16
My Findings The children in the Egoli informal settlement are
more at risk to sicknesses that those in Lotus River do not come
into contact with. Children in Egoli do not have equal access to
health care professionals.
Slide 17
Results & Conclusions Public Health education can make a
difference! Greater attention on poorer neighborhoods because they
suffer from more severe illness
Slide 18
GSTEM + IES final thoughts Expenses paid stay and program
Research added to resume Amazing opportunity to meet new people and
see new places Everyone should apply You are expected to do
research and engage in experiences abroad anyway, its the Spelman
Way!
Slide 19
Are you thinking about becoming a GSTEM Scholar?! Please talk
to any of the previous GSTEM Scholars to learn the real in and outs
of your country of choice! -We are here to help (:
