#PassTheTorch: Chilowekwa Shike
Dear 2022–2023 Global Health Corps (GHC) fellow cohort,
First off, I would like to congratulate you all for making it into the GHC fellowship after passing through the rigorous recruitment process. You are most welcome to this life-changing opportunity that will help build your career and leadership development.
At the start of my fellowship, I was very excited about making it into this prestigious program. At the same time, I was very afraid to step into my new journey. This was because I had no background in health and I anticipated facing a big challenge fitting into the program.
However, before I reported for work, I received an outpouring of support from GHC through the Training Institute which assured me that I was not the first to have these fears. This training provided me with the resources needed to hit the ground running and reach out for support when needed.
The GHC network has a pool of diverse leaders from a span of backgrounds and locations who are eager to help and share resources with each other. I encourage you to reach out to them when you face challenges. This is a resource I wish I utilized early on in my fellowship year.
During my fellowship year, I have faced a few challenges and experienced many successes. The most challenging part of the fellowship for me was adapting to work in the public health space as a newcomer to the sector. What kept me going was the massive support I received from my placement organization and my co-fellow, Dingase, who was always ready to be a sounding board when I most needed it.
Throughout my fellowship year, I grew as a leader through working at my placement organization, participating in GHC programming, and collaborating with other fellows and alumni. I have learned how to use my voice, work in multi-cultural settings, and take up more space.
It’s difficult to highlight my favorite memories from the past year because there are truly too many to choose from. I have especially enjoyed all the retreats organized by the Zambian country team (shoutout to my ZamFam!) that allowed me to interact with my fellow cohort members.
Writing this feels like goodbye but this is just the beginning of the incredible things that lie ahead for me and my cohort. The 13-month journey you are about to start runs by so fast––be sure to relish every moment.
I would like to encourage you all to be open-minded and resilient as you prepare to take on the challenges, surprises, and opportunities that will arise throughout the year. Set your goals straight, identify at least one thing you want to achieve out of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and start working on it. You have the resources to help you through the process at your disposal. Recognize them early and utilize them well. Lean on each other for support and always remember that you have a larger community rooting for you.
I have accepted an offer from my placement organization to stay on full-time beyond the fellowship and I’ll be pursuing my Master’s degree. As I transition into the alumni community, I bring with me the relationships I forged throughout the year and the new skills I have gained.
I wish you all a very successful fellowship year. I can not wait to see and meet you all in the future. I’ll be rooting for you.
Sincerely,
Chilowekwa
Chilowekwa Shike is a 2021–2022 fellow serving as a Communications Officer at PATH in Zambia.
Global Health Corps (GHC) is a leadership development organization building the next generation of health equity leaders around the world. All GHC fellows, partners, and supporters are united in a common belief: health is a human right. There is a role for everyone in the movement for health equity. To learn more, visit our website and connect with us on Twitter/Instagram/Facebook.
