From Malawi to Norway and back: My scientific and cultural experience
A Career Moment with Bong’eni Chipole
Everyone’s career matters. From those in the early stages, to those with a longer story.
We all have a tale to tell, and often there are moments that just have some special meaning or consequence.
In this series we ask people about a career moment and how this influenced, even in small ways, their career or learning. It’s not about a life story or a documentary — it’s a moment.
Using a moment allows early career as well as those with established careers to contribute. Indeed, hearing about moments from early career folk is highly informative in understanding the thinking of those just starting out — it helps us see the world through the lens of youth.
This series makes no assumptions about stage or when a ‘career’ started or career breaks/changes. It makes no assumptions about success.
The moment can be anything. An opportunity or an act of kindness or support; an activity or project; hearing a talk or reading a book; seeing someone from afar yet sensing a role model…
…and now a Career Moment with Bong’eni Chipole
Bong’eni is the Lilongwe cancer registry manager and a Medical Laboratory Technologist in a pathology laboratory at the Kamuzu central hospital in Malawi, Africa. The job entails that every day Bong’eni should process different types of histology and cytology specimen which the pathologist will visualise on a microscope to make different diagnoses.
Bong’eni also manages a cancer registry in Lilongwe that aims to produce quality cancer data for national use in research, policy, and intervention formulation.
Hello Bong’eni, thank you for agreeing to share your career moment and for being so open. I wonder if you could briefly share your chosen moment.
In 2016, I had a wonderful opportunity to take up a mobility grant that allowed me to work in a pathology laboratory in Bergen, Norway for 6 months at Haukeland university hospital.
That sounds an interesting mobility and training programme. What was your original motivation for doing this?
My motivation to embark on these six months mobility program was to improve my practical laboratory skills in a histopathology section. This was because of the understanding that it is only when people are properly trained and technically competent that’s when they can contribute adequately to the provision of high-quality histopathology services. On the other hand, having a diversified perspective to understanding different approaches of managing histopathology laboratory enhances the effectiveness of healthcare systems.
This is quite a major undertaking. How did you prepare for the visit to Norway?
I had a wonderful opportunity, but it was also quite intimidating. However, the Norwegian partners (NOREC — Norwegian Agency for exchange cooperation) organised for us to have a bit of cultural training at a retreat in South Africa before travelling to Norway. At this retreat there were participants from countries around the world that were heading to Norway and other parts of the globe as part of mobility projects. This gave us the chance to ask all the questions that we may have.
Rather importantly and unexpectedly, we were also challenged on our perspectives on different issues/topics that we may encounter in Norway. Such as something that we thought might be quite straightforward, like, how people behave when using public transportation.
One day I was asked my opinion on why so many African states avoid discussions around LGBTQ+ discrimination.
That is a very sensitive question and quite personal. How did you feel about this?
This was very challenging for me as I had not anticipated this. Then someone asked if I had ever felt racially discriminated. When I started to reflect on the question, I realised how others might feel, and because of that, we should always carefully consider and value different perspectives, such as diversity and inclusion.
Did working and living in Norway change the way you think or might work in the future?
Working and living in Norway made me understood that culture context plays an important role of how people handle and relate to different experiences. This includes values bestowed on different issues such, personal, social/community, political (Local and international) and economical.
Of note was the gender inclusiveness of Norwegians. This has enlightened me to be an open-minded technical person because one’s perspective has the potential to positively transform a society or a workspace that is conducive for everyone to perform to their best.
This is helping me already and will also contribute more to my career as each day am progressing with my career am constantly meeting, discussing, and undertaking technical activities should always be professional.
Why was it so important to you to return home?
This program is built on the premise of capacity building of our histopathology laboratory and it was therefore so essential to share the knowledge with my team in Malawi. Returning home was so significant because the knowledge that was gained should be transferred and be used. Knowledge is only good when put into use.
What if anything has changed as a result of this career moment — for your home country/institution?
The notable changes are that currently all the training institutions with medical laboratory sciences course have opted to use our institution for students’ pathology practical experience.
There is also an increased awareness of the quality issues in the pathology samples because the students that go through our laboratory are becoming the ambassadors because they have appropriate knowledge on pathology sample requirements to produce reliable results such as proper sample fixation, preparation, and transportation.
The laboratory is also continuously upgrading its quality systems for efficient service delivery.
What has changed as a result of this career moment — for you?
The experience has made me a better laboratory personnel and supervisor who is open minded and base all decisions on evidence in both my personal and professional life.
This experience has also made me realise the importance of teaching and mentoring others and now I have become a more effective mentor to newly recruited staff and a better teacher to those in training.
Do you feel that this experience has changed your thoughts on what it is to be a global citizen?
This is an important question and I like the idea of global citizenship although I am a bit unsure of what it actually means! I expected to learn about technologies but it’s the broader exposure to other cultures, beliefs and ways of living that really helps me understand how to work with others. So, yes, I would say I appreciate the complexity of what global citizenship may actually be, for example around equality, diversity and inclusion, and the benefits to living and working it brings.
Do you have one piece of career advice for others?
Careers are lifelong endeavours, so it is important to take every challenge with positivity and embark on it with open minded and back every decision with appropriate facts or data.
Do you have one piece of advice for organisations that fund mobility and knowledge/technology exchange activities?
The inclusion of a short training or sensitisation retreat to discuss cultural differences, values and expectations would be extremely valuable.
And finally, we have three quick-fire questions for you.
What do you value — these are something you aim for and hopefully bring to any role.
Openness and Collegiality, Integrity and Resilience, and proactive thinking and Intergenerational responsibility
Emerging skills. Which emerging skill sets for working and living would you prioritise.
Cross-cultural competency, Novel & adaptive systems thinking, Multi-level collaboration and Contextual problem-solving.
What gives you energy?
Knowing that the team has a shared goals and visions and implement them using multiple level strategy.
You can find out more about Bong’eni here:
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bong-eni-chipole-5352a659/
OSF | First in Human: Who and what makes a cancer phase 1 trial and why are they so important? (see section on ‘Networks and Stakeholders: How are Networks created, and how do they evolve?’) DOI 10.17605/OSF.IO/KWHQF
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