Peace Corps Rural Community Health Volunteer Benin, West Africa

Presented By

Kallie Brown

Presentation Date

10/23/2019

Penn Nursing Degree(s)

BSN ’20

Kallie Brown served as a Rural Community Health Volunteer in Benin and was stationed in the village of Bagou, where the mostly Bariba and Peulh community work in the agricultural sector. She worked at the local health center educating young women and mothers at the maternity ward on topics like the importance of vaccinations, malaria prevention, maternal and infant nutrition, and family planning. Implementing the use of the “Care Group” model, Kallie worked with a group of 12 mothers from the local neighborhood to disseminate health information throughout the Bagou community. In addition to health education, she was involved in a number of secondary projects, the most rewarding of which was the organization of an all-girls soccer team at the local middle school. When her two years of Peace Corps service were coming to an end, Kallie decided to extend another year. During this time she took a position with Catholic Relief Services as a program manager for Femme à l’Aise, a project focused on reducing the cultural stigma surrounding menstruation.