Nicole Leakey administered her questionnaire to young people during this outreach medical caravan at a village in Tanzania.  

The initiative of two students is helping establish a sustainable community program for Tanzanian young people with disabilities, and improve reproductive health for women in Shanghai.

Nicole Leakey (MScOT’11) and Erika Bennett (ArtSci’11) are working on these international programs as the inaugural fellows of the Pathy Family Foundation Community Leadership Program. The program is funded by the Pathy Family Foundation and administered by the Queen’s University International Centre (QUIC).

“This experience has opened my eyes to community development and the trials and tribulations involved in it,” says Ms Leakey. “The program has allowed me to put an idea into action and offered me the flexibility throughout the process to make mistakes and learn from them. It is an amazing self-directed opportunity to do community development work at an international level.”

Ms Leakey graduated from occupational therapy this year. She is working with five villages surrounding Moshi, Tanzania to determine the needs of young people with disabilities. Ms Bennett graduated in spring 2011with a degree in global development studies and political studies. She is working with the Shanghai Independent New Citizen Empowerment Initiative to improve reproductive health outcomes for migrant workers through the development and implementation of a peer education project.

The PFF Community Leadership Program aims to encourage students to develop their global leadership skills by working with international communities in need.

The program is open to full-time Queen’s undergraduate students graduating in 2012, or Queen’s graduate students in a full-time program applying for a sabbatical year or for a post-graduation project. This year, up to four fellowships with a maximum value of $30,000 for 12 months will be awarded.

For more information, please visit the QUIC website. The deadline for applications is February 27, 2012 at 4:30 pm.

Visit the QUIC blog to read the PFF fellows’ reflections on their experiences.